Pukaki Kettle Hole Track is an easy 4 km walk that will take you around 1 hour to complete as a loop trail.
From the car park north of the Pukaki Dam, walk along the 4WD track into the Pukaki Terminal Moraine Conservation Area. You will see a grassy track that leads off from the 4WD towards the kettle hole. The track loops around the kettle hole and rejoins the grassy track back towards the 4WD and the car park.
The kettle hole was formed by the retreat of the Tasman Glacier. Kettle holes are formed when a large block of ice is separated from the glacier. As the block of ice melts, it leaves a large depression in the ground. Along this walk, you will see interpretation signs concerning the formation of the kettle hole, as well as other glacial activity.
The movement of the Tasman Glacier over this region is also where you will find yourself walking over moraine tussocks. As a result, the vegetation is relatively young and there is not much shade on this track. The trade-off is that this allows for stunning 360 degree of the Southern Alps looking across Lake Pukaki at Aoraki/Mt Cook, Ben Ohau Range, eastern foothills, and to the south, Mt Benmore.
This information panel is beside a seating area, which is a popular stop for a picnic.
Quick Facts about this walk
- Location: Lake Pukaki, South Island, New Zealand
- Time needed: 1 hour walk
- Distance: 4 km
- Difficulty: Easy
- Bikes allowed: Unknown
- Route: Loop
- Elevation: 30 m
- Wet Feet: No
- Toilets: There are toilets at a car park just a few minutes away heading south.
- Dogs: No
- Mobile Coverage: Yes, very good
- Last Updated: May, 2020
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