Diamond Lake

There are two Diamond Lakes in Otago and almost everything written about "Diamond Lake" online is the other one. This page is about the Diamond Lake 17 km north of Glenorchy, on the Glenorchy–Paradise road, inside the Diamond Lake Wildlife Management Reserve. The Wanaka one, with the loop track and Rocky Mountain above it, is on the Mount Aspiring road an hour and a half away.

This lake is alpine, 177 hectares, about 25 m deep, steep and bush-clad along its western shore. It drains south through Diamond Creek into Reid Lake and on to the Rees.

Getting there

Glenorchy is 45 minutes from Queenstown. From there, follow the Glenorchy–Paradise road; from the Rees River bridge it is 9 km of gravel. The Department of Conservation does not state a two-wheel-drive rating for the last section, so treat it as a road to look at before you commit a rental car to it.

Paradise Road floods and closes, and it happens most years. Check the council's road reports before you drive up, particularly after heavy rain.

Camping

A DOC standard campsite, ten sites, and campervans and caravans only — tents are not catered for. $10 a night for adults and $5 for children aged 5 to 17, maximum 50 people, and it must be booked. DOC's own warning is that the site may flood in heavy rain, which given the road is worth taking seriously.

Diamond Creek Walk

Forty-five minutes one way, easy, starting 15 minutes from Glenorchy on the Glenorchy–Routeburn road. It follows the true left bank of the creek up to Lake Reid, gets boggy in places, and is good for waterfowl and for views up to Paradise and the Dart Valley. Keep children away from the creek banks — several are undercut, with deep fast water below.

Mt Alfred rises behind the lake. Access to the summit route crosses private land and the arrangements are not something we can currently confirm, so ask locally rather than relying on an old trip report.

Fishing and swimming

Brown trout averaging two to three pounds, best later in the season, no boat fishing. Reid Lake holds a few larger and considerably better-educated fish. Season 1 November to 31 May. DOC lists swimming and kayaking at the lake; there is no water quality monitoring here.

On the same road

The Isengard scenes in The Lord of the Rings were shot at Dan's Paddock, and the forest at Paradise stood in for the gardens of Isengard. Neither is at the lake itself, but both are on this road.