Lake Emma, Canterbury, New Zealand

LAKE EMMA

South Canterbury

Location:
South Canterbury 
For the track that I did, head out towards ‘Lake Camp’, on the road to Lake Clearwater. Once you get to Lake Camp, there’s a little shingle access road just on the left hand side of the road on the near side of the lake that leads along the tree line, head down that road, it ends up at a parking space where the trail starts.

Time:
4 hours return.
2 hours there, 2 hours back. With dog, photos and a little detour up the hill.

Difficulty.
Easy

Dogs:
Under effective control

This was a pretty flat and easy one.

It was the middle of winter, It had been raining in Christchurch for weeks, I just wanted to get out to somewhere the rain wasn’t. I had planned a potential route up Mt Harper (the mountain behind the walk) but decided against it when I arrived and saw how much snow was up there, and how late in the day it was.

I decided to take the marked trail from Lake Camp, round to the Lake Emma Hut. Good distance, about 15km.
The terrain is easy no steep bits, no gnarly bits, EXCEPT there’s a river crossing that also ran down the path for a bit. Not sure if this is always there or if it was just the time of year and the weather conditions.

You very well may get wet feet here.

It was a very quiet day, very still, no-one around (which was good because Charlie was barking a lot, he seemed very excited to be out on this walk).

Note: They really don’t want you to have your dog at Lake Camp or Lake Clearwater. There are lots of signs telling you that. You can take your dog on the hike, but he’s not welcome by the lake!

A very still Lake Camp, complete with locals out for a swim.

The track down to the parking spot, you can see the sign in the distance.

Ready to go.

Made it to the hut, just in time for a bit of a sunset.

Lake Emma Hut, good spot for lunch, not a hut you can stay in though.

Regulation ‘made it to the destination’ shot.

Lake Emma Hut perched next to the calm water. Very picturesque. Time to head back.

Nice bit of colour in the reflection, but weather is rolling in from the West.

I try to keep my feet dry. Charlie doesn’t.

Cloud and a bit of snow closing in.

Back out the way we came.