Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown, New Zealand

Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown, New Zealand

These are the flat calm waters of Lake Wakatipu on the South Island of New Zealand. Wakatipu, the country's third largest lake, is shaped like a lightning bolt. This unusual shape creates a seiche, or standing wave, which causes the lake’s waters to rise and fall a few inches every 26 minutes. According to Maori legend, this ‘tide’ is said to be from the heartbeat of Matau, a huge monster that sleeps at the bottom of the lake.