Lake Ellesmere Article Index for
Lake
Website Links For
Lake
 

Information About

Lake Ellesmere




Lake Ellesmere is located in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand . It is a broad, shallow lake located directly to the west of Banks Peninsula , separated from the Pacific Ocean by a long narrow strip of land called Kaitorete Spit .

The lake covers an area of 265 km2, and is the largest lake in the Alluvial fan of the Canterbury Plains .

The rarely used Maori name is ''Waihora'', meaning ''spreading waters'' (compare Lake Waihola ). The main river that feeds the lake is the Selwyn .