I saw signs for “Lake Hāwea Lookout” and pulled over without a second thought. At this point, we’d been road-tripping across the South Island for (almost) two weeks and knew very well that any viewpoint with a big old tourist sign was going to be a good one! The Neck is no exception!

Here, you’ll get incredible 180-degree views across the lake, up the Makarora Valley and across Mou Waho Island. This is a predator-free nature reserve you can visit on a lake cruise and nature walk. I haven’t personally done this, but I’ve heard it’s an incredible experience.

Because it’s such a popular lookout, you can expect it to be busy all day long. However, if you’re visiting from somewhere like the UK or Canada, you might laugh at what Kiwis call “busy”! But, if you can manage an early wakeup call, I highly recommend coming for sunrise.