Lake Gault Lookout

Lake Gault Lookout is a sheltered lakeside viewpoint at the end of the Lake Gault Track, reached from Lake Matheson car park. The return walk is 8 km and about three hours, with a gradual 200 m climb; DOC rates it easy to intermediate. This is a half-day walk rather than a quick roadside stop, but you finish at the lake with the Southern Alps across the water.

On a calm day, the lake reflects Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. Early morning gives the best chance of a mirror view, before clouds hide the peaks. Pack water and a snack for three hours on foot, and take warm waterproof layers; weather can change quickly. Dogs aren't allowed on the track.

The route shares part of the Lake Matheson walk before branching toward Lake Gault. It passes through original podocarp forest and crosses several small streams. A seat about halfway up looks toward the river flats; later the track levels out, with glimpses of the lake through the vegetation before the final few minutes to the lookout.

At the end, there is a shelter with two picnic tables, interpretation panels and a composting toilet.

Lake Gault sits in a hollow excavated by ice. When the last glacier retreated, a large plug of ice stayed behind; its meltwater filled the depression that became the lake.

The route was first cut in the 1930s to reach a hydroelectric intake. It fell into disrepair and closed in 2000. Local volunteers and the Department of Conservation reopened it in April 2019, then upgraded the track in 2020.

Rowi, New Zealand's rarest kiwi species, have been released in the hills around Lake Gault since December 2018. That is a conservation story, not a promise of a kiwi sighting on the walk.