Lake Selfe

Lake Selfe
Te Ruahikihiki (Māori)
A person standing in a still alpine lake fishing, with the lake reflecting the mountains behind
Fly fishing at Lake Selfe, with Mount Hennah in the background
Interactive map of Lake Selfe
Coordinates43°14′20″S 171°31′08″E / 43.239°S 171.519°E / -43.239; 171.519
Basin countriesNew Zealand
Surface elevation
574 m (1,883 ft)

Lake Selfe, or Te Ruahikihiki in Māori, is a lake in the Selwyn District of the Canterbury Region in the South Island of New Zealand.

Geography

Lake Selfe is situated in the Selwyn District between the Cottons Sheep Range, which reaches heights of up to 1,470 m (4,820 ft) to the south and west, and Mount Ida, which rises to 1,695 m (5,561 ft) to the north-northeast, as well as Little Mount Ida, which rises to 1,050 m (3,440 ft) to the east. The 64.3 ha (159-acre) lake stretches at an elevation of 574 m (1,883 ft) and is approximately 2.09 km (1.30 mi) long in a northwest–southeast direction. At its widest point, it measures approximately 540 m (1,770 ft) in a southwest–northeast direction. The lake's circumference is approximately 4.77 km (2.96 mi).

Lake Selfe is fed by a few streams and has its outflow—Moss Burn—at the northwest end of the lake. Its waters flow via Lake Henrietta into the Harper River.

Naming

The original Māori name of the lake is Te Ruahikihiki. The European name given to the lake was for Henry Selfe, a member of the Canterbury Association.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Place name detail: Mount Hennah". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  2. ↑ "Place name detail: Lake Selfe". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  3. ↑ "Place name detail: Cottons Sheep Range". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "Place name detail: Mount Ida". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  5. ↑ "Place name detail: Little Mount Ida". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  6. 1 2 Harriss, Gavin. "Lake Selfe, Canterbury". NZ Topo Maps. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  7. ↑ Coordinates and longitude measurements were taken using Google Earth Pro version 7.3.4.8573 on 6 August 2022.
  8. ↑ "Place name detail: Te Ruahikihiki". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  9. ↑ Greenaway, Richard L. N. (June 2007). "Linwood Cemetery Tour" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. pp. 27–28. Retrieved 18 April 2026.