Lake Wilkie
Encyclopedia
Lake Wilkie is a small, scenic lake
near Tautuku Bay in the Catlins
, south of Dunedin
, New Zealand
. It formed behind sand dunes after the last ice age, and has gradually shrunk to its current size of 1.7 hectares (4.2 acres). Bog lakes like Lake Wilkie are uncommon in this part of the country. Lake Wilkie is also unusual in being populated by a tiny introduced frog.
The lake is only a short walk from the road. Along the track are several signs explaining the succession of different plants as land is slowly reclaimed. The full transition from sphagnum
moss to mature forest occurs in only 65 m (210 ft).
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
near Tautuku Bay in the Catlins
The Catlins
The Catlins comprises an area in the southeastern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The area lies between Balclutha and Invercargill, straddling the boundary between the Otago and Southland regions...
, south of Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It formed behind sand dunes after the last ice age, and has gradually shrunk to its current size of 1.7 hectares (4.2 acres). Bog lakes like Lake Wilkie are uncommon in this part of the country. Lake Wilkie is also unusual in being populated by a tiny introduced frog.
The lake is only a short walk from the road. Along the track are several signs explaining the succession of different plants as land is slowly reclaimed. The full transition from sphagnum
Sphagnum
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss or sphagnum peat on the other, the...
moss to mature forest occurs in only 65 m (210 ft).