Queenstown · Richardson Mountains
A remote, crystal-clear alpine lake held in place by an ancient rockslide.
Photographed from a second helicopter, with two photographers and two helicopters on location
Lake Lochnagar (Ōtaka) is a 125 m deep alpine lake at 1,083 m in the Richardson Mountains, north of Queenstown. An ancient rockslide dams it, and its water is protected in its natural state. Walking in is a serious backcountry trip, so for a wedding the practical way in is by helicopter, landing on a beach, by the hut, at the waterfall or on the rocks.
Photographed from a second helicopter, with two photographers and two helicopters on location
Why Lochnagar
Lochnagar feels a world away. There is no road, no town in view and no crowd, just a deep lake ringed by mountains. Its colour shifts from dark blue to green with the sky, and the shoreline changes from pebbled beaches to big rocks and falling water, so one landing can give you several very different backdrops.
On a calm day the water turns to glass and the whole range is painted upside down beneath you. It also pairs well with other landings, so many couples combine Lochnagar with a glacier or ridgeline on the same day.
01 · Where you land
There are several landing areas around the lake, each with its own feel. Wind, light and the pilot's safety check decide which one we use on the day, so we never promise a single spot in advance.
Photographed from a second helicopter, with two photographers and two helicopters on location
Pebbles and clear water
Stony shoreline beaches where the water is so clear you can see the bottom well out from the edge. A beach ceremony puts the lake right at your feet with the mountains rising straight out of it.
Rustic and historic feel
An old-style backcountry hut near the lake, a reminder of the area's mustering and hunting past. It gives a warm, timeless contrast to the wild landscape around it.
Moving water backdrop
A waterfall tumbling down towards the lake. Couples love it as a ceremony or portrait backdrop, and the boulders nearby can give shelter on a breezy day.
Dramatic and elevated
Big rock outcrops and boulders around the lake edge, left by the rockslide that formed it. They lift you above the water for wide views down the length of the lake.
02 · Seasons
The lake at its most vivid: deep blues and greens on a still day, long evenings and warm air at the water's edge. Sandflies can be about on calm summer days, so we bring repellent.
Golden tussock, pale beaches and turquoise shallows. Summer is when couples kick off their shoes on the stones and run along the shore while the helicopter circles back overhead.
Fresh snow often lingers on the surrounding peaks while the lake shore opens up, giving bright, high-contrast photographs. Spring weather changes quickly, so we keep a flexible window.
Cloud drifts low over snowy ridges, the water turns to a mirror, and the helicopter, the couple and the mountains all appear twice. Vows here feel quiet and enormous at the same time.
Snow can cover the mountains around the lake and change the whole mood of the place. Avalanche risk and conditions decide whether, and where, a landing is safe, so winter days are planned closely with the pilot.
On a clear winter day the sun bounces off fresh snow, a veil trails across white ground, and somebody always ends up throwing a handful of snow into the air. Then the champagne comes out.
03 · Getting there
The flight from Queenstown crosses the high country north of town, often over the Shotover and Skippers Canyon. Flight time depends on where you take off, the aircraft and the route, and we confirm it when we plan your day.
Overland routes come in from the Shotover via Branches Station and from Rees Saddle. DOC describes this as demanding backcountry terrain needing a high level of skill, and some approaches need landholder permission. It is not a route for a wedding party.
The pilot makes the final call on every landing. Read how we plan around it in our weather backup guide.
Make it a two-landing day
Lochnagar is one half of some of the best two-landing days in the region. Pick a second stop that looks nothing like the lake, and you get two completely different weddings in one flight.
Lochnagar + Tyndall Glacier
Tyndall Glacier sits high above Lake Lochnagar on the edge of Mount Aspiring National Park, so the hop between the two is one of the shortest glacier-to-lake flights around. Couples get snow, ice and crevassed ridges at one landing, and still turquoise water at the other.
Because the glacier is so close, very little extra flying is needed to add it. Flying time is the biggest part of a helicopter quote, so this is often one of the more affordable ways to include a glacier landing. We confirm the exact price when we plan your route.
Lochnagar + Coromandel Peak
Coromandel Peak, the private landing on Mount Roy above Lake Wānaka, is the opposite of Lochnagar. It is an open summit with the famous Roys Peak outlook over the lake and its islands towards Mount Aspiring. Lochnagar is a secluded basin with the mountains closing in around you.
Together they give you the big panoramic view and the quiet hidden lake on the same day. The combination works especially well departing from Wānaka. Read our Coromandel Peak guide.
04 · History, names and science
Few wedding locations come with a backstory this big. Lochnagar is a lake made by a mountain falling down, thousands of years ago.
Ice age
Glaciers carve the valleys of the Richardson Mountains.
~9,000 to 6,300 years ago
A vast rockslide, about 690 million m³ of debris, blocks the valley and the lake forms behind it.
Before Europeans
The lake is known to Māori as Ōtaka.
By 1900
Gold-country exploration is reported near Lochnagar (Lake Wakatip Mail).
1903
Excursions towards Lochnagar appear in the Otago Daily Times.
1925 and 1933
Detailed descriptions of the lake are published in the Otago Daily Times and the Evening Star.
1997
The Water Conservation (Kawarau) Order lists Lochnagar among waters to be kept in their natural state.
Ōtaka
The lake's recorded Māori name, known long before European exploration.
Lochnagar
LINZ records link the nearby 2,316 m peak Lochnagar to the Scottish mountain of the same name. Who first gave the name to the lake is not recorded.
Goat Lake
An older recorded name, fitting for country where DOC still lists goats, chamois and red deer.
01
The rockslide dam is about 340 m high, 2.1 km long and 2 km wide, made of roughly 690 million cubic metres of debris.
02
Water drains out through the rockslide itself rather than over a simple surface outlet.
03
There are no fish in the lake, and DOC records no introduced plants in the water.
Sources: Our Lakes / Our Future (Lochnagar), Lochnagar landslide-dam geomechanics and timing study, DOC Otago Conservation Management Strategy and Lochnagar hunting block, Water Conservation (Kawarau) Order 1997, LINZ, and Papers Past (Lake Wakatip Mail 1900, Otago Daily Times 1903 and 1925, Evening Star 1933).
05 · The last look
The rotors start, the beach shrinks to a pale curve against the water, and the lake you said your vows beside settles back into silence. From above, you finally see how far from everything you really were.
"Hands held, a little cold, completely sure."
Some of our favourite frames at Lochnagar are the smallest ones: lace against a jacket sleeve, fingers laced together while the mountains wait in the background.
Lake Lochnagar sits at 1,083 m in the northern Richardson Mountains, north of Queenstown between the Shotover and Rees valleys. It is one of the more remote alpine lakes between Queenstown and Wānaka.
Ōtaka. The lake has also been recorded as Goat Lake.
Up to about 125 m deep, with a surface area of about 303.6 ha.
Glaciers shaped the valley, and an enormous ancient rockslide, about 690 million cubic metres of debris, later dammed it. Dating of boulders on the dam suggests the lake has existed in roughly its current form for more than 6,300 years, and probably close to 9,000.
No. There are overland routes, but DOC describes them as demanding backcountry terrain for skilled trampers, and some need landholder permission. For a wedding, a helicopter is the only practical way in.
Yes. Lochnagar is a well-known heli wedding and elopement location from Queenstown. Landings depend on permission, the pilot's safety assessment and the weather on the day.
There are several landing areas around the lake, including pebbled beaches, a backcountry hut, a waterfall and rocky outcrops. Your pilot and planner choose the best one for the wind and light.
Yes. DOC records exceptionally high water quality and clarity, and the lake is protected in its natural state. Clear does not mean safe to drink, so bring your own water.
No. DOC records an absence of fish in the lake.
Possibly. DOC lists red deer, chamois and goats in the area, and some couples spot them in the distance, but sightings can never be promised.
Accounts differ, and we do not promise either way. Snow on the surrounding mountains is common in winter; ice on the lake depends on the year. We check conditions with the pilot before the day.
Shoes you can walk on stones and uneven ground in, a warm layer even in summer, and secured veils and hair for the helicopter downdraft and lake breezes.
The pilot makes the final call. We move to a sheltered landing at the lake, shift the timing, or switch to a different location so your day can still happen.
Yes. Tyndall Glacier sits just above Lake Lochnagar, so adding it takes only a little extra flying. That short hop often makes it one of the more affordable ways to include a glacier, and it gives you snow and ice at one landing and a clear alpine lake at the other.
Yes. Coromandel Peak on Mount Roy gives you the open, famous view over Lake Wānaka, which contrasts beautifully with Lochnagar's hidden basin. It pairs especially well on days departing from Wānaka.
Other landings that pair well with Lochnagar.
Glacier waterfalls beneath Mount Earnslaw.
The mountain across the lake from Queenstown.
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