Lake Hawea is a deep glacial lake about thirty kilometres long, lying in a valley carved by ice between the dry hills of Central Otago, and the colour of it is the first thing you notice: a cold, dark blue, almost black in the middle, fading to emerald in the shallows. It sits just east of its twin, Lake Wanaka, separated from it by a narrow ridge called The Neck, and both were scooped out by the same great glaciers that once filled the valleys. The hills around are brown tussock and bare schist, with scattered willows and poplars along the shore, and in autumn the colours are gold and orange against the blue water.
The road, State Highway 6, runs along the eastern shore from the small town of Hawea to the lake's head, and then over the Haast Pass to the West Coast. The ride along the water is easy and rewarding, with gentle bends, good sealed surface and wide, open views. The lake level was raised in the 1950s for a hydro scheme, which is why the shoreline road sits close to the water in places. On a calm morning the surface mirrors the mountains, and the whole valley seems to hold its breath. When the wind rises, as it often does in the afternoon, whitecaps run down the lake, and the riding gets lively.
Hawea is a quiet lakeside town, popular with anglers, who come for trout and salmon, and with holiday-makers who rent baches for the summer. There is a small shop, a café and a pub, and the town is a good base for exploring the area on foot or by bike. The Hawea Flat, to the south, is farmland, dry and sunny. Winters are cold, with snow on the hills and frost on the road, but spring and autumn are lovely.
Wanaka, with about four thousand people, is the nearest large town and has everything a rider needs: fuel, supermarkets, repair shops, cafés and restaurants. It is worth filling the tank there before heading north towards the pass, because the services thin out quickly. Bring a windproof layer, for the lake breeze is always cold, and sunglasses, because the light off the water is fierce. The best time for riding is early morning, when the lake is calm and the roads are empty.