Lake Coleridge

100km west of Christchurch is Lake Coleridge, a typical elongated glacier-formed lake, surrounded by mountains and open tussock grassland and which is now a Mecca for anglers. It is named after a prominent member of the Canterbury Association. The first state-owned hydroelectric station came into operation here in 1911. The water that formerly flowed into the Harper River was diverted through underground pipelines into the Rakaia River. Near here are the winter-sports areas of Porter Heights and Mount Olympus.