Lake Sumner, known as Hokakura in Māori

Maori language

Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...

, is a lake

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,...

 situated 100 km northwest of Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

 in the Canterbury

Canterbury, New Zealand

The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...

 region of New Zealand. The lake is located in the Lake Sumner Forest Park

Lake Sumner Forest Park

thumb|right|Gabriel hut at lake Sumner Forest ParkLake Sumner Forest Park is located in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand.-External links:* - Lake Sumner Conservation Park* - Lake Sumner Forest Park tramping tracks...

; the Hurunui River

Hurunui River

The Hurunui River is the fourth largest of the four principal rivers in north Canterbury, New Zealand, with a catchment area of 2,670 square kilometres. The river flows from the eastern side of the Southern Alps, to the Pacific Ocean....

 and several other lakes (Loch Katrine, Lake Sheppard, Lake Taylor and Lake Mason) also lie within the park.

The Lake Sumner region is a popular area for hunting

Hunting

Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

, tramping, trout fishing, whitewater kayaking

Whitewater kayaking

Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater kayaking can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. River rapids are graded like ski runs according to the difficulty, danger or...

, and mountainbiking. Several Department of Conservation tramping huts

Backcountry hut

Backcountry huts are huts that serve overnight hiking and trekking needs and can be found in many places in the world.-New Zealand:New Zealand has a network of approximately 950 backcountry huts...

in the region make it a common destination for overnight trips; however, the area's comparatively remote location and difficult vehicle access mean it is seldom crowded.

External links

• Department of Conservation - Lake Sumner Forest Park tramping tracks