Fire sends huge smoke plume over Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown

Multimedia Journalist - Dunedin, NZ Herald·NZ Herald·6 Oct, 2026 12:50 AMQuick Read‌Smoke obscuring a mountainside beside Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown this afternoon. A fire is burning on a hillside beside Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown, sending thick clouds of smoke across the water.Photos show flames along the lower slopes and a large plume of smoke obscuring much of the mountainside.A large plume of smoke obscures the slopes across Lake Wakatipu as a fire burns near Queenstown. Photo / Supplied RealNZ, owners and oeprators of Walter Peak station, said the area was