Lake Quill is a tarn located in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park at 979 m above sea level.[1] The cirque lake of approximately 1.2 km2 is the source of Sutherland Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in the country and seventh-highest in the world, cascading from Lake Quill in three tiers into the Arthur Valley alongside the Milford Track, approximately 20 km from Milford Sound.
| Lake Quill | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lake Quill and the top of Sutherland Falls | |
.png)  Lake Quill | |
| Location | Fiordland National Park |
| Coordinates | 44°48.5′S 167°43.5′E / 44.8083°S 167.7250°E |
| Type | tarn |
| Etymology | named after William Quill |
| Primary outflows | Sutherland Falls |
| Surface area | 1.2 square kilometres (0.46 sq mi) |
| Surface elevation | 979 metres (3,212 ft) |
The lake was named after William Quill, who climbed Sutherland Falls in 1890 to be the first European to discover the falls' source.[2] Today, the lake and its falls are a popular destination for helicopter tours, which allow an encompassing view of the extreme landscape. A less perilous climb to the lake itself is possible from McKinnon Pass. This destination as well as the base of Sutherland Falls can be reached via the Milford Track.[3] This popular multi-day hiking track requires booking with the Department of Conservation.[4][5]
In 2018, the lake was used as a filming location for Mission: Impossible – Fallout featuring Tom Cruise flying an Airbus Helicopters H125 helicopter.[6]
The lake was used as a wallpaper for Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system.[7] The wallpaper is no longer available in its successor, Windows 11.
References edit
- ^ "Place name detail: Lake Quill". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ "Sutherland Falls climbed | NZHistory, New Zealand history online". nzhistory.govt.nz.
- ^ "Sutherland Falls Milford Track c. 1890 – c. 1910 – Smaller". Archives New Zealand. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
- ^ "Sutherland Falls". waterfalls.co.nz.
- ^ "Milford Track". www.doc.govt.nz.
- ^ "Tom Cruise's daring Queenstown chopper stunt". Otago Daily Times. 8 February 2018.
- ^ "Where was the photo with the mountains and the lakes taken from new Windows 10 wallpapers". login.microsoftonline.com. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
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