Filming Locations
Lake Wakatipu
Scene: Loch Ness (multiple scenes)
Queenstown waterfront. View from the lakefront walk or TSS Earnslaw cruise.
The Story
Lake Wakatipu has stood in for Loch Ness, which tells you something about its scale and mystery. The Water Horse, a family fantasy about the Loch Ness Monster starring Emily Watson and Ben Chaplin, shot its water sequences on the lake, with the Remarkables filling in for the Scottish Highlands.
The lake's signature feature — its rhythmic 25-minute seiche, a standing wave that makes the water level rise and fall like a breathing creature — gave the filmmakers a natural special effect they didn't have to create. Local Māori know the phenomenon as the heartbeat of Matau, the taniwha whose body formed the lake after he was slain.
Most of the lake sequences were shot from the Queenstown waterfront and around Bob's Cove, a sheltered bay 10 minutes toward Glenorchy. The TSS Earnslaw, the vintage steamship that has been cruising Lake Wakatipu since 1912, appears in the background of several shots — and remains in operation today as a tourist experience.
Visual Style & Cinematography
Misty, storybook cinematography. Shot on 35mm with heavy use of diffusion and natural overcast light to give the lake an otherworldly feel appropriate for a creature feature.
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Book the Experience
Stand where they stood. These tours take you to the actual filming locations.
TSS Earnslaw Lake Cruise
Cruise Lake Wakatipu on the vintage steamship. The lake stood in for Loch Ness in this New Zealand-shot family film.
Lake Wakatipu Kayak Tour
Paddle the lake at water level — the same perspective used for many of the film's loch surface scenes.
Glenorchy & Paradise Scenic Tour
The mountain-backed lake views that became the Scottish Highlands. See where they built the castle set on the shore.
Frame by Frame
Cinematography stills via FrameThrower — the cinematography search engine.
A stone castle complex sits on a high cliff overlooking a wide lake. Massive steep mountains flank the water under a dense, overcast, cloud-filled sky.
A vast landscape features a wide, calm lake nestled between several large green mountains. The water surface reflects the dim daylight while the surrounding hills descend into shadow.
A stone castle with multiple towers sits on a cliff overlooking a vast lake. A large sailing ship with red insignia on its sails moves across the water.
A vast mountain valley features a large lake beneath a heavy overcast sky. A steam train crosses a multi-arched stone bridge as light beams down upon the water.
A wide aerial view of a deep blue lake surrounded by rolling green hills. Dense deciduous trees frame the foreground while pastures stretch along the winding shoreline.
A vast loch sits between tall grass-covered mountains under a heavy overcast sky. Small gravel islands emerge from the water with snow visible on the distant peaks.
A calm lake sits in the foreground with reeds lining the shoreline. Dense forest and rolling mountains shrouded in morning mist appear in the distance.
A large stone castle sits perched on a rocky cliff overlooking a calm lake. Mountains rise in the background under a soft overcast sky.
A vast, moody Scottish highland landscape features craggy green mountains under a heavy overcast sky. A small, indistinct group of people walks along a distant grassy ridge near a pool.
A dark lake shore backed by steep mountains covered in thick pine trees. Several chimpanzees sit atop black horses standing in the shallow water.
A dark, plant-like entity rises from a calm lake surrounded by misty hills. The environment is shrouded in fog under an overcast sky.
A dark, twisting, plant-like entity emerges from the center of a foggy lake. Distant hills rise from the water on both sides under a clouded sky.
Common Questions
Was The Water Horse filmed in Queenstown?
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Yes — Lake Wakatipu doubled for Loch Ness in the 2007 family film The Water Horse, with the Remarkables mountain range standing in for the Scottish Highlands.
