That Wanaka Tree
| That Wanaka Tree | |
|---|---|
 That Wanaka Tree at sunrise | |
  That Wanaka Tree That Wanaka Tree's location within New Zealand | |
| Species | Crack willow (Salix fragilis) |
| Location | Southern Lake Wānaka |
| Coordinates | 44°41′54″S 169°07′03″E / 44.6983°S 169.1175°ECoordinates: 44°41′54″S 169°07′03″E / 44.6983°S 169.1175°E |
That Wanaka Tree, also known as the Wanaka Willow, is a willow tree located at the southern end of Lake Wānaka. The tree sits alone in the water and is a popular destination for tourists to take Instagram photos. Vandals cut multiple limbs off of the tree in March 2020.
Popularity[]
That Wanaka Tree derives its name from the hashtag "#ThatWanakaTree", which is used on Instagram to identify photos of the tree.[1] The tree has been described as "New Zealand's most famous tree" and called "one of the most photographed trees in all New Zealand."[2][1] A photograph of the tree by won the 2014 New Zealand Geographic photo of the year award.[3]
Human impact[]
That Wanaka Tree has been damaged multiple times, both intentionally and unintentionally. A branch came off the tree in late 2017 due to tourists climbing it, which led to the local tourism board installing signs discouraging the practice.[4] The tree was vandalised on 18 March 2020, with multiple limbs being sawed off and left on the shore.[5][6] Reports noted that the tree's limbs would likely be slow to grow back due to the cold water the tree's roots are submerged in.[4] The human impact on the tree has been compared to that at other tourist attractions like Joshua Tree National Park and Uluru.[1][7]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Marcus, Lilit. "New Zealand's most famous tree, 'That Wanaka Tree,' vandalized". CNN. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ "That Wanaka Tree". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ O'Brien, Alex. "The story behind that Wanaka Tree". Over Sixty. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Butler, Alex. "How you can help protect New Zealand's most famous tree". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ Lewis, Sophie. "New Zealand's famous Wanaka tree, a symbol of hope, vandalized". CBS News. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ McKenzie-McLean, Jo (18 March 2020). "Outrage after picturesque Wanaka tree attacked with saw". Stuff. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ Hallinan, Bridget. "This Famous New Zealand Landmark Is Being Destroyed by Tourists". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
 | This New Zealand–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
- Individual trees in New Zealand
- Wanaka
- Tourist attractions in Otago
- New Zealand stubs