The World’s Loneliest Tree: New Zealand’s Iconic Landmark Lost Forever

By/Jun from Scenic Spots Home, compiled and reported
 
The world’s most unusual trees attract many visitors for sightseeing and photography. In Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand, there stands a tree known as the world’s loneliest—the Wakatipu Tree—which is also a famous landmark of the lake. This tree often appears on postcards, but recently in March, it was sawn down by an angry individual, and the solitary tree spectacle has now become a thing of the past.

Located in the central-western part of New Zealand’s South Island, Lake Wakatipu lies roughly at the eastern foothills of the Southern Alps and is the country’s fourth-largest lake. Like most lakes on the South Island, it is a glacial lake. The town of Wanaka, like Queenstown, is a resort town offering a variety of extreme sports experiences, though on a smaller scale and with less commercialization.

The Wakatipu Tree stands alone in the lake, and is also referred to as the “tree in the lake.” In winter, when it sheds all its leaves, it appears even more solitary, yet set against the backdrop of snow-covered Southern Alps, the beauty of the lone tree is further accentuated. The Wakatipu Tree is a type of crack willow, commonly known as “brittle willow,” with its roots perpetually submerged in lake water, resulting in extremely slow growth.

Due to its fame, when the lake water receded, many visitors walked over to break off branches or climb the tree for photos, causing serious harm to the tree. Warning signs were put up locally, but ultimately, it has still been lost forever.