That Wanaka Tree

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.

That Wanaka Tree
That Wanaka Tree at sunrise
That Wanaka Tree
That Wanaka Tree's location within New Zealand
SpeciesCrack Willow
LocationSouthern Lake Wānaka
Coordinates44.6983°S 169.1175°E / -44.6983; 169.1175

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 Dennis Radermacher won the 2014 New Zealand Geographic photo of the year award.[3]

Human impact
That Wanaka Tree after it was vandalised in March 2020

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
  1. Marcus, Lilit. "New Zealand's most famous tree, 'That Wanaka Tree,' vandalized". CNN. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  2. "That Wanaka Tree". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  3. O'Brien, Alex. "The story behind that Wanaka Tree". Over Sixty. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  4. Butler, Alex. "How you can help protect New Zealand's most famous tree". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  5. Lewis, Sophie. "New Zealand's famous Wanaka tree, a symbol of hope, vandalized". CBS News. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  6. McKenzie-McLean, Jo (18 March 2020). "Outrage after picturesque Wanaka tree attacked with saw". Stuff. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  7. Hallinan, Bridget. "This Famous New Zealand Landmark Is Being Destroyed by Tourists". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 1 February 2021.


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