The Remarkables ski area is situated high above Queenstown in the south island of New Zealand in the Remarkables range of mountains.

Lake Alta is above much of the ski field at around 2 kilometers above sea level. This dive is not for those who are afraid of a little cold water as the temperature on the 21st of May 2007 was only 2 degrees celcius... not exactly the stuff of wetsuits, I use an Oceandry Dolphin Bravo drysuit.

The lake itself it quite a climb from the base station in full kit as you cannot drive to the lake, consequently it is seldom dived.

The Cromwell dive club run an annual organized ice dive in the lake usually in October.

Getting there... down to the left a ways is the base station you are looking at the top terminal of the alta chair.

Welcome to Lake Alta... hasn't frozen over yet.

Gearing up.

Its not too bad... not numb yet.

Visibility isn't flash this dive due to a lot of red particles in the water... you are looking at the main features in the lake... rocks, algae & silt. I would guess the red particles are seed from tussock or similar.

Where are the brightly coloured fish? There aren't any.

Off back down the hill.