A sunrise walk beside Lake Hayes this Saturday will be the first of its kind in the Whakatipu.

The inaugural ‘Walk Into Light’ is billed as a 5km community walk for anyone who’d like to “slow down, start their day in nature and experience this gorgeous part of our backyard through a new lens”.

Starting at the Lake Hayes Pavilion at 7am, the walk’s been organised by Headlight — a Queenstown non-profit focused on mental health education and prevention — and the Whakatipu Wildlife Trust (WWT).

Headlight GM Niamh Shaw says it’s based on Ireland’s ‘Darkness into Light’, an annual pre-dawn walk that began in Dublin in 2009 and has since grown into a major nationwide event that raises money for suicide and self-harm prevention services, and support for people bereaved by suicide.

Shaw says she’s taken part in the walk and found it “really, really special”.

“Symbolically, it’s this lovely idea that you might be in a dark place, but you’re moving towards better things.”

Headlight and the WWT have been planning the walk with the shared goal of reaching out to the Whakatipu’s migrant communities.

Headlight community wellbeing programme co-ordinator Neha Gosalia says the collaboration came about after a chat with Anna Harding-Shaw, executive officer of the WWT, which has been running birding walks with the aim of growing people’s connection to the environment.

“With this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week’ theme being ‘Belonging Matters’, we wanted to host this walk with the intention of welcoming everyone, whether you’re new to town or have been here for years.”

Also involved are the Friends of Lake Hayes, Whakatipu Reforestation Trust and Queenstown’s council.

The event will start and finish at the Lake Hayes Pavilion, where there’ll be morning tea and activities waiting for participants.

Dogs are welcome on a leash. Registration is required via Humanitix.

— GUY WILLIAMS