Located 15km north of the Wānaka’s town centre, Mou Waho Island is a 120ha scenic reserve managed by the Department of Conservation.
The island is open to the public year round
One private Wānaka boat owner, who asked not to be named, said they had been travelling to the island for more than 20 years, in which time the number of people visiting had "completely exploded”.
"Not only with the tourists, but with the locals and everything as well."
Since Covid restrictions had been lifted, there had been an increase in the number of commercial boats visiting the island, some carrying "massive groups of people."
The sheer number of people there between December and February had become excessive, they said.
"It takes away the whole feeling of why you’re going to a place like that."
According to uncalibrated data provided by Doc, an electronic counter present on the island had been triggered approximately 4364 times in the 2012 financial year, the first year such a count was available.
In the 2019 financial year, the counter was triggered 10,745 times. That number dropped to 8260 in 2021, the most recent financial year for which data was available.
Doc operations manager for Central Otago Nicola Holmes said commercial operators had concessions with Doc, which specified the number of trips they could make to Mou Waho per day, as well as the maximum number of passengers per trip.
Ms Holmes acknowledged that, anecdotally, visits to Mou Waho had increased.
"Doc is happy to see people enjoying these special places."
The Otago Daily Times contacted several commercial operators offering trips to Mou Waho.
Cruise Lake Wanaka Ltd director Tim Cuthbertson said with few exceptions, Mou Waho only experienced large numbers of visitors in a two-week period over the Christmas holidays.
"This is when there are a large number of local boaties in town and a lot of boats and jet skis on Lake Wānaka.
"These visitors are local kiwis and have every right to visit the island."
Wanaka Water Taxi owner-operator Brent Shears said over the New Year period Mou Waho’s single walking track became "busier than Wānaka’s main street", with upwards of 150 people on the island at once.
During the height of summer, Mr Shears said his boat could make three or four trips per day, carrying 12-16 people each time.
Eco Wanaka Adventures co-owner Lee Eadie said Wānaka’s growing population and tourism numbers had inevitably led to an increase in Mou Waho’s popularity. Last year’s closure of the Blue Pools and Rob Roy bridges had put added pressure on the island over the summer season.
Adventure Wanaka owner-operator David Brown said Mou Waho’s idyllic setting, home to several animal species no longer seen on the mainland, benefited from fewer people on the island in small, curated tours.
Mr Brown said he did not think Mou Waho could handle further expansion of its visitor numbers.
"I’ve been saying this for years, there’s always a number. There has to be a number that the land can hold. What can it take?
"Places like Mou Waho, they’re worth spending some time on, protecting."
