The Lake Wanaka Tree in its photogenic glory. Photo / 123rf
Rising out of shallow water, its delicate limbs highlighted against snow-capped mountains, the lone willow is photogenic to say the least.
The famous Lake Wanaka Tree is a major draw for snap-happy tourists, but as we've seen with #instafame, viral holiday photos can come at a terrible price,
target="_blank">news.com.au reports.
The tree is literally breaking under the strain of tourists.
Travellers have been wading across the lake's shallow waters to climb the tree, which is of a fragile species called crack willow.
As the name suggests, it's named for its brittle wood — indeed, a branch snapped off just before Christmas.
