The Glory Hole....

.................St Bathans, Central Otago, NZ
 
Before gold was discovered the 120 metre high Kildare Hill stood here, named after their home county by the Irishmen who made the original find.
Sluicing whittled the hill down to first become Kildare Basin, and as it sunk further it became the “Glory Hole”, celebrating the riches it yielded.
Once abandoned, the Glory Hole filled with water that became a striking blue colour, due to the high mineral content of the surrounding countryside – hence today’s name, Blue Lake.
Taken form an onsite information board.