 South of the lake lie the Shire Highlands, with an elevation of , rising to elevations of at the Zomba Plateau and Mulanje Massif respectively.The Kirk Range lies west of the Shire, and forms the border with Mozambique.In its middle stretch between Chigaru and Chikwawa, the Shire River drops almost 400 m through 80 km of gorges, rapids, and cataracts.