Lake Tekapo! The first major stop on our 10 Day Road Trip of the South Island of New Zealand. Lake Tekapo is in the McKenzie Basin and lies near the Southern Alps. It is situated about three hours from Christchurch or Queenstown. Photos of the lake itself with its purple lupin plants are the most recognisable. You’ve probably seen pictures of them without realising!
Famous for not only it’s huge glacier lake with picturesque views of the Southern Alps, it is also part of the UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve. This makes the night skies above it one of the 21 darkest in the world! From here you can see the southern hemisphere’s constellations (such as the Southern Cross), the Milky Way and even the southern lights from here. This is, of course, dependent on conditions.
We stayed here for just one night. But we would recommend two or three because although small, there is plenty to do. But it depends on why you’re here. We were here for mainly sightseeing reasons, so only planned one night which was plenty. Everything that we did here was free, so you certainly don’t have to spend much money to enjoy it.
This article is going to show you what we did here, why we think two or three nights is optimal and give you our perspective on the beautiful Lake Tekapo. It also includes a YouTube video that Ben has so elegantly voiced over for you all.
Getting To Lake Tekapo
If you haven’t heard us say it before then we’ll absolutely say it again: Driving around New Zealand is so easy. One or two roads will take you from one side of the island to the other.
From Christchurch
If coming from Christchurch, you travel down state highway one until you get to Rangitata. You then join the inland scenic route (State Highway 79) and drive through Geraldine all the way to Fairlie. Once there you join State Highway Eight and stay on it until you get to Tekapo.
We stopped at Barker’s on the way down, which you’ll pass in Geraldine. It was a great stop! You can see a quick reel of our time there below.
From Queenstown
The most direct route coming from Queenstown takes you along State Highway 6 to Cromwell, and then State Highway 8 for the rest of the journey. You’ll drive through a place called Twizel, past Lake Pukaki and eventually arriving at Lake Tekapo approximately three hours later. Driving from Queenstown you will go through Lindis pass. If going in winter, check for snow levels and other road conditions.
How We Spent Our Time Here
As I’ve mentioned briefly, we spent very little money here as everything that we did was free. There’s no charge for going to the lake or the Church of the Good Shepherd to take pictures, and no one charges you for going on a nighttime stroll. And as a bonus free activity, you can wake up early to watch the sun rise over the Southern Alps!
By The Lake
There is no other way to put this: Lake Tekapo is stunning. We had perfect weather conditions and spent golden hour by the lake while the sun slowly dropped out of view. Accompanied only by some ducks, it was a really serene afternoon spent in good company.
Visiting the Church of the Good Shepherd
Although not a huge part of our time here, it is a must for when you visit the lake. Built for religious reasons and as a memorial to the pioneers of the district, the Church of the Good Shepherd is doused in history. Exceptionally picturesque and extremely cute looking, this little church is the only church in Tekapo. It was built in 1935 and is still used today as a place of worship for residents.
You can go inside for a pre-arranged tour, which I have provided a link to if you’re interested.
Stargazing
Once the evening rolled around and we had cooked some dinner, we wrapped up (I think we had about five layers plus hats and gloves) and headed back to the lake.
It was absolutely spectacular. The stars were nothing like we had ever seen before! With star gazing quickly becoming one of our favourite activities to do in New Zealand, looking up at the dark skies here was an absolute must.
Being in the Dark Sky Reserve means that the land we are on has exceptional quality of starry nights and nocturnal environments. It is protected for scientific and educational reasons. We want to try and visit as many of these areas around the world.
Having spent well over an hour trying to take pictures on our phones (and somewhat succeeding), lying face up on benches, and wandering around in the dark whilst marvelling at the breathtaking views of the Milky Way. We were also using the Sky Guide app (LINK) to identify what was above us, which was pretty cool.
You can book tours to go to some of the observatories situated around the lake at night to see the stars in all their glory. Either from the Mount John summit observatory 1,029m up or from Cowan’s private observatory inside a purpose-built crater. You can also go to an indoor experience during the day where you can learn about the stars and also the Māori astronomy.
If you go to the lake in the day you’ll find quite a few information points dotted around on the grass. These tell you about the various planets and their moons that are in our solar system.
Watching the Sun Rise
Again, we got really lucky with the weather and we’re able to watch the sky go from blood orange to dark and starry, to blood orange, to blue. All with the spectacular mountain range and the lake underneath it.
Things We Want To Do at Tekapo
This is a short, non-exhaustive list of things that we did not do but if we had more time or opportunity to do, would have done. Next we come back here we will make sure we do these things!
Tekapo Springs
The other way to view the stars is from Tekapo Springs (https://tekaposprings.co.nz/). The hot pools in Tekapo are famous not only because of their views of the Southern Alps but because they offer a nighttime experience where you can have a guided tour of the stars whilst relaxing in the warmth of the hot pools. It is the only place in New Zealand that does so.
We desperately wanted to do this, but the hot pools were not open on the night we were there- gutting! They only run the stargazing experience from Wednesday to Sunday so next time we will be sure to time it right.
The pools themselves in the consist of 3 hot pools. These are not geothermal but range from 36.5 – 38.5 degrees and are shaped like the lakes in the region: Tekapo, Pukaki and Oahu. As well as the hot pools they also have cool pools, an aqua play area and also an ice rink open from April to September and snow tube which opens in July. So, a trip back here is definitely on the list!
Hiking
There are heaps of walks to do around the lake some long and some short. So if any of these are up your alley then take a look here.
We had a few big hikes planned on our road trip, but when we return here we’ll book a few nights, bring our walking boots and get on some of the tracks around here!
Two or Three nights at Lake Tekapo is best
Lake Tekapo was awesome. It was such a beautiful spot and we’re really glad we came here. If you are travelling New Zealand, we would recommend a stop here. One night is ideal if you want to just relax, explore a little and then move on with your trip. If you’re looking to do a bit more, then two or three nights is optimal in our opinion. We don’t think there is more than four days worth of activities to do here, but again that does depend on what you’re in to!
If being surrounded by some of the best scenery that New Zealand has to offer, then get Tekapo on your list of places to go.
Next stop: Mount Cook!
Pingback: What we Did With One Night At Mount Cook Village - Jess & Ben Travel