During our 9-day road trip to New Zealand’s South Island, we spent 2 nights at Lake Tekapo. Such a beautiful place! Today I will share with you my Lake Tekapo – New Zealand Guide in the hope that you can find it useful to organise your own trip.
Lake Tekapo is a small touristic town on the shores of a turquoise lake. In fact, the colour of the water is amazingly beautiful!
SIGHTSEEING
Besides the lake, the town is famous for its beautiful views and for its ancient little church.
GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH
The little Good Shepherd Church was built on the shore of the lake and it makes for beautiful pictures.
At all times of the day!
And night!
The church was built as a memorial to the pioneers of the Mackenzie region. The foundation stone was laid by the Duke of Gloucester in 1935.
The Mackenzie Co-operating Parish oversees the Church of the Good Shepherd and does not allow photography inside the Church. The Church is interdenominational and services are held regularly throughout the year.
Near it, you can also see a bronze sheepdog statue, a tribute to the hardy dogs “without the help of which the grazing of this mountain country would be impossible”.
STARGAZING
Lake Tekapo is part of the dark sky reserve, which is one of the world’s best places for stargazing, so stargazing is an absolute must when you visit the area!
We took a guided excursion to see the starry sky around Lake Tekapo with Silver River Stargazing. We chose them because they had smaller groups and we thought they would be more suitable for kids. We were not disappointed.
It was an unforgettable experience and we also got a nice shot taken.
FOOD
We stayed at Lake Tekapo for 2 nights, however, we only had 1 meal outside, as the first night we arrived well after dinner time.
DINNER
We had dinner at Reflections Café and Restaurant, right in the “centre” of town.
We had some garlic bread.
The kids had a burger.
And my husband and I had a delicious steak with sides.
For dessert, we tried their Sticky Date Pudding – which was good.
And their Crème Brûlée which was a total disappointment, as it was curdled!!
The place was all together ok, however, I read on their site that they are now closed (hopefully temporarily) because of a fire.
BREAKFAST & LUNCH
We were self-catering, so we bought some food at the local supermarket.
ACCOMMODATION
We stayed in a beautiful house called Stargate Retreat.
It was HUGE. There were 3 bedrooms,
And 2 bathrooms.
The kitchen area was also very nice and spacious.
And so was the living area, which included a fireplace.
There was also a laundry, which is a great plus when travelling with kids.
The house was spotless and well-appointed and in a very good position, just outside town in a quiet residential area with plenty of cute rabbits running around.
I can definitely recommend the Stargate Retreat for your stay in Lake Tekapo!
CONCLUSION
Lake Tekapo is a tiny town, so do not expect much “life”. However, it is a must-see for any South Island visit. The lake and the surrounding areas are stunning and so is the night sky!
RESOURCES ON MSM
TRAVEL IN NEW ZEALAND:
North Island – New Zealand Guide
South Island – New Zealand Guide
Doubtful Sound and Te Anau – New Zealand Guide
Milford Sound and Te Anau – New Zealand Guide
Queenstown – New Zealand Guide
Don’t forget to pin this Queenstown – New Zealand Guide!
MAP
[…] stayed at Lake Tekapo for 2 nights, however, we only had 1 meal outside, as the first night we arrived well after dinner […]