I had always heard rumours about Lake Tekapo and how the colour of the water is this amazing blue colour and I have seen pictures with pink and purple flowers around this aqua blue lake and thought to myself, I have to see that one day but actually witnessing this lake with my own eyes was a completely different story. Firstly the colour of the water just makes me weak at the knees. I don’t what it is about that shade of blue but I can’t get enough of it.

LakeTekapoFeat

We flew into Christchurch the previous night and hired a car and drove straight to Lake Tekapo the next day which was about a 3 hour drive. My first glimpses of Lake Tekepo were while we were stuck on the road behind a truck that was carrying a house and couldn’t get between the signposts. It was torture. I could see a tiny glimpse of blue water and just wanted to get to the lake but had to wait patiently for the truck driver to manouvre his cargo through the obstacles. It was actually quite amusing to watch!

Stuck behind a house on a truck when I am so close to Lake Tekapo!
Stuck behind a house on a truck when I am so close to Lake Tekapo!

After finally reaching the lake I ran straight to the waters edge like a kid in a candy shop! I was surprised to see some little waves on the lake. If only I had my GoPro! I would have jumped in to capture the action! The deep turquoise colour comes from โ€œrock flourโ€ which is released into the lake from the surrounding mountains and glaciers. This is suspended in the water and when the sunlight hits it, it creates this beautiful colour.

Yes, I died and this is heaven!
Yes, I died and this is heaven!
Waves at Lake Tekapo!
Waves at Lake Tekapo!

After having a little play lakeside it was time to check into our accommodation (Lakeview Tekapo) which had views straight across to the lake and a big skylight right above the bed for star gazing at night! It was an awesome place to stay and I will definitely stay there again next time I’m in Lake Tekapo.

View of the lake from our accommodation
View of the lake from our accommodation

Then it was off to explore this gorgeous little town. First off was the famous Church of the Good Shepherd. I think this church is one of the most photographed churches in the world. It certainly has the best views from inside of any church that I have come across.

Church of the Good Shepherd
Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Tekapo
Views of the lake from inside the church
Views of the lake from inside the church

Next we were off to Mt John for some scenic views over the lake. This is also where the Mt John University Observatory is located. Lake Tekapo was selected as the best place for the observatory due to its very clear atmosphere, large number of clear sky nights, and relative freedom from light pollution. There are a few different dark skies tours that you can do from the observatory if you are keen. Check them out here. The water looks even bluer from above.

View from Mt John
View of Lake Tekapo  from Mt John

It was starting to get close to sunset so we headed back down to the lakes edge and found some cool little piles of rocks which are called Cairns. They made prefect foreground interest as the sun was setting into one of the craziest sunsets Ive ever witnessed. Its started off  with soft pastels and then died into nothing.

Sunset at Lake Tekapo
Sunset at Lake Tekapo
Cairns at Lake Tekapo
Cairns at Lake Tekapo

Then after 20 minutes the sky lit up again into the strongest colours of pink, purple, yellow and orange and this went on for about 30 minutes. It was the most bizarre sunset I have ever seen and I was running around like a crazy person trying to capture it all!

The sky on fire over the church of the good shepherd
The sky on fire over the church of the good shepherd

After running around all day we had worked up quite an appetite and found a beautiful little pizza place in town called Pepes Pizza and Pasta and enjoyed a well earned pizza.

The next day we were off to Mt Cook. Our time at Lake Tekapo was brief but so worth it. I will definitely be adding it to the list again next time we go back to New Zealand. Even though its a small little town it is one that you shouldn’t miss.

Have you been to Lake Tekapo? If so, I would love to know your experience of it. So leave a comment below! ๐Ÿ™‚

11 thoughts on “I think I died and went to Lake Tekapo

  1. I was there twice in June 2013, once for a very windy sunrise, and one for a glorious sunny afternoon. As a friend of mine said to me whan I came back, ‘it is one of the prettiest places on the planet’. I love the colours you have produced, with the soft light. The ones I produced are pretty, but more stark.

    1. Thanks so much Stephen! It was very windy the day we were there too. Its definitely one of the prettiest places that I have seen too! ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Gorgeous photos!! That sunset – WOW!! New Zealand is high on my list to visit, if only money was endless haha ๐Ÿ™‚ Love reading about your adventures Larissa ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Thanks so much Lisa! haha, yes if only we could spend the rest of our lives travelling! I would die happy! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. This is awesome! Im going to New Zealand in October and Im going to Tekapo! I can’t wait to see it now after reading your blog! Thanks Larissa

  4. Wow – NZ looks amazing & so close to Australia! Thanks for sharing – looks like you had an amazing time!

    1. My pleasure Andrew. NZ is such a stunningly beautiful place! I can’t wait to go back again! ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. I have a pretty serious crush on New Zealand’s South Island (work and money aside I’d be there right now exploring and taking photos!). This is one of my all time favourite spots and you’ve captured it beautifully! I don’t recall there being any cairns at Tekapo (the last time I was there was in 2011), but saw plenty of them on the west coast and at waterfalls in Haast Pass and the like. I love the concept of leaving behind a natural-ish marker of being there (and did one on the West Coast myself), but can’t help wonder now if they’re likely to detract from the natural beauty of the landscape as they become more and more prevalent.

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