Lake Tekapo

A village on the glacier-fed, milky-turquoise Lake Takapō, in the high Mackenzie Basin between Christchurch and Queenstown. The stone Church of the Good Shepherd stands on its shore, lupins colour the lakeside from mid-November to late December, and the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve makes it one of the best places on earth for stargazing (tours to the Mt John observatory). Nights are cold even in summer.

Highlights

• Stargazing in the Dark Sky Reserve
• Church of the Good Shepherd
• Lupins along the lake (Nov–Dec)
• Mt John summit walk
• Tekapo Springs
• Lake Pukaki view of Aoraki

Things to do

• Night sky tour at Mt John ObservatoryEvening · 2h
• Mt John summit walkMorning · 2h 30m
• Church of the Good Shepherd at sunriseMorning · 1h
• Tekapo Springs hot poolsAfternoon · 2h

Tours & tickets

When to go

Best time: November – April; June – August for the clearest night skies

• Lupin season at Lake Tekapo — Purple, pink and blue lupins line Lake Takapō and the road to Aoraki from mid-November to late December, the most photographed weeks of the year. Book Tekapo rooms early and come at sunrise for the light and the space.