LAKE TEKAPO, NEW ZEALAND

There are not many places on this fine Earth that can compete with the sheer beauty of Lake Tekapo. Picture yourself walking around a turquoise blue lake… outlined by white, purple, and pink lupins… with snow-capped mountains dominating the background. Speaking from personal experience, taking in this view for hours on end does not get old. I find it extremely difficult to name a more awe-inspiring, marvelous combination of natural beauty anywhere else in the world!

Attractions:

Hike up Mount John: From town center, walk 30 minutes along the lake to the trailhead. From here, it is a fairly steep 45-minute hike up, but wow! The view at the summit is worth every step! You will want to spend at least an hour up top admiring the view. This is also where you can find Mount John Observatory and Astro Café.
Church of the Good Shepard: The real attractions here are the thousands of colorful lupins surrounding the church and lake. They are absolutely gorgeous! I must have spent at least two hours walking around this area. You can also find the Mackenzie Sheep Dog Statue near the church.
Dark Sky Project Tour: This region is one of the best in the entire world for star-gazing! Daily tours last between 45 minutes and 2 hours and range in price from $45-$175 NZD ($33-$126 USD). Keep in mind that weather and time of year both play a huge factor on whether tours run and what time the night sky is darkest. For example, in summer months, tours can start as late as 2am!
Peninsula Walkway: Depending on your pace, this is an easy 60-90 minute loop trail offering commanding mountain views of the surrounding area. Please note this path is closed during lambing season (mid-October to mid-December).
Cowans Hill Walkway: This trail has great visibility of both Lake Tekapo and the neighboring mountains! It is 4 miles round-trip and takes 1.5-2 hours to complete depending on your pace.
Other things to do: Tekapo Springs, Motuariki Island, and Lake Alexandrina & Lake McGregor Walk.

Accommodation:

YHA Lake Tekapo: Since this is a YHA building, it comes with the reputation of great vibes, clean spaces, and friendly staff members! The kitchen is enormous, you are right on the lake, and there are over 100 beds. It is also right next door to Tekapo Bus Station. When I visit Lake Tekapo next, I will stay here again for sure!

Transportation:

Lake Tekapo’s main bus station is Tekapo Bus Station; all buses below leave from here.

Mount Cook Village is 1.5 hours by car from Lake Tekapo. The bus ride is 1.5 hours and costs $90 NZD ($65 USD).
Wanaka is 2.5 hours by car from Lake Tekapo. The bus ride is 3 hours and costs $69 NZD ($50 USD).
Christchurch is 3 hours by car from Lake Tekapo. The bus ride is 4 hours and costs $41 NZD ($30 USD).
Queenstown is 3 hours by car from Lake Tekapo. The bus ride is 4 hours and costs $40 NZD ($29 USD).
Te Anau is 5 hours by car from Lake Tekapo. The bus ride is 7 hours (indirect) and costs $84 NZD ($61 USD).
Fox Glacier is 5.5 hours by car from Lake Tekapo. The bus ride is 9 hours (indirect) and costs $109 NZD ($79 USD).
Punakaiki is 5.5 hours by car from Lake Tekapo. The bus ride is 10 hours (indirect) and costs $262 NZD ($189 USD).
The Catlins are 6 hours by car from Lake Tekapo. The bus and taxi ride is 16 hours and costs upwards of $215 NZD. The bus ride from Lake Tekapo to Invercargill is 15 hours (indirect) and costs $90 NZD ($65 USD). From Invercargill, a taxi to the Catlins is 1 hour and costs $125-$175 NZD ($90-$126 USD).

The closest airport to Lake Tekapo is Richard Pearse Airport (TIU), 95km (59 miles) away. The taxi ride is 90 minutes and costs $150-$200 NZD ($108-$144 USD), which is more expensive than renting a car. That said, I do not recommend flying into TIU. Instead, fly into Christchurch and then take a bus to Lake Tekapo. It will be cheaper and more efficient.

Thanks to my sister, Jackie, for snapping the precious pic of me amongst the lupins!