Tiff & Jared's adventures

We left Akaroa with high expectations for Lake Tekapo and it certainly did not disappoint. The drive to Tekapo was met with heavy rain and cloudy skies; we were skeptical. However, once we passed through some ridges, we were met with sunny skies and a stunning lake. It was one of those jaw dropping moments as the thing you were staring at was so freaking beautiful. We stopped at a scenic lookout right in front of the lake to stare at the bright blu water, the snow-capped mountains and the lupin flowers in various shades of purple.

We spent some time walking around on the beach then drove down the road to the super Instagram-famous Church of the Good Shepherd. The church, built in the 30s, is still functioning and sits on the edge of the lake with an incredible view looking out. We probably saw three or four couples taking wedding photos around the lake in the two days we were there if that says anything about how scenic it was. Lucky for us, Jared picked a Holiday Park right along the lake. Our views from the campsite were by far the best views we’ve ever had, looking over the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo. The campground was also nice because it included a communal kitchen, TV lounge and FREE SHOWERS. What a luxury here when you’re camping. We ate dinner in the TV lounge, went and took some pictures along the beach then hit the tent.

Waking up in the morning, thankful we hadn’t frozen in the middle of the night, we started making moves. The first activity we did was drive up to the Mount John Observatory. For a mere $8NZD (5USD), we got access to the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, an area recognized for being one of the best sites in the world to view night skies 🌌. Since we were there in the morning, we obviously didn’t see any stars but we did see aerial views of the lake, the different buildings where astronomers studied the Milky Way, and my personal favorite, the highest mailbox in the Southern Hemisphere (allegedly).We spent a decent amount of time up here taking pictures before we headed down the mountain to the Tekapo Springs. I found a deal on the Bookme website for access to the lakefront hot springs. The warm pools felt perfect on the cool day and we had a perfect view.We also camped this night but closer to Lake Pukaki. There is an option of camping called freedom camping where one doesn’t have to pay to camp but rather can park and camp for free in designated areas around the country. Amenities are usually limited – you’re lucky if there’s a flush toilet. (Random note to American friends – we have yet to see a toilet spin counter-clockwise or clockwise. The water seems to spew straight from the top of the bowl). We decided to camp in our car that night since the weather wasn’t great. We put down the seats, laid down our sleeping bags and voila – lakefront view for free.

The next morning, we woke up, drove back to Tekapo super quick (the airline finally couriered my bag), and hit the road again for our first National Park – Mount Cook. We planned to do the Hooker Valley Track and camp at the trailhead at White Horse Hill campground. Unfortunately, the day was pretty foggy and there was a continuous mist. We still did the hike and the terrain was beautiful. We had to cross three swing bridges and the end of the hike led us to an alpine lake. If the skies had been clear, I can only imagine how majestic the snow-capped mountains behind the clouds would have been. In total, the hike only took three hours and if we had time this trip, we would have loved to do the hike again with better conditions. After we got back to the trailhead, we went to the mountain village cafe and treated ourselves to a hot chocolate (yes, in the last week of spring) and played some cards while we waited out the rain. Once it cleared up a bit, we drove back to the campsite, fired up the Jetboil and made some pasta carbonara for dinner mmm. The campground had a nice indoor shelter where everyone and their mother was using their camp stove to heat up dinner. We hung out for a bit then went back to the car and watched some Narcos before going to bed. We slept in the car again since it was raining outside but it was pretty comfy!

pictured: a couple taking up the entire trail. Next stop: Dunedin and the Catlin’s!