27 August 2016
Angel and I stayed with our cousin and his family who were living in
Christchurch. After contemplating between Hanmer Springs, Fox Glacier and Lake
Tekapo, we decided to do a road trip to Lake Tekapo.
Lake Tekapo was only 3 hours away from Christchurch. We passed through
vineyards and pastures and as we came closer to our destination, we could see
the southern alps in the background. The area was sparsely populated. In fact,
there was barely anything but sheep for thousands of hectares.
It was midday when we went to Mount John Observatory, which was
overlooking the beautiful lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains. From the
observatory, we could see the surrounding area which was a vast land of nothingness.
Just dirt, shrubs and sheep. Lake Tekapo, being in the middle of nowhere and
having a small population, enjoys minimal artificial light pollution and making
it part of the UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve.
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| View from Mount John Observatory |
It wasn’t snowing in Lake Tekapo during that winter but they made an
artificial skating rink and tubing beside the lake. It had been about 10 years
since I’ve skated and it was my first time tubing. With our 4-year old nephew,
off we went burning calories and having fun.
On our way back to the Peppers Bluewater Hotel, we stopped the car by
the lake as we noticed the sun setting down and the colors on the alps turning
from white to golden orange and beautifully reflecting onto the lake. It was
stunning. The scenery was the most breathtaking view in this New Zealand trip.
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| Beautiful view of Lake Tekapo |
After having steak at Mackenzie’s for dinner, we went out and found
ourselves looking up to the starriest night sky I’ve seen my entire life. My cousin
brought us to Church of the Good Shepherd and although we couldn’t see much of
the church in the darkness, we joined several groups of tourists in stargazing.
I tried taking a photograph but the lights from the influx of cars and my tiny
wobbly tripod made it quite a challenge (plus, my fingers felt really cold). Nonetheless, the night sky was
absolutely amazing that you can see the milky way with your naked eye. I wanted
to take more photos after we returned to our hotel but I was snoring as soon as
I hit the bed.
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| I'm still practicing my night photography but could you just imagine how beautiful the starry night sky was? |
28 August 2016
In the morning, we visited the Church of the Good Shepherd again. A
small chapel with the lake behind it, it quite picturesque.
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| Church of the Good Shepherd |
We then headed south for another scenic drive to Lake Pukaki. The lake
was larger and the snow-capped mountains felt much closer. We didn’t have any
plans so we simply drove around until we found an idyllic site to park the cars
and enjoy the view. It was just as breathtaking as Lake Tekapo.
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| Lake Pukaki |
After a while, we headed back to Tekapo, bought fish and chips for
takeaway and found our way to Pines Beach (on one of the edges of Lake Tekapo)
and searched for a spot to have our lunch. It was quite cold for a picnic
outside but it was fun.
Finally, we made our way back to Christchurch and arrived before
dinner. It was quite a memorable weekend—scenic drives and loads of fun. Special
thanks to
