Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd

Lake Tekapo owes its milky turquoise colour to fine rock flour carried down from the glaciers of the Southern Alps. On its shore stands the small stone Church of the Good Shepherd, built in 1935, whose altar window frames the lake and mountains like a painting.

The area lies within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, and stargazing tours from the village are a highlight on clear nights. In November and December, lupins flower in purple and pink along the lakeshore, and the hot pools in the village make a relaxing end to the day.

Tekapo sits roughly halfway between Christchurch and Queenstown, so it makes a natural overnight stop. Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain, is about an hour and a half's drive away.