Highlights of Lake Tekapo | New Zealand

Lake Tekapo (or Takapō in Te Reo Maōri) is the name of both a town and a lake in the centre of New Zealand’s South Island. Situated beneath the Southern Alps, both lie tucked in the Mackenzie Basin, surrounded by an otherwise empty landscape. It’s on the route from Christchurch to Aoraki/Mount Cook or Queenstown. Lake Tekapo blew up in popularity due to social media, thanks to its abundant lupins blooming around the lake in spring. The timing of my trip (first week of December) was spot on to catch these at their best! But there are many more highlights of Lake Tekapo besides the wildflowers.

Continuing my South Island summer, I travelled down from Kaikōura. After a quick overnight in Christchurch, I caught a bus across the Canterbury Plains and up into the mountains. Due to bus and train schedules, I didn’t have a full weekend day in town at all, just an afternoon when I arrived. It’s only a small town though, which most people only spend 1-2 nights in. Thanks to the long, light evenings after work, I was able to explore plenty of the highlights of Lake Tekapo in just under a week.

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Lake Tekapo Waterfront

As mentioned, the town itself is pretty small, with a smattering of shops and restaurants along the main street and one tiny supermarket. The rest of the town is either residential or tourist accommodation. I’d be kind of curious how much the latter has increased in recent years! I was staying in hostels for most of trip, due to my budget, but I was lucky here to get a room in the lakefront hostel. Its common room has stunning views of the lake and surrounding mountains, which was quite the treat while working there through the week.

Some tourists only stop here for a few hours to break up their journey. As such, the lakeside area, with its lupins in bloom and stunning mountain views, is busiest in the middle of the day. The challenge is getting your photos without other people in the background! While I’m not typically one for posing for lots of Instagram photos of myself, I do love flowers and knew I’d want to get some lupin shots. The nicest weather forecast out of the whole week was the day I arrived, so I headed to the lakefront first.

The lake is glacial-fed, so icy cold, but a dazzling bright blue colour. And yes, I did dip my feet in, just like I did in all of Canada’s lakes too! It stretches off into the distance where snow-capped mountains ring the horizon. Mount John is the closest, sitting just outside of town to the west. More on that shortly! The lakefront is an open grassy park area where anyone can go to enjoy the views. The lupins line the shore beside the town, a riot of purples and pinks, bursting brightly against the blues and greens of the rest of the landscape.

Church of the Good Shepherd

A small river runs out of the lake and through the town. Crossing it on the narrow pedestrian bridge (wouldn’t recommend stopping on it for photos), you’ll reach an even larger patch of lupins on the far shore. And perched right by the lake is a tiny stone structure, the Church of the Good Shepherd. The star of so many photos of Lake Tekapo! Even if you’re not here in lupin season, this picturesque little building, set against the majestic lake and mountains, makes for such a scenic spot.

It’s an active church and being so small is closed to visitors during services or ceremonies. Otherwise, it has variable opening hours for you to pop your head in to see the simple stone interior and wooden pews (no photography inside). It was a bit too busy when I was in the area though, so I just enjoyed the exterior! Built in 1935, its name memorialises the early European pioneers who started sheep farming on this remote, empty landscape. And don’t forget to wander just a tad further around the lake to see the shepherd’s sheepdog. A statue of a Border Collie stands here, a tribute to these hardy working dogs. Which originate from my home county back in Scotland, of course – we grew up with dozens of them on the farm!

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Mt John Hike

Mount John is the closest peak to the town and much smaller than the mountains on the horizon! Heading to its summit is definitely a highlight of Lake Tekapo. There is a road and a car park if you prefer to drive. Although, the road is closed at night, when the summit is reserved for the Dark Sky Project’s Summit stargazing experience (more on them below). I opted to hike to the peak on the sunny afternoon when I first arrived in Tekapo.

First I had to walk around the lake’s shore, past lots of bright orange flowers and more accommodation. The trail starts near Tekapo Springs, ascending quite steeply! The first half leads you through the forest, before emerging onto an open field above the treeline. The second half is less steep, and offers views looking away from the lake. This is where those views of the Southern Alps appear, their snowy peaks stretching all the way along the western horizon. There are several buildings on the peak which make up the observatory belonging to the University of Canterbury. The only one open to the public is a small cafe.

The star of the show is, of course, Lake Tekapo itself, a brilliant turquoise streak through the land. From up here, you can see the town at one end and then the vast blue expanse stretching way off to the north. You get a far better understanding of the lake’s size here since its length is much more visible from above than in the town. As I headed to the north side of the summit, I could also see the deeper blue of smaller, neighbouring Lake Alexandrina. The trail led down the northern slope, before looping back to follow the lake’s edge, gently descending to the shore again.

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Tekapo Springs

On a slightly less sunny evening after work, I decided to go check out Tekapo Springs. As mentioned, I’d passed their location on the Mt John Hike, tucked into the foothills of the mountain on the edge of town. I only paid to use the hot pools, but you can upgrade that ticket for access to the sauna and steam room, or book a massage. There’s a deeper cool pool and a kids play area too, but they were closed while I was there.

I was mainly interested in the three hot pools anyway, each of which is a different temperature and named for one of the lakes in the area. Unlike the various hot pools I visited in Taupō and Tauranga, these are not geothermal. The water comes from an underground source nearby, but has to be artificially heated. The pools have benches around the sides to sit and relax in the warm water. And of course, enjoy the views of the surrounding scenery, from the mountainside and the forest, to the lake below. It’s perhaps worth noting that the lake view was partially obstructed depending on exactly where you are in the pools. I felt I didn’t see it as much as I’d expected. But the pools are still a nice option for a relaxing activity in Lake Tekapo!

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Cowans Hill & Pine Beach Hike

For a gentler hiking option accessible from Lake Tekapo without a car, I decided to check out the Cowans Hill Track. Starting near the church, it heads south, away from the lake and up the riverside. Then turns left to lead you through the forest and up a gentle ascent. A lot of the route stays inside the forest, great if you’re looking for a shaded walk. And there are lots of lupins scattered throughout as well. The last stretch to the summit is through a more open field.

It’s a much lower peak than Mount John, ideal for an easier hike. The view isn’t quite as spectacular, but it’s still really nice! You can see a bit of the town and the lake beyond, as well as the distant mountains, of course. There’s even a little bench to sit and soak it in. You can then retrace your steps back to town. Or make it a full loop by continuing through the field and out the other side. This takes you to the main road, opposite a vast field full of even more lupins! Then I followed the road back around towards the town and the lakefront.

You can also take an optional detour here to Pines Beach. I actually went here on a different evening, but it’s on the same eastern side of town. Following the lakeshore heading east, there’s a small reserve, left largely untouched. Trees dot the pebbled beach and a couple of small islands sit just offshore, sheltering it from the rest of the lake. There was quite a bit of bird life to spot as well. You can then return to town either along the main road, or via a small lakeside walking trail back to the church again.

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Stargazing – Dark Sky Project

Lupins and the lake aside, one of the biggest highlights of Lake Tekapo is stargazing. The town emits minimal light pollution, and it doesn’t take long to get out of town entirely to make the most of the dark skies. Now, as someone who grew up in the countryside, I was able to see stars all the time, so this is somewhat less of a novelty for me. And you can, of course, go stargazing on your own for free. However, I’d managed to get a travel industry discount from the Dark Sky Project to join one of their stargazing tours and their daytime, indoor exhibit. And this ended up being one of my favourite things I did out of the entire week!

Crater Experience

First, I joined the nighttime Crater Experience, which takes place in a purpose-built craters (to protect you from the cold wind) in a field just outside of town. After checking in at their main building, we hopped in a transfer bus. At the crater, our guide met us to talk us through the night sky. The tour started pretty late anyways, about 10pm, but it got even darker as we continued. Plus, your eyes adjust to the dark (no phones allowed to ruin this with their bright displays!) allowing you to see more stars as the evening goes on.

We were lucky enough to be able to see Venus, Jupiter and Saturn as bright dots with the naked eye. I’d have never known that’s what they were without the guide! They also had a telescope set up to let us see Saturn up close. I couldn’t believe I was seeing its rings perfectly in person (not just in a photo)! The guide pointed out several key stars and constellations, too. Of course, being in the Southern Hemisphere, they are upside-down to what I’m used to back home! He also explained how to find south using the Southern Cross.

And as the night progressed, the swirling white clouds of the Milky Way appeared, my first time seeing this in person too. I was enthralled, just gazing up at this breathtaking display. I tried for a couple of photos (screen brightness turned down!) but obviously I’m not an astrophotographer, so they don’t do it any justice at all. The night skies here are simply gorgeous, and I was really glad to have joined the tour in the end, to get out of town where it’s properly dark and have the guide’s knowledge to enhance the experience.

Dark Sky Experience

The next day I returned to the Dark Sky Project’s main building for their Dark Sky Experience, which is indoors and available through the daytime. This is an immersive exhibit, led in small groups with a guide. I was actually the only booking for my timeslot and got a private tour! There are four rooms, each with a different experience that the guide talks you through.

A lot of it focuses on the Maōri people’s connection to the night skies. Descendants of Polynesian navigators, they interpreted the stars long before Europeans showed up with their telescopes. Whether it’s their creation mythology, their different constellations or knowing how the stars determine the seasons for hunting and gathering, it was fascinating to see a totally different cultural understanding of the stars. The tour finishes up with a huge, historic telescope with a very interesting backstory!

Honestly, I went into this being more interested in the night tour and nearly didn’t do the Dark Sky Experience. I imagine a lot of people think the same! But I ended up absolutely loving the day tour. The whole thing was super well-crafted and really fascinating, so I’d definitely recommend this as a highlight of Lake Tekapo!

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Highlights of Lake Tekapo

For a small town, Lake Tekapo packs in plenty of options. As I travel further south, the mountains get more impressive and of course, glacial lakes are always stunning in colour. The surrounding landscape, in the flat, more barren looking Mackenzie Basin was unusual too and quite different from what I’d seen of the South Island so far. Of course, the lupins and other wildflowers are beautiful, but do make the town busy. I’d still recommend coming to Lake Tekapo at other times of year too! And I actually didn’t know about the stargazing options until the week before coming, but was pleasantly surprised by those experiences. That was probably one of my biggest highlights of Lake Tekapo!

From here, my route gets a little unusual! Most people visit Lake Tekapo on the way from Christchurch to Queenstown (with the option of extra stops in Aoraki/Mt Cook and Wanaka) or vice versa. And I actually did end up coming back for a couple of nights when my parents were visiting, on our way from Dunedin to Christchurch. That was a much shorter visit though, and during my work week, so I’d wanted a full week here before my parents arrived. Anyways, instead of heading towards Queenstown, I was doubling back on myself to return to Christchurch for a 1-night stopover before heading west across the mountains…