Lake Tekapo (June 9)

We have finally made it up into the mountains! Lake Tekapo is approximately a 3 hour drive in a south west direction from Christchurch. The first part of the drive is flat, along the east coast and then you head west up into the mountains. The day we arrived was clear and sunny and the views of the area were spectacular. Since it is the “shoulder” season accommodation was easy to come by and we splurged a little to rent a self contained house located right by the Church of the Good Shepherd. The views from the house are incredible and we look out directly over the pale blue lake.

We arrived early afternoon and it was so warm that we sat on the deck,  played monopoly and had a beer. A group of tourists from China came by and ended up on the deck taking pictures with us. The sun is now setting early now and once it began to cool down we went over to Alpine Springs which is a series of hot pools, an ice rink and when there is snow a small tube park. There are three outside pools but these are not natural hot springs, the hot water is a result of the cooling required for the ice rink. We spent the entire evening relaxing there and Bree even found a friend to play with.

Today both Russ and I were able to get a quick run in and enjoy the cool, crisp air. It would be similar to fall at home in Kamloops. We then went back to the hot pools as our pass was good until 1pm and soaked until we were prunes. The day was a little cloudy but by afternoon the clouds had burned off and we took the hour hike up Mount John where the Mt John Observatory and the Astro Cafe are. The walk is fairly short but climbs around 300 metres but once again Bree walked and talked the entire way and we made it up in 45 minutes. We had a nice snack at the top and enjoyed the views. I finally got to see some of the native grasslands and from the top we could look out across the open grasslands. The walk down was much quicker but it was definitely getting colder.

Back at the house we went over to visit the Church of the Good Shepherd which is a stone church built in memory of the pioneers of Mackenzie Country in 1935. Just down the path is the statue of the Border collie, erected in 1968 in tribute to all the border collies that have made it possible for farmers to manage the grazing of these highlands.  Bree wanted to play along the lake and as she was jumping from rock to rock she slipped and fell in. She was laughing about it but she was pretty much soaked and the water is not very warm. Luckily the house was across the street so we ran back home and got her dried off. Now we are all relaxing in the cozy, warm house and tomorrow we head up to Mount Cook for a few days.