Lake Tekapo was my favourite place on my New Zealand road trip. Positioned in the very centre of the South Island, Tekapo may look small on the map but it truly makes an impression. But why, specifically, should you add Lake Tekapo to your New Zealand itinerary? Read on to find out, and I’ll also summarise the practicalities of visiting.
Lake Tekapo is a beautiful place
Let’s start with the obvious. Lake Tekapo is beautiful. It’s a vivid electric-blue – bluer than any lake I had ever seen. It’s surrounded by wildflowers, including the famous lupins in the spring. In the distance you can see the snow-capped mountains of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. In short, it’s totally idyllic.
It’s an excellent hiking destination
I always enjoy finding hikes when I travel, especially in beautiful nature spots. I did three hikes whilst I was staying at Lake Tekapo. Two of them were along the shores of the lake: these were the Mount John Walkway and the Lake Tekapo Peninsula Walkway. I thoroughly enjoyed both. Neither of them is too difficult or long. They both have such stunning views that you should factor in extra time for frequently stopping and admiring them when you plan to do these hikes.
Lake Tekapo is also only about an hour’s drive from Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park where you can do some excellent hiking in the shadows of New Zealand’s highest peak. I did the Hooker Valley Track here, which is a family-friendly and relatively short out-and-back hike through mountain scenery. The Kea Point Track (easy) and the Sealy Tarns Track (hard) also come highly recommended.
All in all, I would say Lake Tekapo is a perfect hiking destination. You’ve got lots of manageable options and you get stunning views with them all.
It’s a nature allrounder
As well as being an excellent hiking spot, Lake Tekapo is what I would describe as a nature allrounder. By this I mean that it has a variety of terrains so that there is something for everyone: it’s got hills, woodland, beaches, and of course the lake itself. This means that, in addition to hiking, you can hire a kayak or swim in the lake, or just relax by the lake with a book.
Lake Tekapo is a stargazing hub
Lake Tekapo (and the surrounding area) is a Dark Sky Reserve, meaning that on a clear night you can see millions of bright stars scattered across the sky.
There are two observatories near Lake Tekapo: Mount St John Observatory on the hill, and Cowan’s Private Observatory in the crater. You can go on stargazing tours to these observatories as part of the Dark Sky Project. Unfortunately when I was there, there was a very bright full moon, so there was no stargazing for me as the stars were rendered invisible by the moonlight!
It’s not too crowded
I went to Lake Tekapo in mid-January, which is basically peak season. Given its beauty, I was expecting it to be busy. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that my expectation was wrong. Ok, you’re not going to have the place to yourself but, other than a few specific popular spots, it really wasn’t crowded.
In case you’re wondering, those popular spots are:
- The Church of the Good Shepherd
The Church of the Good Shepherd is a tiny chapel on the south edge of the lake, just outside the town. This, for some reason, is an Instagram hotspot, especially when the purple lupins are in bloom. Admittedly this spot was crowded, but it quietened down in the evening after the day-trippers left.
- Mount John Observatory
I’ve mentioned above that you can stargaze at Mount John Observatory but it’s also a nice spot during the day. It has great views over Lake Tekapo and its neighbouring lake, Lake Alexandrina, and it has a lovely café. In fact, Mount John Observatory is a good resting point if you’re hiking the five-and-a-half-mile Mount John Walkway, as it’s at the top of the hill you’ll have just climbed.
The practicalities
Now that I’ve convinced you to add Lake Tekapo to your New Zealand itinerary, I’ll summarise the practicalities of visiting.
Lake Tekapo is about three hours’ drive from Christchurch or four from Queenstown. It’s also on the InterCity bus route in case you’re not hiring a car. Its location means it’s a perfect first stop on a South Island road trip loop from Christchurch.
Tekapo is not a big place so, although I’ve just said it’s not crowded, I still recommend that you book ahead if you want to stay here. We stayed at Haka House hostel which was comfortable and spacious.
The days I spent at Lake Tekapo were not only some of the best I spent in New Zealand but also some of the best of my six-month sabbatical trip. I felt such freedom and joy being out in such a beautiful place. I really highly recommend that you add Lake Tekapo to your New Zealand itinerary.
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