Lake Tekapo

After leaving the unseen threats of Geraldine behind, we made the ridiculously scenic drive to Lake Tekapo. A local Kiwi we met suggested we go to this beautiful lake, and we didn’t regret the decision.

Due to the rocks and the reflection of the sun, the lake is an odd color of cobalty blue. We’ve determined that’s the official color name, so we are trademarking it.

Creepy Old Lady in the Shadows.

Not a Cloud in the Sky Besides the Ones on the Small Mountains. Cotton Candy…

Church of the Good Shepherd. Right on the Lake.

We Kept Calling This Guy Balto.

We set up camp in a hostel’s backyard on the shores of the lake:

Home for the Night. No Deer Were Heard.

Because it’s such a big tourist destination, we expected the town to be a bit bigger than it actually was. The local population is about 320, but they have a boatload of campsites, hotels, and cabins. “Town center” is one small strip of stores and restaurants. When we asked where the grocery store was, we were directed to the gas station. Yes, the local grocery store was a slightly-larger-than-average convenience store…and it was expensive. Pasta and sauce was our cheap dinner.

We headed up to the observatory on Mount John the next morning:

Another Beautiful Lake.

Observatory Building. Not Sure What’s in There. Don’t Ask.

A French Woman Offered to Take Our Picture. Such Great Lighting and Detail!

A night at Lake Tekapo was perfect. Any more…and we would have gotten bored.