Lake Tekapo

Lake Tekapo is about two and a half to three hours drive southwest of Christchurch. The township faces north across the remarkable turquoise coloured lake to the mountainous drama of the Southern Alps. Lake Tekapo is given its intense milky-turquoise hue by fine rock-flour, dust ground by glacial movement and held in suspension by the lake's waters.

In this majestic and peaceful setting, relaxation and leisurely strolls might be your highest priority. An obvious short walk is to the famous Church of the Good Shepherd, where the altar window frames a perfect view of the alps. Close by is the 'sheepdog monument' - a bronze statue sculpted to recognise the district's debt to the sheepdog 'without the help of which the grazing of the mountainous country would be impossible'.

In season Lake Tekapo, and more particularly its smaller neighbours, lakes Alexandrina, McGregor and Conway, are good for brown and rainbow trout. In winter the township is host to the visitors who come to enjoy Tekapo's nearby skifield.