Lake Tekapo: The South Island Town That Gets Better After Dark

Lake Tekapo is not one of them.

Sitting in the Mackenzie Basin on New Zealand’s South Island, Tekapo is roughly a three-hour drive from Christchurch and around three hours from Queenstown, making it a cracking inclusion on a South Island driving holiday. State Highway 8 runs straight through town, although when that ridiculously turquoise lake appears, concentrating on the road suddenly requires a little more discipline.

The lake gets its extraordinary colour from fine glacial sediment suspended in the water. Throw in the Southern Alps, golden tussock country and, in season, lupins around the shoreline, and Tekapo looks suspiciously like someone has been fiddling with the saturation settings.

Then the sun goes down…

This is when Tekapo really earns its place on a road trip.

The town sits within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, where low light pollution and clear alpine air produce some extraordinary night skies.

My pick is the Dark Sky Project Summit Experience, which takes you up to the summit of Mount John for guided stargazing and one hell of an astrophotography location. There's also the Crater Experience at a private observatory if you want another option.

But Tekapo being Tekapo, apparently just looking at the stars wasn't unusual enough.

At Tekapo Springs you can do its Soak in the Stars experience: astronomy and Māori star stories followed by floating in a hot pool under the night sky. That's a considerably better way to learn about galaxies than sitting through Year 9 science.

Stay somewhere that suits the place

Tekapo has everything from holiday parks and backpacker accommodation through to motels, apartments, hotels, cottages and luxury houses.

I'd choose Dark Sky Villas. The two-bedroom villas have big windows and balconies designed to take advantage of the lake, mountains and stars, yet they're only a couple of minutes' walk from the village restaurants. They're particularly good for couples, two couples travelling together or families wanting space without giving up location.

Sheep, sushi and a greedy cow

For something beyond the standard sightseeing circuit, Mt Hay Farm Experience offers a look at genuine Mackenzie high-country farming, including Merino sheep shearing and sheepdog demonstrations. It's suitable for families but equally interesting for international visitors who've never seen a working Kiwi sheep station.

Food-wise, Kohan Japanese Restaurant is an interesting Tekapo surprise, serving Japanese dishes including sushi and sashimi using produce such as locally available salmon.

For breakfast, head to The Greedy Cow. It's open from 7.30am seven days a week, with breakfast, pastries, cabinet food and proper coffee — essential equipment before another day behind the wheel.

And yes, for those that have been before and are screaming at me to mention it - visit the famous Church of the Good Shepherd. It's iconic for good reason. Just don't make the mistake of photographing it, climbing back into the car and thinking you've “done Tekapo”!

You haven't.

DSP Pro Tips

Give Tekapo two nights rather than one, particularly if stargazing matters — alpine weather can change quickly and cloud can ruin Plan A.

Bring warm clothing even outside winter, book your night-sky experience ahead, and don't rush the drive in or out. Tekapo isn't merely somewhere between Christchurch and Queenstown.

It's one of the reasons to drive between them.