Travel Guide of Lake Tekapo in New Zealand by Influencers and Travelers

Lake Tekapo is a small township located at the southern end of the lake of the same name in the inland South Island of New Zealand. It had 558 residents according to the 2018 census, being one of five settlements in the sparsely populated Mackenzie Basin. State Highway 8 runs directly through the township – 227 kilometres from Christchurch and 256 kilometres from Queenstown. Daily shuttle services link Lake Tekapo to Christchurch and Queenstown. The lake is a popular tourist destination, and several resort hotels are located at the township. Lake Tekapo Airport is located 5 kilometres west of the town where local tourism operator Air Safaris is based. Twizel lies 60 km south of Lake Tekapo via Lake Pukaki and Burkes Pass lies 21 km west along State Highway 8.

The Best Things to Do and Visit in Lake Tekapo

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1 - Lake Tekapo Township

Lake Tekapo is a small town located at the southern end of the lake of the same name in the inland South Island of New Zealand. It had 558 residents according to the 2018 census, being one of five settlements in the sparsely populated Mackenzie Basin. SH 8 runs directly through the township – 227 km from Christchurch and 256 km from Queenstown. Daily shuttle services link Lake Tekapo to Christchurch and Queenstown. The lake is a popular tourist destination, and several resort hotels are located at the township. Lake Tekapo Airport is located 5 km west of the town. Chartered flights are available at locally based Air Safaris. Twizel lies 60km south of Lake Tekapo via Lake Pukaki and Burkes Pass lies 21km west along state highway 8.

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2 - Lake Alexandrina

   9 km away

Lake Alexandrina is a lake located in the Mackenzie Basin of New Zealand's South Island. It lies immediately to the west of the much larger Lake Tekapo and further to the east of Lake Pukaki, located to the north of Lake Tekapo township.

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3 - Safaris in Lake Tekapo

Explore Tekapo's backcountry wilderness on a Scenic 4WD Tour, offering private access into some of The Mackenzie's most beautiful High Country Stations. Discover the best scenery & landscapes within Lake Tekapo & Lake Pukaki / Mackenzie area. You'll explore impressive natural beauty beyond Tekapo lakefront for unique photography opportunities, educational commentary and an incredible High Country experience situated in the heart of New Zealand's iconic scenery.  • Remote Backcountry 4WD High Country Station Tour through Braemar Station • Stunning and unique views of Mt Cook & Mt Tasman, The Main Divide & Lake Pukaki & The Ben Ohau Mountains • Breathtaking scenery of New Zealand’s most impressive landscapes • Educational information on the area’s unique landforms & species & ecology within The Mackenzie • Feed farm animals such as Sheep, Angus Cattle & Red Deer • Refreshments & Snacks

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4 - Tekapo

Lake Tekapo is a small town located at the southern end of the lake of the same name in the inland South Island of New Zealand. It had 369 residents according to the 2013 census, being one of five settlements in the sparsely populated Mackenzie Basin. SH 8 runs directly through the township – 227 km from Christchurch and 256 km from Queenstown. Daily shuttle services link Lake Tekapo to Christchurch and Queenstown. The lake is a popular tourist destination, and several resort hotels are located at the township. Lake Tekapo Airport is located 5 km west of the town. Chartered flights are available at locally based Air Safaris. Twizel lies 60km south of Lake Tekapo via Lake Pukaki and Burkes Pass lies 21km west along state highway 8.

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5 - Church of the Good Shepherd

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6 - Peppers Bluewater Resort

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7 - Fairlie-Tekapo Road

   19 km away

Timaru is a port city in the southern Canterbury region of New Zealand, located 157 kilometres southwest of Christchurch and about 196 kilometres northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island.

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8 - Lake Pukaki

   26 km away

Lake Pukaki is the largest of three roughly parallel alpine lakes running north–south along the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin on New Zealand's South Island. The others are Lakes Tekapo and Ohau.

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9 - Southern Alps

   37 km away

The Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side.

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10 - Aoraki/Mount Cook

   42 km away

Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height, as of 2014, is listed as 3,724 metres. It lies in the Southern Alps, the mountain range which runs the length of the South Island.

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11 - Hooker Valley track

   42 km away
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12 - Hooker Lake

   45 km away

Hooker Lake is a proglacial lake that started to form in the late 1970s by the recent retreat of the Hooker Glacier. It is in the Hooker Valley, in the Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand's South Island, just south of Aoraki / Mount Cook.

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13 - Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

   47 km away

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand, near the town of Twizel. Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain, and Aoraki/Mount Cook Village lie within the park.

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Pictures and Stories of Lake Tekapo from Influencers

15 pictures of Lake Tekapo from Tobias Keller, Jordan Heath, Janaya Dasiuk and other travelers

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Why should you visit Lake Tekapo ?

Travel to Lake Tekapo if you like:

  🏖️ Coast     🏞️ Reservoir     🏞️ Loch     ❄️ Tundra     ⛰️ Highland     🏖️ Ocean  

Learn More about Lake Tekapo

Lake Tekapo is located in the Mackenzie Basin, a three hour drive south west of Christchurch. The town overlooks the incredible turquoise lake to the north and faces the mystical mountains of the Southern Alps. The whitish turquoise colour of Lake Tekapo comes from the fine glacial dust (glacier-crushed rocks) suspended in the water. On the shores of the lake is the picturesque Church of the Good Shepherd, with an altar window offering a spectacular view of Mount Cook, built in 1935 by a pioneer family from the Mackenzie area and a popular photo opportunity for visitors. The bronze statue was made to honour the district's debt to the sheepdogs, as "it would be impossible to graze in the mountains without their help". Footpaths have been laid out around the lake. For the best views of the Mackenzie Basin, hike to the Mount John Observatory (1031m) or Cowan's Hill. The Northern Lights are the aurora borealis found in the southern hemisphere and Lake Tekapo is one of the best places in New Zealand to enjoy this symphony of colour. April to September is the best time to visit and Lake Tekapo is famous for its clear nights and low light pollution, making it an ideal place to view the Northern Lights. The Mount John Observatory, looking south from the summit, offers a great opportunity to experience nature's light show. History of the Mackenzie Basin The first inhabitants of the Mackenzie Basin were the Maori. They carved tools from rock, fished for eels, hunted birds and set up summer camps on the banks of rivers and lakes. European settlers began to arrive in the area in the mid-19th century when Scottish shepherd Jock Mackenzie was arrested for stealing sheep. He entered this high ground to hide his stolen flock from the authorities.

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Discover more travel spots to explore around Lake Tekapo

  ⛰️ Highland spots     🏞️ Reservoir spots     🏰 Church spots     🏞️ Loch spots     🌊‍ Ocean spots     Recreational fishing spots     ❄️ Tundra spots     🏖️ Coast spots     🌲 Ecoregion spots  

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