http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , New Zealand , South Island , Lake Tekapo en-us Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:39:51 UTC Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:39:51 UTC Left Stewart Island headed to Catlins area lots of green pastures and rolling hills livestock and the odd few shops cafes pubs and petrol stations. Found my BnB a farmstay in a quiet beautiful valley. Joy Graham were wonderful hosts had 2 nights with them and didn't stop cuddling their boisterous and exciteable Balck Labrador named Rosie...she was very nice Not only does the scenery c http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-349533.html After an allbutrelaxing Bali cruise more on that when I'm at a less expensive terminal we arrived in New Zealand on Thanksgiving Day. We actually managed to find the one restaurant in Christchurch that offered a special Thanksgiving turkey dinner. Unfortunately it was the largest All Blacks rugby pub in the country so the holiday ambiance was pretty weakWe rented a car and spent yesterda http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-349484.html Lake Tekapo is a tiny place set among pine trees on a beautiful lake with brown hills rising to peaks still cloaked in the remains of winter snow. The lake like others in the region is turquoise thanks to glacial flour. Glaciers have ground the rocks into a powder as fine as flour which hangs suspended in the water to reflect sunlight. Because of the size of these particles it's the turquoise http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-347989.html Lake Tekapo Lake Pukaki Mt. Cook Aoraki It was a very casual morning drinking in the view and coffee with our campmateshellipScottish folks to the left Dutch to the right. We did decide to take off late morning and had breakfast for the second time at our new favorite caf in New River. Joe had a bagel and lox and I had a decadent white chocolateboysenberry muffin. We ended up at Lake http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-345378.html Greetings from Lake Tekapo from our YHA hostel otherwise known as heaven. From the window I am sat near all I can see is a shiny turquoise lake with a section in the middle that looks like a very large mirror. Apart from the odd ripple caused by wind the water is calm and the atmosphere tranquil. I could honestly stay longer than our allocated three days. Nic is currently outside sapping thi http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-342799.html So no one told us it was going to be so bloody freezing in New Zealand We are here a week already and we are only just warming up. Some bloke returning his van in the campervan hire place kindly give us some blankets saying it can get cold out there. D'ya think Its jaysus freezing We've been sleeping with the duvet we got with Ruby our campervan our sleeping bags and the kindly donat http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-337492.html Hello. It feels like ages since we've sat down to do a blog session and we've done loads so here goes...From Wellington we took the ferry across to South Island through Marlborough Sound. The crossing takes three hours but it was absolutely beautiful as most of it is through waterways and mountains apparently the journey can be incredibly rough but we had clear blue skies and not a wave in sight http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-332820.html Thursday 25th September We were picked up by our airport transfer Luxury Airport Shuttle just after 1130 and by1400 we were at the Auckland International Airport. It was a smooth flight to Christchurchand we were picked up and taken to the nearby Sudima Hotel a few minutes after advisingthem of our arrival.We were quite impressed with our room large modern well worth what we paid.Hotel.com do http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-329976.html Day 534 13.09.09The final day of our time with Jean and Mike had now arrived. Although our plans following today were to go south and recover some of the areas wersquod already visited before heading across country via Arthurrsquos pass in a couple of weeks we first wanted to visit nearby Lake tekapo which fitted in with jean and Mikersquos plans to go North and make it to Christchurch tha http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-323354.html With a beautiful sunrise over the delightful Akaroa it was disappointing to move on from this piece of paradise. The only way out of Akaroa was to return the same route almost back to Christchurch with the morning sun glistering on Lake Elesmere with the snow covered Southern Alps as a backdrop it was absolutely stunning.Reaching the outskirts of Christchurch we turned off to Lincoln and then R http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-315806.html If you were reading this blog in 2005 you may remember our efforts to see the highest mountain in the Southern Alps and indeed Australasia and our repeated thwartings by cloud rain and weather. Back then we were beginning to think that anywhere marked on the map as AorakiMount Cook View was either part of an elaborate conspiracy or the perpetuation of a cruel joke.Well on Sunday the weat http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-310776.html traveling South in the raintoday we left Lake Tekapo after a quick stop over at teh church on the lake.it rained over night and continued to rain as we drove. AS we moved on it got colder adn colder we stopped at a few Lord Of the rings film sites then headed into the mountains every corner was stunning snow capped mountaines . AS we got towards Lindus pass a road over a mountain the ra http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-303519.html snow snow and skatingSunday 20thToday we picked up our camper van and left Christchurch after a huge breaky at Sophiersquos even better than dinner we didnrsquot need lunch and had to force dinnerWe headed south to Lake Tekapo.. A scenic glacial lake with a very famous church right on the banks of the lake. No arguing here and Christian denomination takes turns at using it. Imagine sittin http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-303476.html Part I of our Tour of New Zealand ski fields Mt. Dobson Roundhill and OhauWhat a remarkable trip this was with so many interesting and diverse skiing options and none like those in the US It was an amazing opportunity to be able to ski at five different locations. You can't call them ski resorts like we would in the US because resorts they are not. They are called ski fields' in New Z http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-299297.html NZ Day 14 Snow Day you sayhellip..Donrsquot mind if I do Seasons Greetings Dear Family and FriendsI canrsquot believe itrsquos that time of year again. It always seems to go so fast and I never seem to get a holiday card out in time. I have done so much since last Christmas season it will be hard to fill you in on all the happenings in this short Holiday Card but I will tryhelliphe http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-295610.html Jeg bliver stadig mere og mere betaget af naturen her jo flere kilometer jeg fr travet op og ned af de mange hikingstier der er overalt. Og det er ligegyldigt om det er ved kysten som Akaroa eller inde i landet hvor bjergene er med til at skabe det smukke landskab. Min frste lange gtur var i Akaroa som ligger ved en stor bugt ved stkysten. Turen p ca. fem timer gik igennem skov marker http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-290162.html Sometimes in your life little moments happen and you stop and think to yourself that was pretty special. We had one of those at lake tekapo.We arrived at the lake late in the day after driving from queenstown. The countryside was so different driving from queenstown it was almost alien like in some places with huge brown hills and vast golden plains then it would change and there would be a sp http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-282768.html https298.photobucket.comalbumsmm269catravelling http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-282072.html We've done a lot since my last entry so hopefully I'll manage to remember everything we have done sinceFrom Queenstown we headed to Te Anau where we went on a trip to some glow worm caves and trusted some man and a rope with our lives maybe not seeing as we can swim in some pitch black cave and a boat as he pulled us round and kept bashing the cave walls We saw lots of glow worms though an http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-282071.html From Christchurch we drive to Lake Tekapo about 4 5 hours drive its different from driving in OZ here as the roads are like home at time twisting and turning all the time unlike oz where all roads are straight forever. Lake Takepo is just an area of beauty really close to Mount Cook while were here we climb up mount John as most actiivties have stopped here for the winter until skiing begins http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-278174.html Sheryll's flight was late in from Auckland so I spent the spare time on the observation deck up on the roof of the Airport watching the flights arrive and depart as the sun went down over the Canterbury Plains was a wonderful site. The following morning we were up early and around the corner from the Hostel to the Moko Cafe for a big bowl of Muesli with fresh fruit and yogurt and Latte all for http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-258818.html Apres la montagne le lac et les vallees de Tekapo. Un autre paysage superbe qui vaut bien d'etre pris en photo et oui encore plus de photos. Quoi y faire De la marche bien sur On est restes dans une auberge de jeunesse avec vue sur le lac. Un reveAfter mountains we went to the lovely valleys and lake of Tekapo. Just beautiful. More photos I couldn't help it and more trekking around we http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-258415.html Christchurch eh Christchurch is interesting in so far as it's not interesting at all. One would expect New Zealand's second biggest city to have some sort of pazzaz or life to it but turns out it doesn't. We arrived several hours later than planned thanks to delays at the airport to our hostel at around midnight feeling a little dazed and confused. Our taximan from the airport had helpfully http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-254596.html So we headed off from Arthur's Pass to Lake Tekapo. We left the mountains and were soon back on to the Canterbury plains heading south stopping briefly for lunch in Methven. Then back towards the mountains and the southern lakes. The landscape changes dramatically along the way. One minute you are in Lord of the Rings country then you are in Wild West style plains then by beautiful mountain lak http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-252220.html Walk before breakfast only 6000 steps Had air conditioning on all night as it was so hotSet off after breakfast towards Lake Tekapo. Saw the signpost for Mount John only a few kms off the main road so headed off there steep windy route up and around the mountain but arrived at the top to the Observatory This detour is a must There is even a coffee shop at the top we had coffee an http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-252084.html The 3 musketeers never would have got away with all the stuff that we have. Jammed in......if you were thumbing on the side of the road your thumbsup would have been wasted on us. Lake Tekapo was our first stop. Overnight only. It's funny how accustomed you become to moving form placetoplace daily making yourself at home. First you look at the kitchen to see if there are any spices te http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-247825.html Saturday 9thThank goodness I woke 650am as my alarm clock has stuck at 1130 Quick dressfinish packbrekkie before Campbell with IsaakLuke takes me into the city centre to catch my bus. I'm fairly sure the bus time is 815 but it could be 8am so I want to be sure I'm on time. We get into town and the Octogon where my stop is is blocked off so we find the 815 backpackers and wait there and http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-241276.html This lake is absolutekly the most amazing color The water comes straight from the glacier and is tuquoise color. We spent the day BBQing and relaxing. It was quite an experience cooking with people from 8 other countries. We all had our own way of doing things. In the end it all worked out ok. I met a woman from Germany Suzanne whio is studying in Austrailia. She has invited me to stay at her http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-226280.html FRANCAIS27Nov2007 to 9Dec2007 Nouvelle Zelande 1ere partie du voyage Un coucou rapide de Nouvelle Zelande. On a pas le temps d'ecrire de longs commentaires mais on voulait quand meme vous tenir au courant des endroits que l'on a visite et des activites qu'on a faites. Et aussi on a deja beaucoup de photos a vous montrerRapidemment la Nouvelle Zelande c'est genial C'est une version conce http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Lake-Tekapo/blog-225572.html