The First Sunrise of 2023

The alarm went at 5am - I wanted an early start for the 10 hour drive ahead (Twizel to Nelson). I'd also planned to be near Lake Tekapo at sunrise and was looking forward to taking photos of lupins during the golden hour.

My first stop was at Irishman Creek. The early morning light was just touching the top of the hills, turning them a pastel peach colour.

Irishman Creek was the birthplace of the Hamilton Jets and as a youngster, my Mum lived there for a couple of years when her father worked for Hamilton Jets as a mechanic.

After taking a few photos I continued on towards Lake Tekapo. A few days ago when I had been driving in the opposite direction, I'd seen a field of lupins. I'd wanted to stop, but there were cars behind me and I couldn't see anywhere safe to pull over. 

But now, as I looked in the rear view mirror, I was pleased to see there wasn't a car in sight.  Now there was time to look for a spot to park and I was rapt when I noticed an open gate leading to the lupins!

As it was early morning, there wasn't anyone else about. Just me, amongst all those gorgeous lupins.

It did feel a little odd not having the dogs with me. They're usually always by my side and with all the rabbit holes and tracks, they would have been beside themselves with excitement!

The surrounding hills were bathed in a gorgeous golden glow and before long the lupins were also covered in the first rays of light. 

Credit for this beautiful scene goes to Mother Nature and also to Connie Scott of Godley Peaks Station, whom back in the late 1940s purchased lupin seeds from a local stock agent with the intention of making the region more attractive. And I'm sure you'll agree, Connie achieved her goal.

What a fabulous start to 2023!

Lake Tekapo - Reflections & Rabbits.

Lake Tekapo never, ever disappoints. In all seasons it's spectacular. I thought when we stayed a few years ago, when lupins were blooming (click here to see that blog and photos), that I would've seen Lake Tekapo at it's best. And without a doubt it was breath-taking, but, here I was in autumn. And it was equally as stunning. The warm golden colours and reflections literally made me stop in my tracks.

It was everything I had dreamt it would be.

The NZMCA park on the eastern side of Lake Tekapo was a great place to spend the night. I arrived late afternoon and wondered whether I'd find a spot. The park, which is situated amongst pine trees, must be one of the nicest parks around. There were a few spaces I could've parked, but on closer inspection, they weren't level and the ground looked damp. I wasn't keen on getting stuck! Imagine having to ring the AA again, to ask for help. I'm sure there are better ways to become a valued customer! 

Eventually, I found a spot that looked firm and reasonably level. 

My furry companions as always were eager to get out and explore. And the beauty of this wee bus is, once I'd turned the engine off, we were good to go. So, with leads on, we set off to the lake. 
Once out of the NZMCA park, the leads came off, and the dogs raced around, while I took photos and we all explored.

Before long, it was obvious we were in 'rabbit country'. Many, short, fluffy-white tails flashed into view as rabbits zig-zagged about as they sped for cover. The dogs were delighted!  Me?  Not so much! I love rabbits, but the dogs love them so much more! 

Both dogs have terrier in them. Oakly is Bichon/Foxie and Boo is Bichon/Jack Russell. And they're obsessed with hunting! I wish, I could let them go and know after a couple of hours of chasing & hunting they'd come back. But they don't. Once in rabbit terrain, their hearing suddenly turns off, their speed increases and I'm left wishing I had of had them on leads.

Miraculously they did come back. And much to their disgust, their leads were put on. 

It was a good time to take photos. The lake was calm and I happily clicked away. I was in my happy place - the dogs, not so much...hahaha

There are many reasons I like recording my bus adventures by blogging, and one is, when I research an area, I always find something of interest. 

And here are a couple of things I discovered about Lake Tekapo...

Maori were first to discover the Mackenzie Basin as they travelled the area, hunting moa, birds and eels. 

Later in 1855, a sheep thief, James Mackenzie, travelled inland with a large number of stolen sheep to avoid being discovered. And that's how the Mackenzie Country got it's name. 

The first sheep farm in the Mackenzie area was built by John and Barbara Hay on the shores of Lake Tekapo. When the lake is low, remains of the old Tekapo homestead can be seen on the eastern shores.

Lake Tekapo is the second largest of the three lakes in the area, which roughly run parallel to each other. From east to west, there's Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki and Lake Ohau. Lake Tekapo is 27 kms long and has an average depth of 69 metres (its maximum depth is 120m).

The rocks in the foreground show how low the lake level was at the time we visited, usually these lie underwater.

The development of Lake Tekapo's township began after the hydropower stations were built in the 1930s. Water from Lake Tekapo is diverted through a 1.4km long tunnel, which runs under a hill to the west of the town. It then travels along a 26km long canal to Tekapo B Power Station, which is on the shores of Lake Pukaki.

Lake Tekapo is fed from the northern end of the lake by the Godley River, whose source is the Southern Alps. This is why the water is a dazzling shade of blue, the melted glacial water contains finely ground rock flour which is light, and stays suspended in the water. The sunlight reflected off the rock flour, creates a spectacular turquoise colour.

I didn't go into the township to take photos, although photographing 'The Church of the Good Shepherd' is always tempting. But, for this trip, I kept to the lake and soaked up the views and reflections. 

Perhaps this caravan found the best spot to park ... amongst the pine trees, overlooking the lake, with an end of the day sunset.

After lots of photos, I took the dogs to an area that the NZMCA has fenced, just for dogs. There they could run around unleashed. Great for me not having to worry about losing them, however they weren't fooled, they knew that the real adventures lay outside the enclosure!

Umpteen Tekapo Tourists

Tourists love Lake Tekapo. Buses, campers and cars arrive continuously throughout the day to capture the stunning turquoise lake and stand among the lupins getting photos.

The 'Church of the Good Shepherd' had endless tourists swarming the area. I'd never seen so many selfie-sticks!

It was entertaining just watching the tourists.

Early one morning I went to Lake Alexandrina to watch the sunrise. I left at 5:30am and drove past the Church of the Good Shepherd on the way. I wanted to see if the carpark would be empty at that time. No, it wasn't. Already there were about a dozen photographers waiting with their tripods for the sunrise.

On the way home at about 8am I drove past again. This time it was even busier.Tourists galore!

I noticed a bride and groom posing for photos.

No tramping boots for this tourist.

Lots of Asians popped up from the lupins. It was intriguing seeing them posing - looking one way, adjusting their head angle, turning their face this way and that - up and down, side to side. It was all very fascinating to stand back and watch.

Burkes Pass

Burkes pass is the gateway to the McKenzie country. Not far from lake Tekapo (only a 10 minute drive) is a small settlement in Burkes Pass known as 'Three Creeks'. 

It's a tiny, historic township with unique craft stores selling retro collectibles, antiques and craftware, classic vehicle memorabilia, a coffee shop in a retro caravan, outdoor furniture and so much more. It's definitely worth stopping there.

I remember these phones.

St Patrick's church in Burkes Pass was built in 1872 and is the oldest Union Church in Canterbury. It's still available to be hired out for weddings.

Further along the road towards Lake Tekapo is the Burkes Pass cemetery. Many pioneers have been laid to rest there along with Connie Scott, 'The Lupin lady'. 

In the 1950s, Connie Scott from Godley Peaks imported a sack of Russell Lupin seeds from the UK and spread them in the MacKenzie country to beautify the roadside. 

I found Connie's gravestone and placed a bunch of lupins I 'd picked for her. I gave her a silent thank you for creating such a stunning countryside for so many people to enjoy.

Driving back towards Lake Tekapo we spotted another historical site, 'Dog Kennel Corner'. 

The plaque on a small boulder acknowledges this as the area that boundary dogs were tied up in the early station days, before the high country was fenced. The sheep dogs would be tethered and kennelled there to keep sheep escaping from one station to the next.

I'll add a few more lupin photos so you can see the large areas they cover. It's beautiful driving through this area. Connie Scott will always be remembered for making the MacKenzie district so picturesque.

To finish today's tiki-tour we stopped at Lake Tekapo to give the dogs a swim. The water was warm, clear and inviting.

It was only a few minutes walk back to the rig - Bernie drove the ute back while I walked the dogs along the track.