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!