The blue waters of Lake Tekapo already stabbed us from afar eye. In the same small town we looked for a place on the campsite, was quite full over the Christmas holidays. From our campers we had a lovely view of the lake.
At Lake Tekapo is the most photographed church in New Zealand. The small “Church of the Goof Sheperd” (dt. “Church of the Good shepherd”) instead of an altar has a large window with views over the lake and the mountains.
In the vicinity of Lake Tekapo, the sky is very dark, since there are no large towns nearby and thus (fast) no artificial lighting. The area is therefore known as one of the best to watch the starry sky. After it was during the day often gray we still see on the last night lucky to get a clear black night sky with very bright shining stars. On the nearby Mount John there for this reason also an observatory. In addition, one has from up there a great panoramic view of the lake, the mountains, Fields and the many purple lupines.
It was a bit weird this time to spend Christmas without our families. But it was for Seppel and me our first Christmas together. To celebrate the day, there was a typical German Christmas Eve court, Potato salad with sausages, and we came with red wine. On 2. Christmas day we made our way to Mount Cook.