Day 3 : Tekapo - Wanaka

One thing about traveling on our own was that we could decide the pace of our trip. We could be as leisurely as we pleased. We woke up at 8.00 a.m. on our third morning.

Tailor-made Backpackers

The building where we stayed in for the night

View of the garden

Breakfast was bread with butter and jam. We also had our lunch packed and then set off for the lake - Lake Tekapo.

Lake Tekapo

Really, the vista was amazing, with the breathtaking combination of the turquoise lake, distant mountains and the clear air! I felt like I was looking at a giant postcard. The whole place just exuded serenity and calmness, and all of us felt like we wanted to live here forever!

Two famous sites to visit besides the lake is the Statue of the Collie Dog and the Church of the Good Shephered.

Statue of the Collie Dog

This bronze statue is beside the lake, erected on a large boulder and reminds people of how hard these animals worked on the farms in the MacKenzie District.

Meanwhile, the Church of the Good Shepherd was in 1935 the first church built in the Mackenzie District. It was designed by Christchurch architect R.S.D. Harman, based on sketches by a local artist, Esther Hope. The church features an altar window that frames stunning views of the lake and mountains.

Church Of The Good Shepherd

Services continue to be held at this quaint little church even today.

Inside the church
The window at the altar provides a scenic view of the lake and the mountains.
If I were to worship here, I'd be too busy looking out the window to listen to the sermon ;p

After Tekapo, we made our way to Aoraki Mount Cook, which was 99 km away. Look at the view along the way!! Wow, isn't it??

On the way to Aoraki Mount Cook

Look at the snow-capped mountains!!

We also passed Lake Pukaki along the way. It was so beautiful that it seemed unreal! An hour and a half later, we reached the alpine village of Aoraki Mount Cook.

Mount Cook, at 3754 metres, is the highest peak in New Zealand. Aoraki means "cloud piercer" in Maori.

We went for a short walk at Mount Cook. The trail was named the Glencoe Walk, and it was a zigzag climb up to a lookout point. It was the easiest trail, but I was out of breath nonetheless. Such lack of stamina, right? Lol.

Anyway, our effort was many times rewarded. Because this was what we saw from our vantage point.

Wow .....

Mount Cook. Double wow ....

We also popped into The Hermitage, an alpine resort hotel. Inside is the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre that has got 3D theatres, a planetarium and museum. We merely lingered at the souvenir shop.

Lunch was a picnic outside a holiday park nearby. We sat on the grass and enjoyed our spaghetti.

Home-cooked spaghetti

While eating, we gazed at the view in front of us. It's not every day that I get to eat lunch in such beautiful surroundings!!

On the left is a shelter for use of campers.
It's got facilities like toilets, stoves, sinks and even a hot water dispenser!

After lunch, we drove to our next destination, which was Wanaka, via Twizel and Omarama. Twizel was where part of the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy was shot, specifically the Flight to the Ford and the Rough Country, South of Rivendell. Well, I aim to watch LOTR some time soon, but now, I'm going to pay special attention to the landscape. Lol.

Wanaka is 203 km away from Mount Cook, and it took 3 hours to drive there. We arrived in the evening, and checked into YHA Wanaka Purple Cow. The name amused me to no end. Why Purple Cow? Heck, I really do not know.

YHA Wanaka Purple Cow

Our room had 2 bunk beds and an en suite bathroom. However, a small 5-fin heater was provided and it was not powerful enough to heat the room up. Fortunately, extra blankets were available.

I liked the kitchen here as it was big and spacious. Everything was organised and labeled. Just read and follow the instructions.

The stoves
YHA advocates Responsible Tourism, and hence the many recycle bins provided

The fridge and the shelves

Every room is designated a shelf where guests can store their groceries. Food stored in the fridge has to be labelled clearly. If not, they will get thrown out on cleaning day.

Dinner was an elaborate affair for us that night, given that none of us ever bothered to cook back home.

Setting the table for dinner

Blanched broccoli
The broccoli was so sweet!! All we did was add some salt for seasoning, and it tasted superb.

Stirfried cabbage with mussels
Mussels are a must-eat in New Zealand.
We did not want to clean our own mussels, so we bought some in brine and added them into our cabbage. The cabbage, like the broccoli, was real fresh and sweet.

Egg omelette with onions
An easy dish to cook but great to eat with steamed white rice

Well, we enjoyed our home-cooked dinner tremendously. So, I would say that it was a perfect end to a great day. More stories to tell about the days ahead ;).