All You Need to Know about Tekapo Stargazing New Zealand

Let me tell you a secret. I’m a hopeless romantic, when it comes to people and places. I can fall in love with an idea or experience as much a person. The thought of working from my laptop in a cozy coffeeshop in Williamsburg is just as romantic a concept to me as a picnic with Chris Evans and his six pack a guy. So, when I discovered Tekapo Stargazing – a guided stargazing and hot spring tour overlooking the idyllic Lake Tekapo and surrounded by mountains – it was love-at-first-Google. Who wouldn’t want to float in a hot pool whilst gazing up at a star studded sky? Fools maybe, or you know…people who don’t like water or stars. But I digress. I booked it straight away, and I can tell you now, there’s a reason it made its way onto my list of the Top 10 Surreal Experiences in NZ.

Lake Tekapo:

Nestled in the heart of the Southern Alps between Mt John and Two Thumb Range, is glacial Lake Tekapo. The township is the highest alpine village in New Zealand. It looks more suited to a Jane Austen novel – all quaint English countryside – than New Zealand. There are tourist draw-cards like Church of the Good Shepherd. Which is genuinely idyllic, if not put off by the masses (tourists I mean, not church services, though it does those too). And there are picture postcard scenes everywhere you look. Enormous rocks lead into the lake toward a mountain backdrop. Stunning watercolour palettes of multi hued grass and that gorgeous, but invasive, weed – the lupin.

Lake Tekapo is a perfect stop when travelling between Queenstown and Christchurch, so I hopped on an Intercity bus from Queenstown-

-and arrived on a snowy late-spring afternoon.

Yep, you read that right, it snowed (heavily) IN SPRING! Our journey was beautiful; sometime after passing through Mount Cook I fell asleep, and awoke as we hit dramatic Lindis Pass. Covered with a heavy white blanket of freshly fallen snow. I couldn’t believe my eyes, and here’s the proof.

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As the bus rolled into Tekapo, I could barely see the town for the fast falling flakes of white in the air. My feet were soaked, but I was STOKED! Even though it made the short walk to the hostel more difficult.

Where to stay:

Tekapo is chill as bro! A gorgeous place that gets quiet after 9pm, meaning most visitors don’t stay here too long. For this reason I’d recommend staying close to town to maximise your time.

I stayed at Tailor Made Tekapo Backpackers Hostel. Which was awesome for the following reasons;

• Conveniently located, just a stroll to the village centre which lines the lake. With dining, drinking and grocery options, as well as Tekapo Stargazing HQ.
• It’s walking distance to sights, like Church of the Good Shepherd, and as much pretty scenery as you could possibly want.
• One of the most homely hostels I’ve ever stayed at. Complete with a carpeted living area and roaring fire that was perfect on a cold, snowy day.
• No bunkbeds!
• Large park-like garden, with a BBQ for warmer weather.
• Did I mention there’s no bunkbeds?
• BONUS: Friendly animals like rabbits, hens, and – naturally – sheep (to add to the GAZILLIONS that you’ll see in NZ)

What to do in Lake Tekapo:

• Check out Church of the Good Shepherd (yep, the one I’ve mentioned twice already): This little stone church sits on the shore overlooking the lake and the mountains. It’s majestic and peaceful, albeit crawling with people at all times of the day. If you decide to visit, please be respectful (it’s a place of worship in a residential area) and be sure to drop some money into the donation (koha) box. The church is kept up by local parishioners with the money that’s donated. There is a regular Sunday service if that’s your thing, and they also do weddings, but the biggest draw is photography. Go check it out and see for yourself!
• Explore the Lupins: This super pretty though invasive weed is not native to New Zealand, but boy is it scenic! There are loads of folk stories about how they came to be here. Including that bus drivers once spread the seeds of the Russell Lupins in – ahem – more drab areas to make them more interesting to tourists. Nowadays, the lupin blooms draw photographers from all over the world. And there’s no better place to see them than Lake Tekapo.
• Stargaze: We’ll talk about the tour in a moment, but stargazing isn’t limited to taking a guided tour. Get anywhere dark on a clear night, preferably among the lupins or overlooking the lake, and look up at the sky. You can’t miss them! There’s a mystical quality to the area in the still of the night. And it’s a great place for a romantic evening picnic too.

Where to Eat in Lake Tekapo

There’s plenty of options for food, but if you’re only staying for one or two nights, these are my go to suggestions;

• The Greedy Cow: There’s no better place for breakfast / brunch, or coffee or basically anything they sell it’s all delicious! And if that isn’t enough, it’s super vibe-y, has friendly service, and free wifi. A little hipster oasis in a sometimes sleepy town. Not just substance, but good looks too; the counter is clad in wooden alcohol shipping crates. complete with stamped brands. You can’t go wrong with the Greedy Cow!
• Reflections Cafe & Restaurant: The real highlight of this restaurant is the view of Lake Tekapo and the mountains. Solid food choices – I didn’t try the lamb but it’s something people leave rave reviews about. Plus smiley staff. It’s a relaxed setting to catch the sunset over dinner and a few drinks.

Tekapo Stargazing Tour:

A stargazing tour is a must-do highlight of any visit to Tekapo, because the village sits in the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve. The biggest dark sky reserve in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of only 11 in the whole world. Light pollution is strictly controlled in the area, so on a clear night you can see breathtaking detail.

Tekapo Stargazing is the only company I’ve ever heard of that mixes stargazing with a float in a hot spring.

There’s three main parts to the tour;

1. Arrival and Introduction
2. Skydeck and/or VR Experience
3. Hot springs

Arrival and Introduction:

You can either drive or use the complimentary shuttle to get to Tekapo springs. I used the shuttle, and got picked up from their office in the main village. David Bowie’s Starman played softly in the van, from a perfectly curated playlist. They dimmed the headlights to keep light pollution down as we approached the springs. On arrival we were given hot chocolate or tea, and the room was cleverly kitted out in red light to give us better night vision. Our awesome guide hooked us from the start with his impressive knack for the pure art of storytelling; weaving Maori legend with astronomy in a fascinating way.

Telescopes and/or VR Experience:

Our guide led us outside to the stardeck with a Maori Putatara – or conch shell trumpet – in hand. Here, four powerful (looking…I ain’t no scientist) telescopes were set up to get a closer look at the planets. He used a laser pointer to show us where everything was. Unfortunately due to the snow that day, we didn’t have the clearest night.

So our guide blew on the Putatara, sending vibrations into the atmosphere. He asked the sky father Ranginui in Maori to ‘please clear the skies so we may gaze at it’

…never hurts to ask you know.

While bad weather can leave other stargazing tours cancelled, Tekapo Stargazing operates as an indoor/outdoor thing. If it’s not clear, then they’ll take you back inside to do a quality Virtual Reality tour of the galaxy instead. The VR is out of this world, as close as most of us will ever come to being an astronaut. With a headset on and remote in hand, we were transported into space as our guide narrated with his phenomenal knowledge and gift for storytelling. It’s another reason that Tekapo Stargazing is a great choice if you only have a short time here.

Hot Spring:

After a day of playing in the snow (loads of fun) and getting soaking wet feet made worse by walking to the shops in the snow in my only pair of totally-non-waterproof sneakers to buy red wine in order to warm me up. I was totally ready for the next part; a relaxing soak in toasty 38c hot pools.

We changed, then tip toed into the freezing night to retrieve a pool hammock. Entering the steamy warm man-made springs, the guide announced that we’d come into some luck, the sky had cleared enough to see more detail. But as I started to float I realised there was some competition for my attention; the stunning glossy lake in the night – black in the night – the glowing snowcapped mountains, or the twinkling sky. The sky won out. We were immersed, gently drifting under a dazzling blanket of stars to soothing music.

Our Tekapo Stargazing guide recounted Maori tales of how Aoraki Mount Cook was formed. Of how New Zealand’s first people had used the stars to navigate their waka (Maori wooden canoe). We heard of demigods, and the creation of the earth. Between that and the view, I had stars in my eyes. Like all good things though, it must come to an end (I hate that rule, seriously, can we petition the fates or whoever to change it or?)

Before long, it was time to get out, and fight off literal-but-actually-metaphorical pneumonia the cold as we darted back into the change rooms.

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Fin:

At the end of tour, because we’d not had a clear night, they gave us another opportunity to look through the telescopes. This was my moment to have a first-ever go at astrophotography (and you can tell! haha). Then we hopped back into the shuttle and were dropped off at our accomodation, ready to fall asleep with an almost celestial calm. The Tekapo Stargazing tour was completely surreal and one of my absolute favourite activities in New Zealand, cementing itself on my list of surreal must-do NZ experiences. Be sure to check it out on your next visit to the South Island.

Tour Details:

• Price: $99 NZD (Adult)
• Duration: 2 Hours
• Indoor/Outdoor tour: Operates regardless of weather or visibility
• What to bring: Warm clothes / Towel / Bathers

Hot Tips:

• Headlights: If you decide to drive to the springs, do try and dim or turn off your headlights (check the regulations with Tekapo Stargazing beforehand) so as to avoid light pollution.
• Don’t stare at your phone: Avoid contact with white light – like a smartphone or tablet – as much as possible before and during the tour to as to maximise your night vision.
• Cameras are allowed: But there’s not a lot of time, so have it prepped and ready to go with the right lens, so you just need to flick it on when you have an opportunity.

Save the Illustrated Map below to your phone!

The Beat of Adventure Score 💯

Adventure / Location	The Beat of Adventure Score
Tailor Made Tekapo Backpackers	(4) 💯💯💯💯
Tekapo Stargazing	(5) 💯💯💯💯💯
The Greedy Cow Cafe	(5) 💯💯💯💯💯
Reflections	(3) 💯💯💯
Lake Tekapo Park	(4) 💯💯💯💯
Church of the Good Shepherd	(3) 💯💯💯

Who else has done stargazing somewhere incredible? Let me know. And drop a comment below if this is something you’d try yourself!