Lake Tekapo

Lake Tekapo, the town, lies in the "MacKenzie Country" at the foot of a turquoise lake and surrounded by mountains. The region is named after a Scottish sheep stealer.

LAKE TEKAPO FARM TOURS

Depending on the season, Tekapo is a venue for horse trekking, fishing, sking and ski touring, ice skating and water sports.

4X4 TEKAPO SAFARI

It is also a base for "flight seeing" in the Mount Cook Region.

MOUNT COOK ALPINE EXPLORER HELICOPTER FLIGHT
A visit to the top of Mt John provides spectacular views of the region. The region's clear skies led to the establishment of an observatory on the top of Mt John and efforts have been made to prevent light pollution from the town. The Mackenzie Basin has now been designated an International Dark Sky Reserve; one of four in the world.

SILVER RIVER STARGAZING EXPERIENCE

Tekapo 'A' hydro power station, supplied from the lake, is the first in a series of Upper Waitaki stations. Tekapo 'B' hydro station feeds directly into Lake Pukaki being supplied by a man-made canal from Lake Tekapo. (Stations are named after the lake which feeds them.) The scenic route along the canal is an alternative to SH 8 if you are travelling south.
The Information Centre is on the main road at the eastern end of the town. i.e as you approach the Lake from Fairlie.
Take a LISTEN to our Audioguide to learn more about the area.

HERITAGE**
**Early Maori established summer camps along the rivers and lakes of the MackKenzie Country where they fished and hunted birds. Tekapo’s Maori name comes from the word taka (sleeping mat) and po (night). Maori names were also given to other lakes in the area: Pukaki, Ohau, Te Kaupururu (Alexandrina) and Otetoto (MacGregor). The European name for the area came from one James MacKenzie, originally from the Scottish Highlands. An east coast sheep drover, he ventured inland and discovered the basin and high country. He applied to the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the right to occupy the land but was imprisoned after being caught stealing sheep to stock it.
In 1857 John and Barbara Hay established Tekapo Station on the shores of the lake and within 10 years the whole of the MacKenzie Basin was divided up amongst runholders. An accommodation house, built in 1851, was a stopping place for the bullock carts. Later, Lake Tekapo became a lunch stop for the coaches which went from Fairlie to the Hermitage Hotel at Mount Cook. It wasn’t until the 1930s, however, that a township developed as a result of the beginnings of the development of the hydro power scheme.

PRIVATE TOUR - 8 DAY SOUTH ISLAND TOUR INCLUDING LAKE TEKAPO