Lake Tekapo, 2023

After Kaikoura, we pressed on, in our leisurely way, getting as far as the the outskirts of Christchurch and an overnight at Finnegan's Tavern, in Prebblefield...our first pub stay in a while, and Irish rather than English. The day next we drove on toward Mr. Cook with our usual stop at Lake Tekapo and its Lake's Edge holiday park. After walking a bit of the shore and town, we set out to climb Mt John, as in previous years, and later we walked the shore well past town to experience the dark skies that Lake Tekapo offers.

Lake Tekapo, one of a series of huge finger lakes emanating 
from the Southern Alps

Have a campground reservation if you're planning on going there via RV

Major tour bus attraction...Our Lady of the Lake or somesuch;
no funny faces

The town/shore walk features a sort of "stations of the planets"
signage, reflecting the town's "dark sky" status

Victorian telescope that used to be up in the observatory on Mt. John

On our attempted ascent of Mt. John

As the trail began to climb, we decided to get the rest of our 10k steps
that evening under the dark skies

Much later...setting forth along the shore

We got to see the Milky Way in stunning brilliance,
seriously, and even a shooting star; the pix weren't
so great; this, I swear, is the Southern Cross