Today is a bittersweet day. Sadly, we have to say farewell to Suzy as he flies home, but Gimpy and I continue our trip as we head to the South Island. Suzy and I had to wake up fairly early so that I could drive him to the airport to catch his flight. In the early morning hours, traffic is extremely light and within 15 minutes we were saying our good byes at the International terminal of Wellington International Airport. I returned back to our AirBnB where I was able to get a few more hours of sleep. Too soon after, Gimpy and I start getting ready, we first drop of our car rental, then catch a shuttle to the airport.
Flying to the South Island
There was a little time before our flight, so we popped into the Air New Zealand Domestic Lounge. We grabbed some much needed coffee along with breakfast. Before long our gated opened and we headed to our plane. This is the first time I’ve flown in an ATR 72 and was low key interested to try. Gimpy and I booked seats at the very front of the plane to get some extra leg room, but what I didn’t realize is that this plane boards from the rear! So after getting on we needed to walk past everyone else to get to the front! Deplaning was the same thing! The flight itself was uneventful, but I did enjoy the cookies they gave us and the very interesting packaging it comes in. My cookie “monster” looks to have been punched in the face by a unicorn!
Driving in the South
After arriving at Christchurch, Gimpy and I picked up our car rental and set out towards the center of the South Island. After an hour or so our thoughts turned to lunch. This resulted in a quick google search and us stopping in Ashburton for some Thai food at Tons Thai. It seemed well reviewed and on the way. I ordered a noodle dish and while not the best thing I’ve ever had, filled me up for the drive ahead.
After lunch Gimpy and I hopped back in to the car and we were off again towards the center of the South Island. Our destination is Lake Takapo which I’m told is mesmerizing, however along the way we just had to stop and take in some of these beautiful New Zealand Landscapes.
Lake Tekapo
After a little more driving, we round a corner and off in the distance we see this bright blue mass of water. At first we couldn’t tell what it is because it looks unnaturally blue! However, as we get closer, it becomes apparent that it really is this beautiful blue colour. We stopped and had to check it out. Lake Tekapo is this beautiful bright blue lake that is surrounded by a picturesque mountain range. We spent a lot of time along walking along the side of this lake. Maybe some part of it will be less pretty, but we never found it.
Church of the Good Shepherd
Another reason for this stop is to visit the Church of the Good Shepherd. When researching this area, I read about this small little church that faces out towards the lake. While it is a functioning church, it’s also very popular for tourists. The little brick church with the lake and mountain background is a magnet for photographers around the world. Gimpy and I spent a little time inside the church itself. There was some worship music playing and the entire front of the sanctuary is open to the Lake. Its already an amazing location for simply meditating, I can’t imagine what it’s like during an actual worship service.
If you’re not religious, the draw is the photographic opportunity of this church and it’s backdrop. While I didn’t spend that much time photographing the church, you should check out some photos they have on their website, or even just photos other’s have taken. It’s truly spectacular.
Dark Sky Reserve / Project
Just a few hundred meters away from the church is the Dark Sky Project. The Dark Sky Project is a center that is setup to allow visitors to enjoy the night sky in the area. The reason why this is here is because this entire area is also called the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. The Dark Sky Reserve implements outdoor lighting controls which helps to reduce light pollution and conserve energy in the area. What this also means is that this is an excellent area for stargazing and a primary reason Gimpy and I decided to explore the area. We didn’t take part in any of the Dark Sky Project tours, but later decided to do some stargazing of our own.
As the Dark Sky Project is also along the side of Lake Tepako, Gimpy and I once again ventured to the lake to take it in as much as we could.
Lake Pukaki
With Lake Tepako behind us, after another half hour we arrived at Lake Pukaki. And just when we thought the beauty of Tepako was one of a kind, we arrive at Pukaki. This lake is just as blue but also quite a bit larger! We needed to stop again, and we went to snap a ton more pictures! I think what also makes the views from lake a little more special is Mount Cook makes for a great background focal point.
Twizel and Home Cooking
After picking up our jaws from the floor at Lake Pukaki, the drive to Twizel only took another 10 minutes. Before long we were checking into our vacation rental. After spending some time settling in, we hit up the local supermarket to pick up some supplies. Throughout our trip in New Zealand so far, we’ve never stayed in a place for more than a night. This would change in Twizel so Gimpy and I decided to settle in a little, save some money and make dinner at our place. (In fact we ended up cooking a lot on the South Island.) We aren’t master chefs by any stretch of the imagination, but wieners, frozen and macron in soup really hits the spot! And nothing says “we classy” more than having a nice glass of wine with dinner!
Stargazing and the Southern Lights
After dinner, Gimpy and I waited until it was really dark before we headed back out to Lake Pukaki. We wanted to experience the Dark Sky reserve in all its glory and maybe get a good photo or two as well! What we got though is likely one of my top highlights from the trip. There’s something to be said about stargazing in general. There’s a peace and a calm that comes with being away from any hustle and bustle and simply being able to look up into the sky and admire just how immense the universe is. To do it here multiplies that feeling at least 10x. Because you are so far away from any city and sources of light pollution the sky simply lights up. Without exaggeration you can see hundreds of thousands of stars with the naked eye. This experience of simply staring at the sky and feeling so small is something I’m not going to forget for a long time.
Southern Lights
While being able to bask in this display was enough for me, there was more to come! Gimpy and I spent a bit of time snapping long exposure photos of the stars, and the milky way. It wasn’t until Gimpy asking for help with her camera settings that we realized something. At first she was concerned about some of the odd discolorations in her photos. At first I thought it might have either been a dirty lens or something. But then I noticed similar colours on my photos as well. Then I started putting two and two together. This was an ever so faint image of the southern lights! I’ve only seen this once in my life and never banked on seeing it again, but here it was! What’s funny is in both these cases, I wasn’t even looking for it. Both Gimpy and I were over joyed and giddy with excitement. It’s been a dream of hers to see the Northern lights, so I suspect this is a good alternative!
After an hour or so, batteries were starting to run out and things were starting to get chilly. So we packed up our gear and headed back to our place extremely happy with everything that transpired on this stargazing excursion. It’s only day one but the South Island has already been very good to us. We turned in soon after extra excited for what the next day had in store for us!
I still remember that feeling when we accidentally found the southern lights. Ahhh I’m feeling it again as I read your blog! I think The whole Twizel area might’ve been my favourite. The beautiful lakes, the hikes, the skies… the wine…