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THREE DISTINCT
ENVIRONMENTS ARID HIGH PLAINS, RUGGED ALPINE MOUNTAINS,
AND GLACIER-FED
LAKES CONVERGE
TO FORM THE EXTRAORDINARILY SCENIC AND
LARGELY UNPOPULATED BACK COUNTRY
OUTBACK OF LAKE TEKAPO AND MT. COOK.
PHOTO CREDITS: rob suisted (mt. cook), fraser gunn (hikers on swing
bridge), gareth eyres (alpine helicopter),
adventure films (tekapo canal),
bob mccree
(lake ruataniwha), chris mclennan
(skiing),
tourism nz
(hooker valley swing bridge), and home at first (lake tekapo road, mt.
john observatories).
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The highest Southern Alps and remotest sheep
stations
meet on the high Canterbury plain in
Mackenzie Country.
Explore by car, by walking, and by alpine flights. Great fishing, too!
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Attractions in Mt. Cook & Lake Tekapo:
Mt. Cook and the Southern Alps and
the
region's many lakes with their surprising
turquoise color.
LAKE PUKAKI, MT COOK & THE HOOKER VALLEY:
New Zealand's highest mountain lords over
a turquoise lake and a
remarkable glacier
valley that invites walking and other
outdoors
activities.
LAKE TEKAPO & MACKENZIE COUNTRY:
the broad
expanses of New Zealand's
remotest ranch
country include dramatic vistas from atop |
The northern limits of
Lake Tekapo
end at a curtain of Southern Alps. |
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Enjoying a picnic while
looking
across Lake Pukaki at Mt. Cook. |
Mt. John overlooking Lakes Alexandrina,
McGregor, and Tekapo with the snowcapped main spine of the
Southern Alps and the rugged Two Thumb Range lining the horizon.
Activities in Mt. Cook & Lake
Tekapo:
Hiking, fishing, mountaineering, scenic flights,
mountain biking, golf, horseback riding, stargazing. Stargazing? Lake Tekapo and
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neighboring Mt. John Observatory offer the
clearest night skies in New Zealand, so clear that the United Nations is
considering granting Lake Tekapo special status as a "night sky
reserve". |
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Lodgings: Quality bed and breakfast
lodgings
in Lake Tekapo (population 300), a principal Mackenzie Country
town mid-way between Queenstown and Christchurch. Lodgings also available in the
tourist town of Mt. Cook, ideal for those wanting to hike or pursue
mountain-eering in New Zealand's highest mountains.
Home At First's
Tekapo
House provides
quality lodging with a view in the
small town of Lake Tekapo. |
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Getting to/from Mt. Cook and Lake Tekapo:
Home At First guests
travel to Mt. Cook and Lake Tekapo by rental car,
normally coming northeast from Queenstown—a
very scenic 3-4 hour drive. Most depart
Mackenzie Countrythe Mt. Cook and Lake Tekapo regionfor
Christchurch, a drive of 3-4.5 hours.
Highway 80 follows the west shore of
Lake Pukaki from the village of Twizel
to Mt. Cook. In clear weather the view
improves by the minute along this drive.
Photo
David Wall - Tourism New Zealand. |
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Getting around Mackenzie Country:
Use of a rental car is essential here.
Roads in this part of New Zealand are
especially lightly traveled
and scenic.
But, when driving keep an eye out for
stray sheep sometimes on the roads!
Mackenzie Country means
open range & open roads. |
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HOME AT FIRST IS
A DESIGNATED "KIWI SPECIALIST"
TOUR OPERATOR BY THE NEW ZEALAND TOURISM
BOARD.
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