Lake Tekapo Weather Woes

Checkout was at 10am, and we needed to squeeze in some laundry before heading to Lake Tekapo. I hadn’t seen any laundromats there, and when I messaged our Airbnb host, they confirmed, there is no laundry in Lake Tekapo. The closest option? Twizel, about an hour away. So, our plan was a morning of laundry at the Hermitage.

The laundry room didn’t open until 9, which gave us time for a slow buffet breakfast. At 9:00 sharp, we marched in with our bag of dirties… only to find all machines down and a line of hopeful families already waiting. Twizel it was. A bit out of the way, but no rush as we had time before our 2pm check-in. It was pouring when we got there, and the laundromat was full of damp, frustrated campers. We decided we could stretch a few more days.

It was still raining when we reached Lake Tekapo. We lucked out with an early check-in, and surprise, there was a washer and dryer right behind the unit. No idea where the wires got crossed. Maybe I should’ve asked, “Washer and dryer?” instead of just “laundry”?

Tekapo had undergone noticeable changes since our last visit, with entire new neighbourhoods seemingly dedicated to Airbnb accommodations. We stayed at Sky Blue Lake Tekapo, a complex of 8 apartment-style rooms. Our apartment was clean and spacious, but the prices in Lake Tekapo seemed astronomical for what you get – granted, it as high season but it was over $600/night! The front part of the unit was the living room/kitchen – what was odd was that everything was covered in plastic like the furniture at grandma’s house in the 1970’s. There was also very little privacy given the windows opened to the carpark. We weren’t in Tekapo for the accommodation though.

“Astronimical” is a little play on words as we were there for astrophotography. Oddly, the outside air carried a strong skunk-like odour, which, after consulting with ChatGPT, we learned was actually from the lupin plants, not skunks, as New Zealand doesn’t have any.

Our visit was timed with the new moon, optimising conditions for an astrophotography workshop. However, the persistent rain dampened our hopes, reminding us of the futility of worrying over uncontrollable elements. Miraculously, the next morning greeted us with clear blue skies, prompting a stroll to the village for coffee and pastries at the Greedy Cow and a walk around the lake, now bustling with Canadian geese—non-native birds introduced in the early 20th century for sport hunting.

On our return, we encountered some horses and decided to pull over for some photographs. Andy is apparently a horse-whisperer because they came right up to the fence and one even gave him kisses.

For lunch we got a pizza from Dolce Pizza food truck and found a great picnic spot. Not the greatest photo but the pizza was 10/10.

This church, built in 1935 and one of New Zealand’s most iconic landmarks, sits beautifully on the shores of Lake Tekapo. Constructed from local stone and oak, it harmonises with its rugged surroundings, with windows framing the majestic views of the lake and the Southern Alps.

As evening approached, our anticipation for the astrophotography workshop grew. Unfortunately, clouds began to roll in, and by 9 PM, with about 70% cloud cover, the workshop was inevitably cancelled. We were both pretty disappointed but filed it away as something we will have to do on our next visit.

Next Up — Chasing Dusky Dolphins in Kaikoura