Life . . . Reframed: Timaru and Lake Tekapo

Beautiful blue striped shells on the beaches here

The drive from Christchurch south to Timaru took us through some beautiful countryside. I swear that in New Zealand, every time you turn a corner, the vegetation and the scenery makes a radical change. The first part of the drive was very dry, flat and almost desert-like. And then all of a sudden, we were into cliffs, forest and this beautiful river valley at Windwhistle. The water was crystal clear, not too cold, and the river was fairly shallow. There was a jet boat operator there, and we very nearly decided to take a ride. He wasn't sure he could fit us onto his next trip and the participants weren't going to arrive for another 40 minutes, so we decided to carry on. Too bad - in retrospect, we both wish we had done it!

The river really was that colour. It's been a dry summer and
I think this gravel area is usually under water.

Note the one-lane bridge near the top right of the picture.
The jet boat is the yellow bit below it.

Same river, from high up on a cliff. Stunning. A jet boat ride
through some of the canyons would have been amazing.

We arrived at Timaru in the early afternoon, and for the first time on this trip, we actually had to book into a motel. It's Chinese New Year, Christchurch is hosting the cricket world cup, and the south island is crawling with tourists. We're finding it a bit of a challenge to find accommodation that fits our budget. However, the host and hostess at this place are super friendly so it feels more like an AirBnB than a motel. We have a kitchen, and can use their bbq if we wish. We're a five minute walk to a fantastic beach - can't ask for more than that.

Near the waterfront at Timaru. This old lighthouse dates back to
1878. It's no longer operational, but I can see why
they keep it here - definitely adds to the attractiveness
of the waterfront. It's about a 5 minute walk from where
we are staying.

Nice little house on the waterfront area - no monster
houses here!

I liked the flowers on this hedge - beautiful!

Timaru is a port town so there is a large ship dock, a big, beautiful, clean and safe beach for swimming and lots of cute little houses. We spent the afternoon walking the beach and the neighbourhoods. But mostly the beach. There's something about sand, shells and the sound of surf that pulls us both in. We could walk for hours on the beaches, and we usually do!

The beach at Timaru

Glen was in 'flat stone' heaven - so many skipping options!

Looking down the beach to the port. Even though this is
a large port, the water is beautiful and clean.

Pretty tidal patterns in the sand

We headed inland the next day to Lake Tekapo - a gorgeous, turquoise-blue coloured glacial lake in what is called a 'UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve'. It's in an area surrounded by mountains - the drive in was over a mountain range, then into a long, flat valley. There isn't any development here, other than a few homes in the small town area. There's a sweet little stone church on the lakeshore that was built in 1935, where a wedding was happening as we arrived. I understand it's a popular spot to get married as there is a window behind the alter with a view out to the Southern Alps behind the lake.

On the road to Lake Tekapo. We have to get into that
mountain range to a big valley

Getting into the foothills - so dry.

Lake Tekapo

Love the plantlife on the walking paths

The church at Lake Tekapo

We headed past the lake and up a long winding road to the Mount John University Observatory where there are some stunning views of the lake and landscape below. If you look very carefully, you can see Mount Cook off in the far distance. This is a scientific research station and tours are available, as well as night-time stargazing. At night, you have to take a bus up - private cars aren't allowed on the road after 6 pm. Probably a good idea - it's one of those twisty roads with few barriers, and to make it worse, there are no lights. I guess that's to help with the stargazing!

Lake Tekapo from the Mount John Observatory

Lots of these observation domes at the top of the hill.
Mount Cook is out there in the distance somewhere.

Yes, I'm standing way up high and I'm not even scared - eeeeep!

Long, twisty road down from the observatory.

On the ride back to Timaru, we drove through some little towns that looked like they were frozen in time in the mid-sixties. We noticed a sign that said 'Cave', so we thought we'd stop and take a look at it. We drove through a cluster of houses, then onto a narrow side road that led deep into the hills and valleys of some beautiful farmland. We finally realized that 'Cave' was the name of the town, and not an actual cave to explore. Haha! Tricked ourselves! However, we were glad of it because we took a smaller secondary road rather than the highway back to Timaru and were treated to some really beautiful scenery that we wouldn't have seen otherwise.

To use a phrase that usually annoys me, 'I love it when a plan works out'!