New Zealand South Island Lake Tekapo ～So Beautiful.

10/19-21 we were in Tekapo, I decided to write about Tekapo first in my New Zealand trip (10/10-10/22), mainly because it was at the end of the trip🤣 and the memories are still fresh🤣 We witnessed different beauties of Lake Tekapo during these three days, which left a deep impression on me. However, there was a bit of regret – the stargazing tour was cloudy, and we couldn't see the stunning Milky Way with the naked eye. We arrived in Tekapo on the afternoon of 10/19 (a quick note, we took a helicopter ride and did glacier hiking in Mount Cook that morning🤩). The weather in the afternoon was excellent, with few clouds, making the blue of Lake Tekapo incredibly beautiful (photos 1-3). Walking along the lake, not far away is the Church of the Good Shepherd (photos 4-5). I was very excited to see this church because I had seen many stunning photos of the Milky Way taken with this church in the foreground online. Tekapo has been dedicated to reducing artificial light pollution at night for decades, earning it the reputation of a stargazing town. Unfortunately, it was cloudy on the nights of the 19th and 20th, so our stargazing tour didn't go as planned. But it's okay to leave some regrets; we will come back next time! The itinerary on 10/20 was very free. After a leisurely breakfast, we walked along the lake towards the Mount John trail, aiming to reach the top and overlook Tekapo! The trail to Mount John is mostly shaded, making it less sunny but all uphill, with some gentle and some steep sections. The last part is an open grassland at the top. It took me almost an hour to hike up from the trailhead (going down only took half the time🤭). At the top, there is the Mount John University Observatory (where the night stargazing tour was supposed to be) and an Astro Cafe. After a short rest, it was photo time! The view of Lake Tekapo from the top is truly spectacular, and there is a rock that everyone must take a photo with (photos 6-7). However, it was cloudier on the 20th, so the lake wasn't as blue as the previous day, but still incredibly beautiful! We leisurely stayed on the mountain for an hour; it was really chill and relaxing🤣. Going down was very quick, and we headed straight to 'Morelea Lakeside.' The enthusiastic hostess made a delicious pavlova cake. For those who don't like sweet things, you can order unsweetened tea to go with it. The view from her house is absolutely stunning, and I envy her for seeing such fairyland-like scenery every day😍. On 10/21, before moving to the next city, we took a few more beautiful photos before noon🤣 (photos 10-12). Ah～～I really love this place!!! Looking forward to traveling here again!!!