Tekapo: refresh

The bus ride between Queenstown and Tekapo is absolutely gorgeous and it totally kick-started my time in Tekapo-in a number of ways. For one, although Queenstown is stunningly beautiful, the scenery in Tekapo is this unique kind of beauty unlike anything I have experienced. Something about that drive was so wistfully inspiring that it had me rapid-fire drawing up a list of things I want to experience in my lifetime. I don't know. It was corny and sweet, all at once.

Lake Tekapo is my favorite place I have visited in New Zealand thus far and it overwhelmingly earns that title. I had seen pictures of the milky turquoise water with the mountains in the background and the iconic stone Church of the Good Shepherd set among the lupines and knew I needed to see it firsthand. Additionally, I had heard that Tekapo's night skies are unbelievable, which I figured would be an added bonus. Originally I planned to spend only one night there but the weather forecast was iffy so I chose to stay there for two nights with the hope of catching a glimpse of those famed night skies.

Oh, Tekapo. I was prepared for your beauty but I did not expect for you to be so utterly peaceful.

It is a place unlike any other I have experienced. The town itself is tiny but I found myself not minding much. From the moment you arrive there is this overwhelming quietness and peace. I wound up spending most of my time meandering around the lakefront. You find that you could plop yourself on the lakeshore staring off into the distance for the rest of your days and be perfectly content.

Peace takes over the atmosphere even inside the hostel. The lounge has a wall filled with windows overlooking that blue, blue lake. People spoke in hushed voices that were almost reverent.

A woman sat at the bench in front of the picture windows painting her own watercolor postcard. A man sat in the corner quietly strumming away the same little out-of-tune chord progression for what must have been forty-five minutes, or an hour, but I didn't really mind. Another woman's pen scratched away softly as she wrote in her journal. The clouds provided the backdrop for it all, moving in over the lake before receding and allowing the late afternoon light to cast the mountains in oranges and purples for those few fleeting minutes before the sun set, leaving the sky a vast velvety cobalt blue, while the wood-stove crackled and popped softly in the background. 

Queenstown is beautiful in a stunning way and people seem to have a "been there, done that" attitude of conquering the landscape with their bungy-jumping, sky-diving, jet-boating, and adventure sport-ing. Tekapo's beauty is at once both more subdued and more beautiful. People are less concerned with conquering it and care more about simply existing there  for a while and experiencing the place.

It was overcast for most of my first day there but it was actually kind of nice. It almost felt right, contributing to the overall quiet, cozy feel. I figured I wouldn't be able to view the stars that night and was feeling thankful that I had booked a second night. When talking to a shop owner I learned that oftentimes it cleared up at night. I decided to venture out after dark to see if this was the case. I set out thinking that I would walk over to the church to view them but quickly realized a problem with my plan. The areas surrounding Tekapo are protected against light pollution in order to preserve their famed night skies. It was so dark that I didn't dare venture farther than a few steps outside the hostel without a flashlight. Even there, with the light coming from the hostel and a few other lodges, I stood for a long while with my neck craned upwards. Never in my life have I so clearly seen the milky way stretching across the night sky. Astronomer I am not, but I could tell enough to know that the southern sky was a different view from the northern one I am more accustomed to. For some reason it was refreshing to not even try to place the stars into constellations.

There is a gratitude for simply existing that you can't help but feel when you're here. I found myself being acutely aware of my gratefulness for being physically able to walk along the rocky shoreline, quietly happy and thankful that I was able to stand there and let my thoughts get lost in that place. 

Until next time, Tekapo.