Lake Tekapo New Zealand

We spent one beautiful and unforgettable weekend at Lake Tekapo in New Zealand. We chose to go in the spring when the colorful lupins were in bloom.

Our first stop was the tubing park at Tekapo Springs for summer tubing. The kids loved being able to tube in warm weather! After they had their fun, we took a relaxing soak in the thermal pools.

The Mount John Summit Track trailhead is located near the pools. We took a short hike through the pines to explore around a bit.

We had also purchased an inexpensive raft and spent a few hours playing in the lake. The kids loved rowing out to the floating dock and skipping rocks.

Of course, we had to visit the Church of the Good Shephard while we were there. This picturesque chapel sits on the shore of the lake and is the most photographed church in all of New Zealand.

We then took a drive up the hill to visit the Mount John Observatory. We took in the stunning views while eating soup and sandwiches at the Astro Café before taking a sky tour. The Mackenzie Basin is known as one of the best places in the world to observe the stars and outer space.

While we were there we also took a walk around the Mount John Circuit track through the wildflowers. It was absolutely beautiful and such a fun weekend!