Queenstown – Jewel in the Crown

If you have not heard of Queenstown, New Zealand, you have missed out something good. Thanks to the Lord Of The Rings (LOTR) movie trilogy, many people around the world “discovered” Queenstown in recent years. The movies were filmed in many locations throughout New Zealand and the spectacular landscape of the Queenstown region also provided the stunning backdrop to a number of scenes. My first visit to Queenstown was in April 1999 and that memorable vacation changed my life!

Located in a region of breathtaking scenery, Queenstown is often referred to as the jewel in New Zealand’s crown. It is situated on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by majestic mountain ranges.

Regarded as New Zealand’s premier tourist destination, it has been voted by readers of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure as the friendliest place in the world and ranked with Paris and Rome, amongst the world’s best destinations.

From a sleepy lakeside town 30 years ago, it has grown to become a sophisticated all year round international resort. Presently, it attracts about 1.4 million visitors per year of which 60% are international visitors.

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Queenstown Central Business District, August 2006
From the magnificent views of the mountains to the lake, beautiful walking trails, world-class wine from its vineyards, adrenaline charged activities, golf courses, ski-fields, ......

Queenstown is truly the jewel in New Zealand’s crown.

Aoraki/Mount Cook Village

If you plan to explore the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, do get to the visitor centre of the Department of Conservation (DOC) at Mount Cook Village. It would be wise to get necessary information and advice before venturing out into this vast terrain, especially if you plan to do it without any experienced guides.

Mount Cook Village is pretty small. There are just a couple of buildings around and that’s basically all there is about the village. If you want to be right into the national park and to be be as close to the mountains as possible, then you are at the right place.

You may wish to consider Glentanner Park which is about 15-20 minutes drive away. You would have passed it on the journey to Mount Cook Village. Glentanner Park offers a camping ground with cabins, power and non-power sites and restaurant facilities. It is also where the helicopters and planes take off for the scenic flights.

Alternatively, stay at Twizel or Tekapo but do know that the journey is about an hour plus for the one-way drive to Mount Cook Village.

In Mount Cook Village, there is limited accommodation but you can find the luxurious Hermitage hotel to the simple frills YHA Hostel. Whatever your choice of accommodation, you get magnificent 5-star views the moment you step out of the door!

The Hermitage surrounded by the majestic mountain range:

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The Hermitage
Mount Cook Village, Aug 2006

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

About 99km west of Tekapo lies Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. A United Nations World Heritage site, it spans over 70,000 hectares of breathtaking alpine scenery and contains 140 peaks over 2,000m high as well as 72 glaciers! It is home to Australasia’s highest mountain Aoraki/Mt Cook at 3,754m and the longest glacier in the Southern hemisphere, Tasman glacier at 29km.

It is an area of spectacular mountainscapes, tussock grassland, huge river valleys, endless high country and stunning turquoise blue lakes. In below photo, the distant peak below the noon sun is Aoraki/Mt Cook !

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Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, Aug 2006
Seeing the immense size of these mountains all around me, I am humbled and reminded of my human fragility and insignificance. One word sums up my feelings: Awesome !

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park will be a key highlight of your vacation in New Zealand. Some things in life are worth seeing and experiencing for yourself and this is definitely one of those!

Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Tekapo

A small stone church situated in a stunning landscape. This is probably the best description for the Church of the Good Shepherd situated on the shores of Lake Tekapo. Built in 1935, it was the first church in the MacKenzie basin and one of several built to commemorate the early settlers in the area.

Most of the church is still in its original state. The boulders used in its construction came from the surrounding area and they were carefully chosen for their size, shape and colour. As requested by its donors, the tussock and rocks around the church were left in their natural state and even the adjoining land was gifted to ensure the church remained in this natural splendour.

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Church of the Good Shepherd
Lake Tekapo, Aug 2006
Sited on elevated ground, the church overlooks Lake Tekapo and offers a magnificent view of the surrounding Southern Alps mountain range. I have been at Lake Tekapo several times and this recent visit allowed me to experience its winter splendour.

Do remember to have a look inside the church. What draws visitors’ attention is the altar window that frames the stunning views of the lake and mountains. It took me 3 photos to capture this view of the altar window:

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Altar window frames the stunning view!
Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Tekapo, Aug 2006

The Church of the Good Shepherd is one of the most photographed in New Zealand. I can attest to this with the many photos of this beautiful place in my collection. The photo on my first post shows the silhouette of the church against a spectacular background of blue skies and snow-covered mountain range.

Lake Tekapo – The Road to Mount Cook

Traveling from Christchurch towards Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, along this route lies one of the most scenic lakes in the MacKenzie region – Lake Tekapo. A most spectacular sight the visitor will encounter is the beautiful turquoise colour of the lake. The lake is fed by waters from the glacier melt of the surrounding mountain range, the Southern Alps. It is the very fine sediments suspended in the glacial waters that give the lake its colour.

I have been at Lake Tekapo in autumn, spring and winter and each visit has been a new experience seeing various shades of colours ranging from turquoise to blue, even grey! I was fortunate to have seen the vivid turquoise colour on my first visit in autumn. Too bad, I only have the photos of the first visit on negatives and prints. Someday I will convert them into digital copies.

Below photo was taken on a winter noon day in Aug 2006. The colour is not quite turquoise but you get an idea of the vivid hue that makes the visitors go “Wow!” at Lake Tekapo.

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Turquoise colour of Lake Tekapo
Tekapo, Aug 2006
Across the lake lies the Southern Alps. In the centre of the photo, the distant mountain peak directly beneath the noon sun is Aoraki, Mount Cook!

New Zealand, "Land of the Long White Cloud"

New Zealand, called Aotearoa, “Land of the Long White Cloud” by the Maori, is a breathtakingly beautiful country. It is a land of majestic snow-capped peaks, pristine lakes, glaciers descending to rainforests, fiords, geysers, volcanoes, .... etc. Few countries can compare to having such geographical diversity.

The Wikipedia lists various explanations how the name Aotearoa came about but whatever legends or modern explanations, it is a land of such stunning natural beauty that the Kiwis (not the bird) refer to it as God’s own country !

Known also as sheep country, there are as many as 10 or more sheep for every person in New Zealand. With a population of about 4.1 million people, it is one of the world’s least crowded countries.

Stunning views, easy access, recreational activities, friendly people, clean and safe environment, .... whether you are seeking adventure or relaxation, all these are ingredients to a great vacation! I thoroughly enjoyed New Zealand and am certain you would too.

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Land of the Long White Cloud
Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown, June 2005
Let me welcome you to the “Land of the Long White Cloud”.

My New Zealand Vacation

My favourite holiday destination is New Zealand !

The first time I had visited New Zealand was in April 1999 and it was autumn then. The wide expanse of land, crisp fresh air, rugged natural beauty ...... it was so pure, so beautiful that my senses took all of that into my being and I was left spellbound!

That first vacation turned out to be very special and it really never ended! Over the years, I have returned to New Zealand many times.

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Church of the Good Shepherd
Lake Tekapo, Aug 2006
On this blog, I will share about the beautiful places in New Zealand and I hope you will find my information useful for planning your own vacation too.

Enjoy My New Zealand Vacation !

Links & Resources

NZ Travel Information
Visit New Zealand, Pure By Nature - Welcome to the largest resource on travel and tourism on New Zealand.

BBNZ New Zealand Travel Guide - backpacker hostels, job listings, activities and much more!

Christchurch Farmstay - A unique New Zealand farmstay just 20 minutes from Christchurch airport. A magical setting with sweeping lawns and gardens set on a beautiful stream boundary.

Aurum Hotel, Queenstown - Scenic Circle Aurum Hotel & Suites boasts one of Queenstown’s most favourable hotel sites. Located on Stanley Street it’s less than five minutes’ walk to the busy town centre, yet the hotel’s elevation allows it to capture spectacular views of the lake and mountains.

Pure Glenorchy Overland Tours - Explore the magnificent Glenorchy area. This truly remarkable place hosts some of the worlds most breathtaking scenery, flora and fauna. A journey you'll never forget.

New Zealand Hiking and Photography - Read articles written by New Zealand hikers. View photography of NZ scenery in our forum and photo galleries.

Adventure Tours New Zealand - We have a wide selection of tours with many exclusive features, catering for any budget. We offer the best selection, the best quality, the best value for money AND a 100% money back guarantee if not fully satisfied with your tour


NZ Photos
New Zealand Photographer - Photos of New Zealand


NZ Property Investment & Immigration Information
When Good Things Start - New Zealand offers attractive opportunities in property investments

Nukiwi - An Insider's Guide to New Zealand Immigration, Investment, Employment & Lifestyle

KoruKoru - A Personal Journey of Moving To New Zealand


Directory / Search Engine

NZ Search - New Zealand Web Directory & Search Engine

NZ Pages - Everything New Zealand!

Worldjump - the portal and guide directory


Other Travel Information
The Travelnet Dot Org - Welcome to our world of exploration and travel.




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