Lake Tekapo

We woke up to this beautiful day! I just love watching the kids running round and playing in NZ backyard. For them having Ronnie was extra special! The poor doggy was so busy entertaining all 5 kids at once!

The nice fresh air in the morning and all the exercise made the kids go very quiet while we were on the road. Oliver decided to hop into the other van with Ayaka and Eiji. So Matthew and I could even have a proper conversation!

Such a stunning day!

A road stop on the way to Fairlie:

In Fairlie, we were looking for some fish & chips for lunch but no luck... We got there too late for lunch and too early for dinner. So ended up getting food from a bakery and having it in a park. It worked perfectly for the kids in the end. Smiles all around!

And we made it to our final destination for the day, Lake Tekapo. My absolute favourite spot in the South Island. I went there so many times while I lived in NZ. It still had the amazing colour and such beautiful surroundings. Believe it or not this was the first time I visited there when these beautiful lupins were blooming. Unfortunately it was quite a windy cold day. Still, I managed to get some great smiles on the kids with the beautiful flowers :)

Here is a well-known bronze statue of Collie sheepdog:

Church of the Good Shepherd. Oliver and Luca found it interesting as the church has the same name as their kindergarten. The first church built in the Mackenzie Basin in 1935. This might be the one of the most photographed churches in NZ! 

There was a service held inside the church so we couldn't get close to the famous altar window that frames the stunning views of the lake and the mountains behind. 

I could have stayed there for longer just looking at the amazing colour of the lake and the stunning blue sky. So so beautiful!

However, it was getting close to dinner time and kids had enough of the cold wind. We booked a camping site beside the lake. It was absolutely the prime site for camping! Only 3 minute walk down to the lake and you get this BBQ pit with the breath taking view!

Another reason I love Lake Tekapo for is it's sky. I still remember that during my NZ time, I came here and saw the sky exactly as you see in the planetarium. The dome shaped sky filled with so many stars and distinctive Milky Way. I never saw so many shooting stars in my life. 

I really wanted Komine family and my kids to see what I saw. My research wasn't good enough. We had such a clear day but the moon was close to full moon... hence the light from the moon was too bright for the stars to shine :( Well, we just have to come back again!