August 2nd, 2011
Lake Tekapo Scenic Resort in a Winter Wonderland
Where has the time gone months and seasons just seem to come and go so fast and once again it has been a while since our last post.
Yesterday August 01st saw the end of the New Zealand school holidays and the start of a new month and a new school term with the coming days & weeks building to the Rugby World Cup 2011!!
Lake Tekapo is ready and waiting for the many visitors expected to descend on our beautiful country during the world cup tournament.
In the meantime it is all systems go here in the Mackenzie for winter activities the ski fields, Roundhill, Mt Dobson & Ohau have all had snow and are all open at present. Alpine Springs and Winter Park has all facilities operating the pools, skating, day spa and the snow tubing which has the addition of a new magic carpet lift this year saving us all the tiring trek up the hill!!
The rest of Lake Tekapo is busy accommodating visitors needs as they stay or pass through our winter wonderland. Run 77 Cafe & General Store is always open early for the early bird traveller who needs fed and watered before they set off for the day and for those who have a little more time to spare theAstro Cafe at the top of Mt John is one of my favourite spots for a bite to eat with awesome views and fantastic coffee it is a great place to call in on at any time of the day or night if you want to see the magical night sky from the best vantage point around.
We here at Lake Tekapo Scenic Resort are only too happy to help you make your visit to our area memorable. We have vacancies in our motel accommodation in the next few weeks so pack your bags and head our way for a night away, a weekend of action skiing or skating or just a few days away from it all relaxing at the hot pools or chilling out in one of our studio or family units reading a book looking out over the beautiful lake and mountains.
We hope to see you all here soon.
Until next time take care out there!!
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March 15th, 2011
Hi All
After a stormy night we have another beautiful day here in Lake Tekapo. Things have begun to settle down after the devastating Feb 22 Earthquake and we are all looking forward to better times ahead.
We have some updates for you all from our last blog.
Part of the Christchurch CBD is still cordoned off and our advice is if you are travelling to Christchurch to avoid this area. The wider Christchurch and Canterbury region continues to welcome visitors from New Zealand and around the world.
Travellers are advised that other parts of New Zealand are operating without disruption theses include Akaroa, Kaikoura, Mackenzie Country and Hanmer Springs.
Accommodation in Christchurch may in some cases be in very high demand so book ahead if possible and confirm prior to arrival. Accommodation in Lake Tekapo has been very tight recently as well so it would pay to book ahead if possible to save any disappointment.
Transport in and around Christchurch has almost returned to normal. The airport is open and operating as normal. All Major highways connecting Christchurch with other parts of NZ are all open. Most rental car/Camper van companies are going again, some have had to relocate so contact them prior to pick up/dropoff to confirm. The Tranzalpine is up and running again, the Tranzcoastal is currently running as a coach service operating to the train timetable once again check bookings prior to departure. All coach services are operating as normal, Intercity is currently departing from the corner of Colombo St & Bealey Avenue in Christchurch.
So slowly things are returning to normal. We can assure guests it is life as normal for the rest of us outside of Christchurch and we look forward to providing you an enjoyable stay if you choose to visit Lake Tekapo
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March 2nd, 2011
Hi Everyone
We along with all of you I am sure have been watching the scenes of devastation in central Christchurch with a sense of sadness, loss and awe at the power of natural forces. New Zealand is a small community, and everyone is affected to some degree. We would like to send our sympathies to those less fortunate than us here in Lake Tekapo our thoughts are with you all now and in the weeks and months ahead of you.
To you all outside of Christchurch we would like to assure you all that it is business as usual for us here. We have not suffered any damage and all roads and airports are open. Over the last week we have spoken with many guests, overseas tourists and kiwis who were in the earthquake or have come to us from Christchurch since the earthquake. Our energies have been directed at assisting those whose travel plans have been disrupted and it is of some consolation, that we have been able to provide alternative solutions for them. They are all saying the same thing although it was a terrifying time and obviously devastating it really has only affected a small part of Christchurch. On the whole Christchurch is operating as normal and guests flying into Christchurch and coming directly to us did not see any of the devastation. Our overseas guests tell us tourists should still come to New Zealand they will not be affected by the earthquake and will enjoy visiting our beautiful country despite the events of Feb 21st. So we want to encourage those of you with existing travel plans and others who are contemplating travel to come to New Zealand and Lake Tekapo and let us show you our wonderful country.
Below is some information to assist your planning:
Christchurch Airport is once again fully operational, contact www.christhchurchairport.co.nz however it has been requested that all passengers with current bookings should contact the airlines they have reserved with directly to verify flight timetables. Contact details should be in your flight tickets/information.
All highways from the airport are un-affected, as is access around the outskirts of Christchurch city. The only disruptions are to to central and eastern areas of Christchurch city. Current highway conditions can be viewed on www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
Some rental companies that have suffered damage have set-up alternative depots. Contact your company directly for details. Drivers should plan fuel stops outside of the Christchurch area as fuel supplies can be difficult.
Intercity coaches are operating in and out of Christchurch from the corner of Colombo Street and Bealey Avenue.
Rail services have been disrupted, with the TransAlpine and TransCoastal unoperational at this stage until 04th March 2011. For more information on rail services or bookings contact Kiwirail on 0800808400.
Well that is about all from us for now. We will be endeavouring to update this information as it comes to hand to keep you all well informed. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us by phone or email.
Email: stay@laketekapo.com
Phone: 03 6806808
We look forward to seeing or hearing from you soon.
From the Staff of the Lake Tekapo Scenic Resort Motel and Backpackers
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May 26th, 2010
Welcome again to the magical Mackenzie basin.
It has been some time since our last blog and I don’t know where the time has gone!
Summer has come and gone and once again we have the time to reflect
on the previous season and
catch our breath before the next one approaches.
The begining of winter is always spectacular in Lake Tekapo. The weather is normally quite settled and although it is darker earlier and colder in the mornings the days are generally quite good. Last week was no exception I snapped this shot earlier last week of Lake Tekapo from outside our studio units. The lake is almost like glass and it appears as if we are all alone
here.
The summer season has been very successful, we have had many visitors to our small piece of paradise with the Mackenzie’s visitor numbers being well ahead of most other areas. There is so much more to do here now, ice sports, evening stargazing, scenic walks & drives, hot pools, scenic flights and of course shopping . You definitley need two nights to fit everything in.
One thing we have noticed over the past season is our guests seem to have some trouble finding us as you cannot see us from the street we are tucked in behind the shops facing out to the lake. So we have had a bright orange sign made with motel on it to help guests find there way. Check out the picture below taken from beside state highway 8. Our office is located down this alley between Run 77 Cafe & General Store and Doughboys Bakery.
Queens Birthday weekend is fast approaching and with that comes the Run 77 Lake Tekapo Mountain Bike Pursuit which has been held evey Sunday of Queens Birthday weekend for the last eight or so years, around 700 riders take on the 90km of scenic terrain around Lake Tekapo. The race starts on the village green right opposite our motel. It is always a busy few days but a fantastic event which is different every year due to our ever changing weather!! So if you haven’t already, get your accommodation booked and head to Tekapo for the long weekend. Remember Tekapo is an all year round destination no matter what the weather or the season there are plenty of good reasons to visit us here.
We look forward to seeing you!!!
Until next time take care out there :)
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September 16th, 2009
Welcome back! Wow what a winter we have had!
Overall in the Mackenzie we have had fantastic weather, brilliant skiing and skating and a full or close to full motel all of winter. No time at all for the knitting this year!
Spring has arrived in Tekapo rather quickly this year, gone are the frosts, cool days and evening fires. They have been replaced on the odd day by rather strong Nor west winds and very warm temperatures , but not quite warm enough yet to get the water skis out!
The skating rink closed last weekend at Alpine Springs & Spa Winter Park after a great season. Hours of fun were had by the many who visited, skating, curling, snowtubing or playing ice hockey over the winter months. They are in the process of setting up the ice rink for roller skating and inline skating for the summer. They hope to open on the 26th September just in time for the school holidays, they will have skates to hire and I am sure plenty of fun will be had over the summer down there.
There have been some glorious clear still days with views of the snowcapped mountains surrounding our little high country town in every direction and the lake has been at its postcard-perfect best. With more snow and rainfall this winter the lake is a beautiful turquoise blue thanks to the glaciers at the headwaters of Lake Tekapo grinding away on the rock causing the fine dust particles “rock flour” to wash into the lake suspending them in the water to be illuminated by the sun. Absolutley stunning even when you do see it every day.
It is all go here, we are ready for the summer season and ready to accommodate you for your family holiday, weekend getaway, honeymoon or stopover. Whatever your reason for visiting Lake Tekapo or the Mackenzie region the Lake Tekapo Scenic Resort can take care of your accommodation needs.
Take Care out there
We look forward to hearing from you soon or maybe seeing you soon!
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July 24th, 2009
Hello Again from the Mackenzie Basin
It has been a couple of weeks since our last blog – I just don’t know where the time has gone!!
The school holidays came and went so fast, perhaps because we were so busy. There was so much happening in Tekapo over the holidays, with The High Country Art Exhibition, which included works from 42 artists including internationally recognized Austen Deans, Randall Froude and Ben Woollcombe, together with a number of emerging artists and was an unmissable event. The weather more or less behaved itself, providing more snow for excellent snowsport conditions.
The surrounding skifields Roundhill, Mt Dobson and Ohau were flat out all holiday and are well and truly into their main season now. I am sure many guests to the Mackenzie left with some pretty awesome memories and photos of the area at it’s winter magical best.
The Alpine Springs & Spa and Winter Park opened their new snow tubing park just prior to the school holidays. The one hundred metre long by fifty metre wide slope provides a great track for hours of fun for everyone young and old. The ice rink is open daily along with the hot pools and day spa and sauna, so there’s plenty to do for a day or two’s relaxation.
There are some great events coming up at the Winter Park. On the weekend of the 8th and 9th of August, they are hosting a children’s ice hockey tournament and on the Saturday evening are holding an ice disco in conjunction with Roundhill Ski fields “80′s” Day. There are also two great ice hockey matches coming up. The Auckland University team play the Tekapo Thars on the 15th August and the Mackenzie cup will be held on the weekend of the 29th and 30th August.
So book your Lake Tekapo accommodation now for a weekend away or for a mid week break. Dust off your skis and skates (or hire flash new ones when you get here) and head for the Mackenzie for a few days of alpine exhilaration, or just relax and unwind and take in the spectacular winter scenery. You can even get really daring and try out the Wilderness Heliskiing or perhaps a scenic flight over this terrain where you may catch sight of a heliskier – imagine that!
Well that’s enough from us for another week or so, better get on and get some work done around here – must get ready for the next group of guests arriving to stay with us tonight.
Take care out there and hope to see you up here in the magical Mackenzie basin real soon!!
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June 25th, 2009
Hello again from the magical Mackenzie basin.
At Tekapo we have been having a great spell of weather recently with some pretty chilly frosts but fantastic clear, sunny days. This has made conditions perfect for the fantastic range of winter activities to enjoy at Tekapo.
Guests have been in awe of our clear night skies which have been enhanced by the fact that there is no moon at the moment, making a very dark sky. Of course this is always helped by the special lighting in Tekapo Village that prevents light pollution. This provides perfect conditions for taking a Tekapo star gazing tour.
At the moment both Saturn and Jupiter are visible from the Mt John Observatory and the centre of our milky way is at its very best. It’s absolutely breathtaking and is only visible in the southern hemisphere over the winter, so we feel pretty privileged to have that on our doorstep.
Unfortunately over the next few days it looks like we may be in for a change of weather – maybe a day or two of raindrops – but hey, we have to keep the ducks happy and no doubt a skier or two will appreciate a bit of the white stuff falling nearby. It never lasts long and before we know it the skies are once again crystal clear.
The school holidays are fast approaching and Tekapo Village is all set for a busy time with families heading up into the high country for a bit of skiing, skating or relaxing in the hot pools. The Alpine Springs & Spa is open every day from 10am – 9pm and the Winter Park is gearing up to open its new snow tubing park in July, which is sure to be a hit with the kids and adults alike.
So there’s still plenty going on here to keep us all from hibernating for the winter!
Take care out there.
We will be back with more from our piece of paradise next week.
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June 16th, 2009
Hi All
Here is the first of hopefully many more informative blogs on life in Lake Tekapo. This morning while the deep south is under a blanket of fresh snow and the far north is under rainclouds Lake Tekapo is basking in clear blue skies and sunshine the only negative being it is only a balmy 2 degrees! Brrrrrrr.
These however are fantastic conditions for winter with the ski season all but being ready to go for 2009. Mt Dobson had a fantastic opening/30th anniversay weekend on Sat 13th June with record numbers(1300 people) racing up the mountain to take advantage of the free lift passes that were offered to celebrate the fields 30th anniversary. Mt Dobson is open every weekend now until the end of June and then 7 days a week visit www.dobson.co.nz for more info.
Roundhill Skifield is only 30 minutes up the road from Lake Tekapo and is all set to open on the 04th July so dig out your ski gear and get organised to join them for a fantastic dayof fun in all day sun. Checkout their newly upgraded website at www.roundhill.co.nz
Another reason to head up into the highcountry if not for the brilliant sunshine or the skiing is the Lake Tekapo High Country Art Exhibition being held in the Lake Tekapo Community Hall. The Exhibition is open from the 5th – 18th July 10 -6pm and on the 19th July from 10am -1pm. This has been an annual event for the last few years and always has an incredible variety of talent on display most items being available for sale, so get up to the Mackenzie and see for yourself what the high country can inspire.
After all that you are sure to be looking for a caffeine fix! Tekapo has plenty of food outlets for all your needs from four course dinners and award winning cuisine to takeaway hot pies and good ole kiwi hot chips.
We are hoping to make this a weekly report what do you think? Let us know if there is anything you would like to hear about from the high country.
So until next week take care out there.
Farewell for now from us here at the scenic
“The view with accommodation”
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