A Short Getaway Guide in MacKenzie District, New Zealand - Let's Go Lake-Hopping
- Kim Adellton
- Jun 22, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 25, 2024
I began my 2024 with a flight to Christchurch, New Zealand's gateway to the South Island. South Island is known for its stunning Southern Alps, blue lakes, and majestic fiords. I wanted to make the most of my 24 hours on the South Island, so I went lake-hopping in the MacKenzie District.
At A Glance
The MacKenzie District
An elevated plateau surrounded by mountains, the MacKenzie District of the Canterbury Region in the South Island is renowned for its clear starry skies, bluest lakes, glaciers, and snow-capped mountains. It is also home to New Zealand's highest peak - Aoraki/ Mount Cook. It offers a wide variety of activities all year round to satisfy your thirst for breathtaking views and adventure. Here are some activities and places to visit in this district.
Hike or heli-hike to Aoraki / Mount Cook. Aoraki is the mountain's Maori name which means 'Cloud Piercer', piercing the clouds at 3,724m (12,218 ft) elevation.
Visit Mount Cook Village at the valley's base to take stunning photos.
Fly over the Southern Alps and land to Tasman Glacier - the country's largest glacier. You may also ski through its 10-12km runs if you're at least an intermediate skier.
Visit their lakes and enjoy the different activities that each lake offers.
Take a relaxing bath in the hot tubs and pools of Lake Tekapo, the town where the lake of the same name resides. Though not geothermal, these are filled from underground sources near the lake and the temperature ranges from 36.5 to 38.5 degrees Celsius.
Experience farm tours. You can even book a few days of farm stays to have a taste of rural and farm living, the New Zealand way.
Camp and stargaze in the clear night sky of the MacKenzie District. With their efforts to keep the night sky from light pollution, Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is the southern hemisphere's largest sky reserve. Some constellations can only be viewed in this hemisphere - the Southern Cross and the Magellanic Clouds.
The Beautiful Lakes of MacKenzie District
MacKenzie District, known as the MacKenzie Basin, boasts 8 beautiful lakes.
Lake Pukaki
Lake Pukaki is the largest and bluest lake in the MacKenzie District. The water's turquoise blue color is caused by the glacial powder fed by the Southern Alps. It has the most stunning views of Mount Aoraki and the Southern Alps. It was also the setting of The Hobbit's Lake Town.
See my blog on Lake Pukaki for more info.
Lake Tekapo
Lake Tekapo is the lake that has the Church of the Good Shepherd on its shore. Since it is located in a town with the same name, several activities, restaurants, and accommodations are offered.
Lake Ruataniwha
Lake Ruataniwha is a shallow lake created during the hydroelectricity era of Twizel, the town that hosts this lake. Though manmade, it is a family favorite for its offerings of several recreational activities.
Lake Opuha
Lake Opuha is a lake that functions as an irrigation reservoir and provides recreational uses such as fishing, swimming, boating, water skiing, and kayaking. It is a 700-hectare lake formed when the Opha Dam was constructed at the head of the Opuha River gorge.
Lake Benmore
Lake Benmore is the largest manmade lake in New Zealand. Formed by the construction of Benmore Dam, this lake is fed by four different rivers - Tekapo, Pukaki, Twizel, and Ahuriri Rivers. It is a popular fishing spot for brown trout, rainbow trout, chinook salmon, and sockeye salmon. It is also good for swimming and boating.
Lake Alexandrina
Lake Alexandrina is a lake in a protected wildlife area free from motorboats and jet skis. It is a hidden gem, thus absolutely peaceful. With its abundance of brown trout, rainbow trout, and salmon, this is a paradise for those who love fishing.
Lake Ohau
Lake Ohau is a lake at the Waitaki District but it's a short drive from Twizel. It is popular for water sport during summer and in the winter, it transforms into an excellent snow field for skiing and snowboarding.
Lake Poaka
Lake Poaka is a lake in the Twizel area that is a wildlife reserve popular for camping and fishing.
With such beautiful lakes and their offerings of recreational activities, it's impossible not to be left in awe of MacKenzie District. If you're also keen to visit these lakes, here are some remarks on the transportation side.
How to Go Lake-Hopping in the MacKenzie District
Public transportation in New Zealand is only within and between cities. But since good road infrastructure is stretched across the country, just rent a vehicle and drive your way into several spots. Just take note of the following.
Have your current driver's license or International Driving Permit (IDP) ready. If it's not in English, have an accurate English translation. This would let you legally drive in New Zealand for up to 12 months. For IDP, you must carry the driver's license that the permit is based on.
To drive a motorhome, you must have a full car driver's license (not provisional).
Kiwis drive on the left side of the road.
Speed signs are in kilometers per hour.
It's illegal to drive while using a mobile phone and New Zealand is strict with speeding and drunk driving.
Roads are hilly, narrow and winding. Be cautious.
Here are your options for transportation.
Rent a car from the airport or your hotel
Book a rental car online.
Rent a camper van or motorhome if you plan on doing a few days of road trips and freedom camping.
My Lake Hopping Story in New Zealand
Are you still wondering why we chose to do lake-hopping? Here is our route at a glance.
My colleague and I went out at night to have a beautiful view of the lakes as the morning sun touched the water. Just three and a half hours from Christchurch city proper, we reached Lake Pukaki, our first stop where we planned to doze off while waiting for sunrise.
A car park is available but we couldn't park through the night. There is an available overnight campervan parking lot but it's only for self-contained vehicles (contains its own grey water and sewage) and we were driving a sedan. So we went to the nearest overnight parking lot. And thankfully, we found the Freedom Camping Ground at Lake Ruataniwha, a 20-minute drive from Lake Pukaki Viewpoint.
The night sky was so clear! Since there's a little light pollution in this area, the surroundings are so dark that the stars and other heavenly bodies shine unrivaled. It was stunning! If you are into astrophotography, you need to capture this!
We dozed off and were eventually greeted by the lovely sunrise at Lake Ruataniwha. Although we went there in the summer, it was fairly cold at dawn. Thanks to this blanket, I was all warmed and cozied.
We drove back to Lake Pukaki. As the sun rose, the amazing turquoise-blue water was revealed to us. Simply stunning!
We marveled and breathed the natural beauty in. The lake was so blue and the view of the mountain was stunning. We took some photos and since we had limited time, we headed to our next stop - Lake Alexandrina.
Lake Alexandrina is quite peaceful and we walked dreamily along its shoreline. I was so immersed in the moment that I forgot to take pictures!
Then we headed to Lake Tekapo where we found this quite popular structure - The Church of the Good Shepherd. This structure was built in 1935 and continues to be a place of worship for the locals.
It's important to note that the sunshine in this part of the world is strong. Please always protect your skin and eyes.
We hung out for a while and took some selfies. If you have more time to spend, Lake Tekapo Town has a lot of restaurants and you can book accommodation there. But 24 hours of layover is so limited, we had to go back to our hotel. Nonetheless, this lake-hopping adventure definitely quenched my thirst for stunning views. I'd love to return here on a campervan and camp under the amazing sky.
Saying that New Zealand is a beautiful country is an understatement. This is arguably one of my favorite countries to visit over and over again. And I have 11 reasons to back that up. Let me know what part of New Zealand is your favorite.
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