The Church of the Good Shepherd

Located high on the shores of Lake Tekapo, the Church of the Good Shepherd was built in 1935 and named after a sculpture of a shepherd dog. Made entirely of rock blocks, this church is a classic postcard view of Lake Tekapo. At night, the church under the stars is even more beautiful, and it is also an excellent location for shooting star trails. 1. The appearance of the church is primitive and simple. Although it is not big, it has a unique flavor. The area of the church is only 20 to 30 square meters, which is very small. There is a small stone cross on the north roof, a small bell tower on the west side of the south roof, and a small bronze bell hangs in the arched wall hole. The outer wall of the entire church is a random combination of the original dark gray, light gray, cyan and brown of the rock, while the roof is a black stone piece. Such a primitive and rustic appearance makes it special in this open lakeside wilderness. Harmony and harmony. Although the church is small, it is very famous. During the day, there will be buses with tour groups arriving one after another. At night, you often encounter people who bring professional photography equipment to take pictures of the stars. Walking into the church, there are five or six rows of benches on the left and right sides. From the middle aisle to the pulpit by the window, a cross ten centimeters high stands in front of the glass window, against the light, outside the window is the blue sky and white clouds and the lake water. Great view, with views of Mount Cook in the distance. 2. Bronze statue of a shepherd dog next to the church A towering bronze statue of a shepherd dog can be seen not far from the church. It is used to commemorate the contribution made by the shepherd dog to protecting the flock. The statue is also engraved with "No Shepherd". Dogs, there would be no small town today" and other words. 3. Look up at the starry sky and watch the unique astronomical scene. If you plan to go here in the middle of the night, you need to check whether the weather is fine in advance. When you lie on a bench by the lake and look up at the stars, you can see unique astronomical sights that can only be seen in the southern hemisphere, such as the Southern Cross constellation, the Magellanic Cloud and the Milky Way satellite galaxies, etc. If you are lucky, you can even see meteors passing by night sky. With the exception of the Church of the Good Shepherd, the entire Lake Tekapo area is a good spot for stargazing as long as you stay away from street lights. Of course, if the budget is sufficient, you can also sign up for the stargazing cluster on Mount John.