The drive from Christchurch took close to 5 hours. At first we make great time through the Canterbury Plains, clocking in at about 110km/hr. Straight and narrow makes for boring, but quick, travel. Eventually the road turns inland and we begin heading west through little townships like Geraldine, Tapas and Twizel. Unfortunately we don't have time to visit Dunedin, the heart of the southland founded by the Scots roughly 150 years ago. Yet one more reason to return, I suppose.

Passing through Geraldine the landscape begins to grow into mole hills, then foot hills, and then finally hills proper. The ground is still a vibrant green but we see evidence of a rockier geology, the influence of Mount Cook and its kin located towards the center of the South Island. Our progress is slower now, frequently interrupted by impromptu photography sessions of one striking landscape after another.

This is lake country, where vast pools of turquoise glacier water twinkle beneath the late afternoon sun. There are so few people here that we can pull over and spend 15 minutes taking photos, and see only one or two cars pass by in either direction. Unfortunately our photos don't capture the full glorious splendor of the vistas we witness, and I have to wonder if the experience is just too grand to fit into two dimensions. Some things must be experienced first hand.

And then, after yet another sharp bend in the mountain road, Lake Tekapo lies before us. A large glacier-fed lake at the base of Mount Cook, it is a common stopping point for travelers heading South to Queenstown, the fiordlands or the southern Otago region (or headed North to Christchurch). A small town has grown up along the highway offering a few motel rooms, a handful of restaurants, some overpriced souvenir shops and a much-needed petrol station. We get checked into our room, a prison cell compared to our 5-star luxury B&B experiences, but our private balcony affords us a fantastic view of the lake. It will be just fine for one night.

After chucking our baggage into the room we head down to the water's edge and take photos amongst the rocky outcroppings. The lake is absolutely splendid and the weather is superb, crisp and clear with great visibility. It’s cold here though, so we soon decide to head in, get warm, and rest up in preparation of our star gazing tour later in the evening.

Tekapo is our first real brush with the fabled beauty of the South Island. It leaves us simultaneously awed and hungry for more.

Click here for more photos from Lake Tekapo