For the third leg of our trip we drove to Lake Tekapo, staying at Highview run by Elizabeth and Derek Clark.

The Hightlight was a trip with Air Safaris to see Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.  We also drove up to Mount John observatory and to the Murray and Godley Peaks Stations.

Lake Tekapo is the start of the Mackenzie Basin Hydro Development scheme.  This provides NZ with a third of its electric power.  An important feature of the scheme is 58 km of canals which pool the resources of Lake Yekapo, Pukaki and Ohau.  The water that leave Lake Tekapo is then reused 8 times as it makes its way down to the Pacific Ocean.

Look out for the “tropical like” turquoise colour of the water in the lakes.  This is caused by Glacial “rock flour” that is held in suspension within the lakes to give an optical illusion.