The colour is spectacular in the late afternoon light, sadly though another reminder of a summer past.

Patersons Ponds, a little know attraction in summer and autumn offer a tranquil setting for picnics, swimming, and fishing. The Tekapo River, still one of New Zealand iconic fishing rivers feeds the ponds which can be found just beyond the Tekapo Power House, south of the village.

Bookings taken at Earth & Sky Office or phone 03 680 6960
Transport provided from Earth & Sky
Entry Fee $10 per Adult & Children Free
Sausage Sizzle will be available $2.00
Drinks $2.00

Come and join us at Cowan’s Hill for twilight and see the star’s emerge.
Use our telescopes and talk with our knowledgeable Astronomy guides.
(In case of bad weather the Party will be on Sunday 29th April, same time & place).

Our winner and partner, will be staying at Lake Tekapo Cottages for three night’s in either the ‘Honeymoon Suite’ or ‘The Pines’
The Cottages are a two minute walk from the Church of the Good Shepherd and Lake Tekapo itself, or an easy walk of ten minutes over the bridge to the main shopping area.
Air Safaris have put up a fantastic flight, the Grand Traverse. “The Grand Traverse is recognised as the premier Aoraki-Mount Cook flight-seeing experience; this magnificent flight encompasses two World Heritage National Parks and 200 km of New Zealand’s most memorable and breathtaking scenery.”
With having three night’s in Tekapo this will be a grand chance to pick the perfect weather window for this flight.
An evening with Earth and Sky at the Mount John Observatory, Canterbury, New Zealand where Fraser Gunn, will guide you through how to photograph the night sky along with a specialist guide who will fill you full of information about the many features and points of interest around our beautiful southern sky.
Plus guided trips around the MacKenzie area with many beautiful and interesting stops at scenic spots with photographer Stephen Dickson from Wirehunt Photography , including a portrait session, along with photo’s as you go about your trip.
A full meal for two at Rakinui Restaruant , with your choice of whatever is on the menu, from Seared Mount Cook Salmon, Baked Lamb Rack and Denver Leg Venison or whatever else tickles your fancy. Situated at Peppers Resort this is a real treat with great food, and a great setting and service.
A photo cruise for two on the Turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of Lake Tekapo from the water, with Cruise Tekapo. A two hour journey exploring the historical sites around Lake Tekapo’s shores, land on Motuariki Island, and later visit the head of the lake and the mighty Godley and Macaulay Rivers. This is a great opportunity to experience the grandeur of the Southern Alps from the water.
A meal for two at the wonderful Kohan Japanese Restaurant
The Kohan’s kitchen produces fine Japanese speciality’s. Using many local ingredients, such as the world class salmon grown on our doorstep, it’s easy to experience why the Kohan is considered one of New Zealand’s leading Japanese Restaurants.

The total prize value is approximately $5000

Thanks everyone who submitted an entry. We will be having another competition soon so you’ll all have another chance to win a wonderful few days away in sunny Lake Tekapo.

Cost $10 (Junior) to $25 (Open) Entries are open online use link on left hand menu
Late entry fee of $5 applies after Wed 18th April 2012

23km Air Safaris Mt Edward Mountain Run
Course details – 23k Air Safaris Mt Edward Mountain Run.

Starts from the Lake Tekapo Regional Park on the eastern side of Lake Tekapo on Lilybank Road. This mountain run is for fit and experienced off-road (middle to long distance) runners. The couse starts in the regional park on well established tracks then moves quickly into open tussock country on rough 4WD farm tracks which are uneven and in places steep during ascent and decent. The course has a number of substantial climbs starting at an elevation of 715mtr rising to 1100mtrs at the turn off the Mt Edward ridge. A wind breaker and thermals must be worn (or carried) during the race and carry sufficient water.
Runners must be over 16years old.
Registration: 9am – 10am (at Regional Park)
Mt Edward Briefing: 10.30am (all mountain runners must attend)
Mt Edward Start Time: 10.45am

Cost $50 to $55 Entries open online use link on left hand menu
Late entry fee of $5 applies after Wed 18th April 2012

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Planning for the 4th annual Lake Tekapo NZ Made Fete is well underway with only 5 weeks to go to the grand event. The NZ Made Fete has become a main feature on the events calendar in Lake Tekapo with over 1000 people through the gates last year. The theme is NZ Made products, which has proven to be a hit with the local shoppers.

Stallholder applications have now closed and despite being a bit uncertain as to how many stalls they were going to have attend this year, organisers are more than happy with the huge array of variety that have confirmed their availability.

Along with BBQ food, coffee, scones & muffins there will be 4 wineries to choose from; Point Bush Estate from Waimate, Braided River Winery from Canterbury, Quarry Rock Winery from Timaru and Haldon Station in the Mackenzie Basin. With all 4 being from different areas of the South Island their tastes are like chalk and cheese.

“We are amazed at how many new suppliers are attending this year. It is wonderful to see the high level of support we are receiving for our fundraising event” says organiser Raewyn Radford.

Blair Martin of Flowing Stone Concrete Design of Wanaka is attending the NZ Made Fete for the first time. Blair makes individually designed items so no 2 pieces are ever exactly the same. His range is varied from planters to fire surrounds to bathroom vanity to kitchen bench tops.

Lowburn Lavender from Cromwell is also a new supplier. They grow their own lavender and make lavender oils, moisturizing soaps, balms & healing creams as well as having lavender crafts & plants available.

The Cotton Room is a well-known local company from Timaru making beautiful women’s clothing from stunning fabrics and they are also attending the fete for the first time this year.

Barrel Smokers NZ is a local Fairlie based business making food smokers out of wine barrels. Also cleverly designed from the staves of the barrels are tables, chairs & candleholders. Beautifully designed and made.

Local artist, Jessica Murray, will be exhibiting her amazing range of dough bread creations. Jessica is well known locally for her last creation, which fetched over $2000 from Annah Stretton at the Fashion Extravaganza held in Lake Tekapo last year.

Gilbert & Keen will also be presenting their lifestyle range of clothing for women for the first time this year. 100% made and designed in Temuka. Can’t get much more New Zealand Made than that.

Along with a lot of newcomers there are the regular supporters who have been coming since inception in 2009. Caffe Piccolo for great coffee, Tissue Art for interesting art on canvas, Mr Whippy, Tekapo Lions Club for yummy sausage sizzle, Waipopo Rhododendrons & Peonies, Possum scarves, hats, gloves & throws made by Gillian Small of Rotherham and chocolate galore from the House of Chocolate.

For excitement the Water Walkers will be back this year. This was a lot of fun last year & was very popular especially as the weather was so hot in the afternoon. As a new addition Bungy Tramp will feature with their trampoline style jumps in a harness; see how high you can go!

There will be fantastic live entertainment from local band The Vaguely Familiars who will be supported by The B Minors. Both made up of very talented locals from Twizel, Mt Cook, and Lake Tekapo & Fairlie.

Entry is only $10 for adults with under 16 yrs free. As an added bonus, all adult entry tickets go in a prize draw to win a weekend in lake Tekapo for 2 adults. Prize includes 2 nights accommodation from Discover Tekapo, a night sky evening tour with Earth & Sky, hot pools entry from Alpine Springs & Spa, a boat tour on Lake Tekapo from Cruise Tekapo and meal vouchers from Reflections Restaurant & Mackenzie’s Bar & Grill. A value of over $700.00!

Check out these sites and more, at the Lake Tekapo NZ MADE Fete on Sunday 18^th March 2012, at the Mt John Homestead gardens in Lake Tekapo, signposted from the town centre.

Lake Tekapo NZ Made Fete, Lake Tekapo

Or email your entry to laketekapountouched@gmail.com

The prizes include accommodation at Lake Tekapo Cottages, a beautiful flight to and around Mt Cook from Air Safari’s, meals and a couple of other treats! In fact several of them….

Have at it, and good luck!

Riders use the winter snow tubes, but the base of the tubes are reinforced for use on the artificial matting. There is an existing Magic Carpet conveyor lift to take people quickly up to the top of the 150 metre slope.

The facility has been installed on the winter snow tube park on the lower slopes of Mount John. It uses synthetic carpet with the same slippery properties as snow, and curves, corners and slopes on the thrilling ride-on-gravity.

Cathy Hemsworth, Business Development Manager for Tekapo Springs, said summer tubing had proved so popular in Europe and North America that 500 facilities had been installed in just a few years.
“It’s become a real craze and we’re delighted to be the first in New Zealand to offer such a great summer adventure ride that’s safe for all the family.  They are incredibly popular in Europe where they’re operating in urban and rural settings,” Cathy  tells us.

“The summer tube experience will add to the roller and blade skating attractions and the three hot pools we offer, . I’m sure it’ll be a very popular combo for families here and there will be a lot of younger people who will want to tube and talk about it on their social networks.”

“Tubers get the thrills and spills of an exciting downhill ride in a safe environment, and as operators, it means we can use the same slope and conveyor lift for both winter and summer rides.”

Now, I know this is a few months away but you need to start planning a relaxing weekend off for the Lake Tekapo Fishing Competition on the 17^th March followed by the NZ MADE Fete on the 18^th March,  two great events to encourage people to visit beautiful Lake Tekapo. Perhaps you might choose to even stay the night. Theres plenty of accommodation to suit all budgets and lots of lovely Cafes to choose from too!

The roadsides and unattended areas become covered in a thick carpet of this beautiful plant. The best bloom from mid-November until January and cover the country side and lake shore with a luxurious sea of colour.

Russell lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) is an exotic plant that can grow up to 1.5 metres. It is a perennial species; i.e. it flowers and sets seed in the summer, dies back to the stem base over winter, to re-emerge the following summer.

Russell lupines produce long, colourful flower heads. The flowers are pea-like and come in a variety of colours; blue, purple, orange, yellow, pink, white or a mixture of two colours.

The leaves, divided into green leaflets, are splayed out like fingers on a hand. Stout seedpods are produced that explode in the summer heat, releasing many dark brown seeds.
Although Russell lupines are beautiful to look at, they can be an aggressive weed. Of particular concern is the invasion of Russell lupines into Canterbury’s braided riverbeds, and the impacts they have on these ecosystems.

Around Tekapo they have become a tradition, drawing visitors from far and wide, so in the local area they are  not been seen as a weed but rather an attraction to the many visitors to the area at this time of the year.