1048-1048 Travel Guide

Church of the Good Shepherd is NZ's most iconic landmark on Lake Tekapo. Built in 1935 in rough stone, it features stunning lake and mountain views through its window and is one of the world's most famous stargazing spots. 1935 stone church facing milky-blue Lake Tekapo and Southern Alps. Rear window frames classic lake-and-mountain photo. International Dark Sky Reserve — spectacular night sky; famous for Milky Way photography. Free admission; no photos inside the church. Visiting for lake and stargazing photos is a classic NZ experience.

The Mackenzie Sheep Dog Statue stands on the shore of Lake Tekapo, a short distance from the famous Church of the Good Shepherd, and is a landmark memorial of the Mackenzie Country. It depicts a collie gazing into the distance, commemorating the working dogs of this high-country pastoral region — in the Mackenzie Basin, sheepdogs have long been the shepherd's most relied-upon partner, driving and guarding the flocks. Set on open ground by the lake, with the turquoise water and the Southern Alps behind, it is one of the most photographed spots at Lake Tekapo. Together with the church and the lakeside walkway it forms the classic Tekapo viewing route.