After exploring the West Coast for the day, I took rt 73 through Arthur’s Pass to make my way through the Southern Alps to the center of the island. Sadly the rain and fog blurred out most of the views, but I was able to find some stops along the way.  

When I saw the creepy figure of Gollum on the roof of The Otira Stagecoach Hotel, I knew I needed to pull over. I spent a little bit of time walking around the grounds taking in the antique carriages and other fictional figures. The hotel has a quirky vibe to it, but I was happy that it wasn’t my final destination for the night – I don’t know if I could sleep with Gollum looming over me. 

The Otira Gorge Rock Shelter Lookout provided a nice view of the gorge that I had just driven through as well as the infrastructure that has been built to keep this mountain road accessible. 

I stayed overnight in the small town of Arthur’s Pass Village, so after getting settled into my accommodation, I took a short stroll to see the Avalanche Creek waterfall just behind the church.  If it wasn’t so rainy, I would’ve hiked the longer Devil’s Punchbowl trail to see the waterfall, but I was worried about the slippery steps I would have to take to get there, so I decided to relax and save my energy for my drive and hikes tomorrow. 

I was happy to wake up to clear skies and mild weather the next day for my drive to Lake Tekapo. 

The first stop of the day was at the small Cave Stream Scenic Reserve.  I went back and forth about attempting to walk the interior of the cave, but when I saw some other people come prepared with waterproof clothing, head lamps, and trekking poles, I realized I was ill prepared for the adventure. Still, I walked down to see the cave entrance and exit. When I saw the flowing water from the cave exit, I knew for sure I had made the right call.  The short walk above the cave was a nice stroll through wildflowers and offered picturesque views of the mountains beyond. 

The next stop was the crowded Castle Hill Rocks.  As a filming location for The Chronicles of Narnia, a treasured land for the Ngāi Tahu, a popular rock climbing spot, and the “Spiritual Center of the Universe” for the Dalai Lama, Castle Hill draws all types of people.  The large outcropping of limestone formations set against the rolling hills of the Canterbury Plains is hard to miss. I enjoyed walking around the formations to find hidden archways and crevices while the sunlight bounced off the smooth surfaces of the rocks.  

After a morning of driving and walking around the beautiful landscape, I was ready for a hand pie.  The small town of Sheffield is known for their World Famous Sheffield Pie shop. For 40 years, Sheffield Pies has been baking up a dozen varieties of savory and sweet pies.  The line formed around the corner of the building, but moved quickly and I enjoyed a piping hot savory pie to give me energy for my afternoon. 

To walk off lunch, I stopped for a short hike along the Rakaia Gorge. I parked at the boat ramp and followed the trail across the main road and along the rim of the gorge. The stunning light blue waters of the gorge made this a worthwhile stop for the early afternoon. 

Town centers are few and far between in New Zealand, so I took the opportunity to check out the small town of Fairlie before reaching my final destination for the day.  This is a real New Zealand town, not “made for tourist” towns like Lake Tekapo (where I was staying that night).  The main street offers a few blocks of shops and eateries with some small town parks. 

Lake Tekapo is stunning; the turquoise waters of the lake set against the mountains understandably draws people to its lake side. However, this was the first place in New Zealand where I encountered bus loads of tourists, so while it’s a beautiful place, I found it hard to ignore the tourists vying for photo shoots in front of the Church of the Good Shepherd or the last blooms of the lupin along the lakefront. 

While most tourists drive to the top of Mt. John, I found some solitude by walking along the lake and up to the 1,010 meter summit via the 5.2 mile Mount John Circuit Track.  The track gave me unparalleled views of Lake Tekapo as well as Lake Alexandrina and the snow covered mountains beyond.  After a coffee with the crowds at the summit, I continued my loop down the steep track to the trail head behind Lake Tekapo Springs.  Since this is the shorter way up to the summit, it was much more populated, but as I watched the hikers struggling up the steep incline, I was happy that I chose to take the longer path up the mountain.  

Near the trailhead of Mt John is a small beach with the best access to the lake in the town. Even though the water was cold and it wasn’t all that hot the day I was there, I couldn’t resist taking a refreshing swim in the crystal clear lake water.  

Based on my February 2026 visit.