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Mackenzie District
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Lake Tekapo
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Church of the Good Shepherd
Experience the scenic surroundings of Lake Tekapo by visiting Church of the Good Shepherd, one of New Zealand's most famous and photographed churches. Dating back to the 1930s, the church sits on the shore of the lake and commemorates the pioneers of Mackenzie County. Recognizable by its unassuming yet charming design, the church blends with its natural surroundings and only locally available materials were used during its construction. Once inside, take in impressive views of the lake through the windows--deliberately left without stained glass for this very purpose. The church welcomes visitors and worshipers throughout the year. Plan my trip to Lake Tekapo with suggested itineraries provided by Inspirock.
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Church of the Good Shepherd Reviews
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Fab little church with a wonderful view through the plain glass window overlooking Lake Tekapo. We joined the locals for a service, which was led by the Bishop of Christchurch - felt very blessed. more »
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Simple little stone church sitting on a peninsula with the amazing glacial lake and mountains as a backdrop. It would be lovely if there was ever a time it wasn't dotted with pushy tourists getting ph... more »
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The church and surrounding lake areas are well worth the visit. We got some awesome photos in. We went at the start of March 2018 which is still peak tourist season. Yes, there are lots of other touri... more »
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Great church right in front of water. You cannot take photos inside the church but outside is no problem. Donation is appreciated. Come as early as possible to avoid people everywhere. This is a hot spot for tourist and you will find Chinese people are the majority. It is not easy to shoot galaxy at night as there are still many people around the site even after 12am. Yes, 12am. The light from the torch is a big challenge and I failed to have galaxy in my camera. Enjoy and good luck :)
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It is a fairly old church for the area. It has been added to all the mega bus tour routes so very rare there will be a good photo. Also it is north facing so photos are not the best. Check out the pin drop “Sunset Rock” and hang out there 20 minutes after sunset for some photos below (April 2018).
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Awesome spot with amazing views all around. Great for astrophotography too. Busy at all times. Technically you can only walk up to the church between 9am and 9pm. A bunch of photographers got shouted at by a cranky old lady for being on church grounds before 9am. Also very late opening. Probably about 60 people there waiting at 9.30am for it to open on the morning I was there. Would be 5 stars other than this. There’s also a slightly intimidating guy who stands immediately inside the door of the church looking for donations to enter. You don’t have to pay but certainly feel pressured. In short would be a perfect little gem if not for the people looking after the church.
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Amazing place to see the emerald color lake and uncountable of stars! Visit there bit late night cuz there will be a lot of Chinese.. you can see how many people in there at 8:30pm 🤦♂️
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What a magnificent monument! The beautiful and historical church is located on the shores of lake Takepo. Together they complement each other and make the visit to this part of the world so much more memorable! It is a must visit place when you are travelling south from Christchurch.
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