Trip Planner: South Pacific / New Zealand / South Island / Canterbury Region / Mackenzie District / Lake Tekapo / Church of the Good Shepherd

Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Tekapo

4.3

#1 of 27 in Historic Sites in Canterbury Region

#Church, #Tourist Spot, #Must See

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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TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1,639 reviews

Google

4.5

facebook

4.6

820 likes

By juliawong8899 On May 27, 2018

Very beautiful scene at dat or night time. You might able to take a very good picture if the weather is good. Blue sky, blue water. more »
By Kiaussi On May 16, 2018

I'm not into churches but this is beautifully placed on the lake and had a wedding in progress so was lovely to be walking by. Adds to the sight-seeing while walking end to end of Lake Tekapo village. more »
By awjose On May 16, 2018

It wasn’t too busy when we got there since it was 9am. A lot of tour bus so get there in the morning. The church was lovely and peaceful and we sat there for almost 5 minutes. There are no photos allo... more »

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By Julie Tran On May 19, 2018

Came during summer. Simply stunning. Water is very blue. Quite a touristy area though with everyone competing to take a photo with no one else in the background. Across the road there were some nice wild flowers which everyone was taking photos with too. Would definitely recommend visiting. Ample parking available and public toilets nearby are very good

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By PAN PENGFEI On March 11, 2018

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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By Kyle D On April 4, 2018

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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By Colm Keating On March 14, 2018

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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By Junyoung Kang On April 4, 2018

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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