We drove with George and Mary for about 3 hours to Lake Tekapo for a 2 day stay.This is the furthest south that we will go on this tour.The drive was fairly easy—no twists or turns—just straight on until just before the destination.The Southern Alps in the background were a treat, especially for George and Mary, as they had yet to see them.We had been told that this area was of such beauty and we were not to be disappointed.The color of the lake as we rounded the last corner was what we first noticed.The amazing turquoise blue color of Lake Tekapo is created by "rock flour": the glaciers in the headwaters grind the rock into fine dust. These suspended particles in combination with the sunlight create the lake's unique water color. The mountains that surround the lake are amazing, the sunlit shadows creating an astounding sight.

We checked into our accommodation, located right on the lake, with panoramic views from our main living spaces.The ladies went to the spa for hot baths and massage while George and I did a little exploring of the village (that took about 2 minutes).The high winds that kept battering us threatened the idyllic setting, a bit, but clearly were no match.

Late night brought clear skies and we decided to go to the world famous Mt John Observatory to view the myriad of stars (and in particular, the Southern Cross). Driving in the dark and with poor road signage is probably not a good idea, so after getting lost twice we finally made our way to the Observatory Road, only to find it locked (we found out the next day that they lock it to keep cars from coming up while star gazing is happening to avoid the onslaught of headlights).We did get out of the car and the sky was amazing.It would have been good to have one or two of our astronomer buddies along to identify the heavenly bodies, however even without knowing their names, the stars were amazing.We did climb the VERY steep and windy road up to the Observatory today, though, and the views of the lake and snow capped Mt. Cook were spectacular.