I have recently returned from a weekend visit from Tekapo, New Zealand. I want to say how beautiful this place was… but I don’t know if words can do it justice. I also could post tons of pictures… but don’t know if pictures would do it justice. The mixture between the crisp chill weather, the peacefulness of the area, the relaxed company surrounding me, and the magnitude of the landscape all played a role in the experience and, I don’t believe, can be recreated by any form of media.
Nevertheless, I will try. 🙂
My supervisor invited me to her family’s home in Tekapo, roughly 2.5 hours from Christchurch. There was myself, B (a Buddhist monk also studying in the in same program as myself), my supervisor and many members of her family.
Between the frost covered trees, the steamy hot pools and the extremely difficult puzzles.. this was a break that was much called for.
Looking over Lake Tekapo from the balcony, with Mt. John looming in the distance was as a sight worthy of a postcard. I lost my breath every time I walked out the door. It was one of those places that if I were to have lived there, I would have never gotten anything done… ever. I would always be staring at the magnitude of the sight ahead. The snow-capped mountains in the distance surrounding the entire lake. The observatory looming from the top of Mt. John, every now and again gleaming as the sun hits it just right. Everything was breathtaking, quite literally.
The first day we were there, we all took a lovely walk to the lake. Lake Tekapo I find interesting. On one side the water is as clear as a crystal, but on the other… it’s turquoise.
Yes, that is the same lake… Marvelous, don’t ya think? 🙂
One foggy morning, I woke up early. While everyone was still in their cozy beds, I walked out onto the silent balcony with warm coffee between my hands. The very was truly remarkable; that is undeniable. But what struck me the most was the feeling I had at that moment.
It was almost like there was a hush over the entire valley. Not even a bird was chirping in the morning frost. The fog laid still over the valley. The tip of the mountain barely making its way into the light.
I sat there until I heard one of the kids wake up asking for some cereal. (Even half way around the world- kids still love their CocoPuffs.) The tranquility was over but the feeling would never leave me. Someone I love always says that I should try to “Live in the moment.” I am grateful to have remembered those words. It was just me, my coffee, and the fog; and I was grateful.
Once the fog cleared we all decided to hike up to the observatory on the top of Mt. John. I had heard of this observatory and had always wanted to visit. The hike was supposed to take about 30 minutes. It took me a little longer and it was harder than I had thought it would be. But it was worth it. When we finally made it through all of the switchbacks and made it to the summit where the forest opened into a massive field, everything that was white and grey all of a sudden turned golden, shining behind every icicle of frost. At the top, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I felt like I was on top of the clouds. And that was because I literally was. We watched as the fog settled back into the valley on the south side of the mountain as Lake Tekapo glistened in the setting sun on the other side. The sight was something I will never forget!
This (still functioning) observatory is somewhere I want to go again. Next time on a clear night so I can see the magnificence of the milky way in its full glory. My time at Tekapo will always be memorable. I sincerely hope I can go back one day and experience the grandeur again.
(Once again, all pictures are Copyrighted to me because… I took them! They are not to be used or sold without permission.)
Just About Anything 