Mackenzie Country

Mackenzie Country

After a short hiatus I am back with another trip report about the Mackenzie Basin.

On a clear day there is no shortage of beautiful snow-capped peaks in the Mackenzie Country

At the beginning of October Mike and I took an overnight trip to the Mackenzie Basin. Located in the centre of the South Island, it is the largest intermontane catchment area in New Zealand (see map below). 



We spent our first day birding around Lake Pukaki. I was able to add black stilt (critically endangered) to my life list, but we were skunked by New Zealand falcon. 

Lake Pukaki bird list - October 1, 2016

• Wrybill;
• Pied stilt;
• Black stilt;
• Black-billed gull;
• South Island pied oystercatcher;
• Grey teal;
• Paradise shell duck;
• Banded dotterel;
• Welcome swallow;

The weather was a bit variable that day, but I finally got a cloud-free look at Aoraki / Mount Cook, which is the tallest peak in New Zealand at 3,724 m.

 Aoraki / Mount Cook 

I just love the blue the water of Lake Pukaki, especially with the reflection of the clouds adding some drama to the landscape. 

 Clouds reflecting in the glassy waters of Lake Pukaki.

A large proportion of the Mackenzie Country (4,300 square kms) has been internationally recognized as a Dark Sky Reserve. This area has been touted as offering one of the best stargazing experiences on Earth. 

We spent the night in Lake Tekapo with hopes of doing some star-gazing, but alas the clouds rolled in, foiling our plans.

Church of the Good Shepard

A famous tourist attraction

Lake Tekapo is a major tourist stopover point, especially for Asian visitors. Day or night there is a steady stream of people continually taking selfies in front of the historic Church of the Good Shepard (shown above). This iconic landmark is featured in many professional photographs with the mesmerizing milky way twinkling overhead; perhaps that is why so many tourists feel compelled to capture their own less fantastic iPad versions.

The following day Mike and I visited the Mount John University Observatory to see if we could find a Chukar partridge (no such luck). Apparently during the cold war the United States Air Force operated a spy station at the observatory to track satellites in the Southern Hemisphere. It costs $5 to drive up to the top.

View from the University Observatory at Mount John

Since the stargazing season has now come to an end here in NZ, I will have to wait for another opportunity to take in some amazing galactic scenery in the Mackenzie country next year.
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