Lake Tekapo, NZ

South American-influenced restaurant on the village lakefront, with an open-kitchen-and-fire format and lake-and-church views. Part of the Dark Sky Project complex. The village's destination dinner.

All-day cafe-restaurant on the village main street with the village's strongest cabinet baking and a tight brunch menu. The reliable choice for breakfast or lunch.

The cafe at the top of Mt John Observatory, with the country's best coffee view, panoramic across the Mackenzie. Drive up; takeaway-style only.

Restaurant at the Peppers Bluewater Resort on the lake shore, with a polished seasonal menu and lake-and-mountain views. The grown-up dinner alternative to Dark Sky Diner.

A small lakefront cafe with the village's best espresso and a tight brunch menu. The morning stop before the Mt John drive.

Village bakery with country-style pies, fresh-baked bread and a casual lunch counter. The picnic-sandwich source.

Casual bar-and-grill on the main street with a long pub menu, taps list, and the village's most lively evening room. The casual answer for a group.

A long-running Japanese restaurant on the main street with the country's best lakefront sushi. Quietly excellent; the under-the-radar village dinner.

Restaurant at the Lake Tekapo Lodge with a tight seasonal menu and lake-and-mountain views. The grown-up dinner alternative.

A small bakery and lunch counter on the main street with the village's best French-leaning pastries and a tight cabinet of sandwiches.

A 2-hour return summit walk from the village to the Mt John Observatory, with panoramic views over Lake Tekapo, the Mackenzie Country and the Southern Alps. The defining short walk in the area.

A flat 4km lake-edge walk from the village to the Church of the Good Shepherd and beyond. Pram-friendly, family-friendly, free.

A 2-hour return walk to a summit lookout above the village, easier than Mt John but with smaller views. The under-the-radar local walk.

A network of mountain bike trails behind the village, with grades from green to black. Free to use; bike hire from the village.

A 3-hour summit walk from the Roundhill Ski Field carpark up to the highest ridge in the Mackenzie, with views across to Aoraki. Closed in winter (ski season); summer only.

A flat 9km cycle and walking trail along the Tekapo Canal, with views of the canal and the wider Mackenzie Country. Pram-friendly, bike-friendly. The casual day-walk.

The 312km Alps 2 Ocean Trail passes Tekapo; the Tekapo to Lake Pukaki section is the local 50km day. Use an eBike for the section.

Guided night stargazing tour at the Mt John Observatory or at the Cowans Observatory near the village, with the world's largest dark sky reserve overhead. The signature night experience.

Hot pools complex on the lake's edge with stargazing soaks on clear nights. Family-friendly; the right ending for a Mackenzie day.

Outdoor ice-skating rink at Tekapo Springs in winter, with skates included and a hot pools combo. The under-the-radar winter family activity.

Helicopter scenic flights from Tekapo airstrip over the Mackenzie Country, Lake Pukaki, and the Southern Alps with snow landings on the upper glaciers. The aerial version of the region.

Combined hot pools and stargazing tour at Tekapo Springs, with guided night-sky commentary while you soak. The most relaxed way to stargaze.

The cafe at the top of Mt John Observatory, with the country's best coffee view. Day-time access to the summit by car or foot.

Working salmon farm on the Pukaki Canal 20 minutes south, with free samples and a smoked-salmon kiosk. Quietly excellent.

Self-guided photo tour of the lupins in flower around the lake in mid-November to early January. Free, with the country's most-photographed wildflower display.

Small Saturday morning summer market on the lake foreshore with local produce, baking and craft. The village's social hub on Saturday.

The tiny stone-and-oak 1935 church on the lake shore, framed in its window by the turquoise lake and the snow-capped Southern Alps. Built as a memorial to the Mackenzie Country pioneers; one of the most-photographed buildings in the country. Free, five minutes from the village.

The turquoise glacier-fed lake at the heart of the Mackenzie Country, with the Southern Alps reflected on still mornings and the country's most distinctive blue water. The defining sight of the region. Free.

The University of Canterbury observatory at 1029m above the village, with day-time access to the summit and the Astro Cafe at the top. Guided night tours are the country's premier stargazing experience. The Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve covers the area.

A bronze statue of a sheepdog beside the Church of the Good Shepherd, the country's tribute to the shepherds of the Mackenzie Country. Free, two minutes, often the photo accompanying the church one.

A roadside lookout 40 minutes south of Lake Tekapo, where Lake Pukaki spreads in front of you with Aoraki framed at the far end. The most photographed roadside lookout in the country. Free.

Hot pools, an ice rink in winter, and a hydroslide complex on the lake's edge. The right ending for a cool day in the Mackenzie. Family-friendly.

A working salmon farm 20 minutes south on the Pukaki Canal, with free samples, on-site cafe, and a kiosk selling smoked salmon to take home. Quirky and quietly excellent.

A 2-hour return walk from the village to a summit lookout above the lake. Family-friendly, signed, free.

The vast tussock-and-mountain plateau that surrounds Lake Tekapo, with the Southern Alps to the west and the Pacific weather front blowing through. The single most distinctive landscape in the country.