“Gandalf, my old friend, this will be a night to remember.”
― The Lord of the Rings
The next three days of my journey, I've spent in and around Twizel. This region is called the Mackenzie Basin, which includes a few popular tourist spots. It's also where my friends from Germany now live, and I was excited to see them again after a long time!
On my way to Twizel, I've made a few stops.
First, I've checked out the Moeraki Boulders. Fortunately, it was only a short detour, as I found them underwhelming.
I still took some time for another round of long-exposure self-portraits.
The beach is nice, though, especially for the south island.
Much more interesting were the Elephant Rocks. It's a private farm, so you might encounter some sheep. This makes the area a huge "minefield".
Twizel
Twizel itself doesn't have much to offer for tourists, but it's a great base to explore the Mackenzie Basin.
One evening, I went to the nearby Lake Ruataniwha for a sunset.
Lake Tekapo
Lake Tekapo is the name for both the second-largest lake in the Mackenzie Basin and a town right next to it. It is a popular spot among tourists.
While having lunch, a single duck approached me. I couldn't resist and shared some crumbles from my tasty pie as a thank you for some wonderful photos.
I did a short but steep hike to the Mt John summit. I had an appointment and the time was running short, but I managed to complete the hike in under half of the estimated time. At the summit, I only took a few photos and tried boysenberry ice cream.
Lake Pukaki
Lake Pukaki is 20 minutes away from Lake Tekapo. It is not as popular — probably because there is no comparable town next to it — but I liked it way more. It offers a great view at Aoraki (Mount Cook).
Southern Alps
Aoraki (Mount Cook) is the highest mountain in New Zealand, which makes it an obvious tourist magnet. It is part of the Southern Alps mountain range, and I think the name is fitting. In my opinion, this area provides the best views of the entire south island (yes, Milford Sound included, but more on that later), although not coming close to the Tongariro National Park.
The 23 km Tasman glacier is the longest in New Zealand. Like all glaciers in the world, it is rapidly retreating, which created the Tasman Lake and the Tasman River.
Interestingly, I've had this spot mostly to myself.
Another path leads to the Blue Lakes. Not sure, where the name comes from, but definitely not from the color. Given how "creative" New Zealand is with their English names, the more fitting "Emerald Lakes" and "Green Lake" were already taken.
I've had a quick stop at Mount Cook Village. I didn't research the place too much, assuming it is a tourist spot filled with restaurants. This wasn't the case, and I later had my lunch at Glantanner instead.
I also couldn't find a single parking spot in the village. I even gave a bus driver a short lift, as he had to park his bus a few kilometers outside the village. In the end, I did find a spot that would have been probably fined if I stayed too long, but it was good enough to grab a few pictures and move on.
I wish I did the Mueller Hut hike, but the time didn't allow it.
Experiences
The Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve is the biggest Dark Sky Reserve in the Southern Hemisphere. When the forecast announced a clear sky, I had to experience this.
I had to wait a long time after sundown for the last rays of light to disappear, but it was well worth it. Seeing so many stars and the Milky Way with my own eyes was one of the highlights of my entire New Zealand trip. It was also my first attempt at capturing a night sky, which given my setup and the missing experience, was way better than expected.
My friend is into disc golf, and there are courses everywhere in New Zealand. I remember having played disc golf a few times in my hometown, then buying some discs, only to see the golf course being closed a few months later. It was nice to play a few rounds again.
He also used his connections to schedule a free skydive (which would have been a nice throwback) and a scenic flight around the Southern Alps. Unfortunately, both activities were canceled due to high wind. I guess I ran out of my Karma points after a few weeks of perfect weather. At least I could visit the air traffic control tower at Mount Cook Airport.
Initially, I had planned one more day in Twizel. But guess who included February 29 in 2026 in their planning? 🤦