Plan for the day
We originally planned to be at Lake Tekapo for just two nights and to leave for Christchurch today and fly out of Christchurch the next day. But since the earthquake happened north of Christchurch four days ago there were many aftershocks reported. We thought we should stay as far south of Christchurch as possible until we had to fly out of Christchurch. So we decided to extend our stay a Lake Tekapo for another night.
Yesterday, in between sightseeing I was checking on the internet for an accommodation at Lake Tekapo as we had to vacate our “mini” room at the holiday park by 10 am this morning. I was lucky to find an available room at “The Godley” right in Tekapo Town.
Route for the day
By end of the day
Today was a totally relaxing day, since all the sights we wanted to see at and around Tekapo were done, we spent today resting in town, surfing the internet, eating meals, drinking coffee and walking along the lake.
Breakfast
Breakfast was a combination of left over from last night home cooked dinner and a freshly bought burger. For the second morning, we were back at Cafe 76 for our breakfast. There were several cafes in town but not all were opened for breakfast. After viewing the breakfast spread of several cafes we ended up returning to Cafe 76.
Breakfast at Cafe 76
A simple burger and a cup of cafe latte came up to NZD$ 12, not cheap. We were still not used to the high price we had to pay for breakfast in New Zealand. Back in Singapore we needed only to pay half the amount to eat a nice breakfast. It would not be the same breakfast stuff, more Asian fare but as filling and tasty.
Moving from one hotel to another.
We had to clear out of our “mini” room at the Backpacker Holiday Park and moved over to The Godley Hotel. Check out time was 10 am and check in time was 2 pm, there was a long four hours to kill. The nice morning disappeared too soon as the weather turned rainy and gloomy again. Since there was no where else to go, we ended up sitting at the lobby of The Godley Hotel.
The Godley
Lobby of The Godley Hotel
The nice thing about the lobby was its free wifi. Unfortunately this lobby was closed in the evening which meant no more free wifi at night. After two hours of sitting I went back to the receptionist to check if our room was ready. No luck until 1 pm before we were allowed to check in.
The room was so much larger than the “mini” room we had at the holiday park, about four times larger and at a 20% higher cost.
Our twin room at The Godley Hotel
Though the room at The Godley was old and a bit of a run down we were glad for the space and the ensuite toilet. The room had a front door and a back door. The front door opened to a corridor that led to the hotel front desk and the back door to a shared compound with a pool in the center. Unfortunately the weather was too cold for any pool activities.
Ensuite toilet
Eat and Drink
We were back in town to a different cafe for an afternoon meal and coffee break. It was just too boring to stay in our hotel room as there was no view at all from our room and the programme on the TV was of no help.
This time we selected the Reflection Cafe which was just a few doors from Cafe 76 where we had breakfast. Both cafes were just a short walking distance from The Godley Hotel.
Reflection Cafe and Restaurant
Yat Thong had fish and chips and I had cake and cafe latte. The cafe lattes were great for a sleepy day!
Lunch and desert at one go
We sat at the inner end of the cafe where there were huge glass windows. From the windows we could look out to the lake. If the weather was not raining we would have loved to sit at one of its outdoor tables. Unfortunately the drizzle that started in the morning still showed no sign of stopping.
Out door sitting of Reflection Cafe and Restaurant
Is it Raining?
The moment the rain stopped we were out of the cafe walking to the lake. Though we had came to the lake many times these three days, we never got tired of the scene. The view looked different every time. Today there was this streak of pink gold light on the land beyond the lake. So fascinating!
Another view of Lake Tekapo
We were standing out in the open when we felt rain pelting down on us. Wow, the rain drops must be big because they were creating a lot noise as they hit on us and the ground. We ran to take cover below the roof shades of some houses.
Oops, the sky was not raining water, it was raining ice pellets.
Wow my first hail!
Staying dry to experience our first Hail!
The hail lasted for at least an hour. It was fun seeing the ice pellets hitting and bouncing off the ground. I had heard of hail but living in a hot country like Singapore I had never experience it before. It was such a rare experience and I simply had to capture the hail in video.
Final Home cooked Dinner for the Trip
This dinner was my last cooked meal for this trip and it was crucial that I used up as much of my food supplies as possible. Cooking this meal was not easy, because the room only had a kettle. I had to go up to the reception to borrow a plate and a bowl. It was a good thing that I always packed along spoons, chopsticks and a slim knife for our trips as they had proven to be very essential on many occasions
A home cooked meal