A PICTURE PERFECT PLACE
28 DECEMBER 2022
The view of Lake Alexandrina from the top of the hill
The Full Picture
Lake Alexandrina can be seen perfectly from the summit of Mt John. You can see the whole lake and appreciate how big it truly is! The views of the lake in autumn and winter would be pretty spectacular with the trees turning gold and the snowy mountains reflecting on the lake. We definitely want to come back to experience this!
You pass Mt John on your way to Lake Alexandrina so if you're visiting between Friday and Monday, we highly recommend you head up to check out the incredible views!
You can read our full blog on Mt John here.
You pass Mt John on your way to Lake Alexandrina so if you're visiting between Friday and Monday, we highly recommend you head up to check out the incredible views!
You can read our full blog on Mt John here.
View of Lake Alexandrina from up Mt John
We highly recommend heading up Mt John for alllll the views!
I love the reflections on the lake
Nature's photo frame, taken from Mt John
A Quieter Alternative
Lake Alexandrina is a picturesque and quiet lake in the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island. It sits between Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki (and of course, little Lake McGregor) and although it's not as blue as the other beauties in the area, it is clear, has fantastic views and is peaceful.
We stayed in Tekapo for a month and we visited Lake Alexandrina a lot (although not as much as we visited Lake Tekapo!). Bella absolutely loved it there and she kept asking to visit as she liked the clear water and how much warmer it was than Lake Tekapo.
I loved seeing and photographing all the Southern Crested Grebes (more about them further down the page!) as they are so fascinating to look at and we hadn't seen any before.
The lake is a great place to cool off in summer as it's not overrun with tourists and the views from the top of the hill are incredible.
We stayed in Tekapo for a month and we visited Lake Alexandrina a lot (although not as much as we visited Lake Tekapo!). Bella absolutely loved it there and she kept asking to visit as she liked the clear water and how much warmer it was than Lake Tekapo.
I loved seeing and photographing all the Southern Crested Grebes (more about them further down the page!) as they are so fascinating to look at and we hadn't seen any before.
The lake is a great place to cool off in summer as it's not overrun with tourists and the views from the top of the hill are incredible.
There are colourful dinghies scattered all around the lake front
Did you know a female swan is called a pen and a male is called a cob?
It's the perfect like for swimming and kayaking
The girls loved cooling off in the water
Those clouds can stay far, far away
When ya gotta sit... ya gotta sit
Southern Crested Grebes
Lake Alexandrina is home to Southern Crested Grebes which are only found in the South Island of New Zealand (and Australia) as they are extinct in the North Island. Grebes can't fly nor can they walk on land, so they spend their entire lives on water!
We hadn't seen grebes before and we thought they were pretty damn cool when we laid eyes on them! We don't have too many fancy looking birds in New Zealand (there's a few, but let's face it, we got the plain looking animals of the kingdom over here) so it was a bit of a treat to be able to watch and photograph them.
The grebes build their nests along the banks and they're actually floating in the river, made from decaying plants and weeds which they anchor to submerged branches on the edge of the lake. There were some nests by the bridge where we walked across, so we got to get pretty close to them and could see all the white eggs sitting in the nests. If you get too close to them, they can get spooked and not return to the nest, so we made sure we waked by slowly and kept our distance. The grebes will return to their nest year after year if it's still there when they return the following year.
They nest from October to February and when the babies are born, the grebes often carry them on their back. Grebeback, not a piggyback. Cuuuuute! There were plenty of eggs there when we visited in December so we didn't get to see any babies. Maybe next time!
Some of the grebes were dancing in synchronization as part of their mating ritual - it was really impressive to watch the co-ordination.
We hadn't seen grebes before and we thought they were pretty damn cool when we laid eyes on them! We don't have too many fancy looking birds in New Zealand (there's a few, but let's face it, we got the plain looking animals of the kingdom over here) so it was a bit of a treat to be able to watch and photograph them.
The grebes build their nests along the banks and they're actually floating in the river, made from decaying plants and weeds which they anchor to submerged branches on the edge of the lake. There were some nests by the bridge where we walked across, so we got to get pretty close to them and could see all the white eggs sitting in the nests. If you get too close to them, they can get spooked and not return to the nest, so we made sure we waked by slowly and kept our distance. The grebes will return to their nest year after year if it's still there when they return the following year.
They nest from October to February and when the babies are born, the grebes often carry them on their back. Grebeback, not a piggyback. Cuuuuute! There were plenty of eggs there when we visited in December so we didn't get to see any babies. Maybe next time!
Some of the grebes were dancing in synchronization as part of their mating ritual - it was really impressive to watch the co-ordination.
There were so many nests along the banks of the lake
Two grebes doing synchronized dancing as part of their mating ritual
Love ya hair style!
The grebes spend their lives on the water
This area of the lake is protected so the grebes can nest in peace
Southern Crested Grebe
Time To Cool Off
We were excited to do a lot of swimming this summer after the wet and wild winter and spring we experienced in the North Island! The worst was in Northland, especially where we stayed at Kai Iwi Lakes and also in Taranaki where we only got to do the one outing (visit Dawsons Falls up Mt Egmont) as the weather was so rubbish and it basically rained nonstop!
We had amazing weather during our month long stay in Tekapo so we got to swim a lot. Most of our swimming was done at Lake Tekapo as there is a 'beach' part near the Pines Forest, but Lake Alexandrina was muuuuch warmer than Lake Tekapo and very quiet as not many tourists visit the area to set up for the day. There are houses and a campground at the lake but there was only ever a small handful of people out in the water.
We found the stones to be a bit slippery except for near the bridge by the grebes but it was nice to cool off in the hot sun! We saw a few people kayaking, swimming or rowing in their boats and some kids catching some small fish in their nets.
We had amazing weather during our month long stay in Tekapo so we got to swim a lot. Most of our swimming was done at Lake Tekapo as there is a 'beach' part near the Pines Forest, but Lake Alexandrina was muuuuch warmer than Lake Tekapo and very quiet as not many tourists visit the area to set up for the day. There are houses and a campground at the lake but there was only ever a small handful of people out in the water.
We found the stones to be a bit slippery except for near the bridge by the grebes but it was nice to cool off in the hot sun! We saw a few people kayaking, swimming or rowing in their boats and some kids catching some small fish in their nets.
The water was warmer than Lake Tekapo but still cool which was refreshing in the hot summer sun
The rocks aren't sharp but can be a little slippery in certain parts of the lake
Bella loves visiting Lake Alexandrina, it's one of her favourite places in Tekapo
The lake is quiet in the summer peak season
How Far Does It Go?
There is a track that goes around the lake but we've absolutely no idea how far around as it was waaaay too hot to find out. We went on one of the hottest days in summer and were all dyyying of heat (yes, we were being very dramatic) so we didn't go more than 100 meters. On a cooler day, it would be nice to take the track and see where it leads.
We were trying to find a nice spot around the lake to set up for a swim and a relax but we saw how slimy the rocks looked, so we gave up and went back to the bridge.
We were trying to find a nice spot around the lake to set up for a swim and a relax but we saw how slimy the rocks looked, so we gave up and went back to the bridge.
There were heaps of Viper's-bugloss growing on the hill
There's a track running alongside the track, not sure how far it goes as we didn't stray too far in the heat!
You'll find loads of dinghies along the lake
The views aren't half bad
The hill is beautiful in the summertime
Is It A Herd? A Bevy? A Flock? A Bank? A Wedge? Aaaargh!
I can't believe how many different terms there are for a group of swans... who came up with them and all? Why?!
Anywho, we were minding our own business and this gorgeous swan with her 5 babies were walking (waddling?) through the bush on the other side of the lake and I got my camera out to take some snaps. They crossed the lake, to the absolute distaste of the nesting grebes and ended up just in front of us. Mama swan was watching me very closely (I mean, come on lady, YOU came over to ME!) as she went past with her cygnets (who weren't phased at all by me) and went into a different part of the lake.
I had my long lense so kept a good distance but was lucky to be close enough to capture them. Not literally.... geez people!
Anywho, we were minding our own business and this gorgeous swan with her 5 babies were walking (waddling?) through the bush on the other side of the lake and I got my camera out to take some snaps. They crossed the lake, to the absolute distaste of the nesting grebes and ended up just in front of us. Mama swan was watching me very closely (I mean, come on lady, YOU came over to ME!) as she went past with her cygnets (who weren't phased at all by me) and went into a different part of the lake.
I had my long lense so kept a good distance but was lucky to be close enough to capture them. Not literally.... geez people!
We were so lucky to see this adorable family!
Mama was keeping a close eye on me
"Come along now children!"
Climbing The Hill Is Non Negotiable
The hill beside Lake Alexandrina offers incredible views across the lake and there are even peeks of the snowy Southern Alps behind the hills.
The walk up takes 2-minutes or a little longer if you're unfit or if you're a hungry, tired and hot child who just wants to go and get the ice cream that Mummy and Daddy promised them if they would just climb to the top. Ice cream bribes work every time! That's the thing about travelling with kids, there has to be a little give and take sometimes and Lath and I both really wanted to see the views from the top and we knew the kids could easily walk up the track as it was only a 2-minute walk.
We didn't expect the views to be so good from up there and we could easily have spent an afternoon up there just hanging out, but even Lath and I were struggling in the intense heat!
The view on the way back down was also really beautiful and you could see all the way over to Lake Tekapo.
The walk up takes 2-minutes or a little longer if you're unfit or if you're a hungry, tired and hot child who just wants to go and get the ice cream that Mummy and Daddy promised them if they would just climb to the top. Ice cream bribes work every time! That's the thing about travelling with kids, there has to be a little give and take sometimes and Lath and I both really wanted to see the views from the top and we knew the kids could easily walk up the track as it was only a 2-minute walk.
We didn't expect the views to be so good from up there and we could easily have spent an afternoon up there just hanging out, but even Lath and I were struggling in the intense heat!
The view on the way back down was also really beautiful and you could see all the way over to Lake Tekapo.
View across to Lake McGregor and Lake Tekapo
It's so worth doing the short hike up the hill to experience the awesome views across the lake
On a still day, the reflections would be even more impressive - especially in winter when the mountains are covered in snow
Lake Alexandrina is a 17-minute drive from the Tekapo shops
Peek a boo, I see you, mountain
The view looking back from the track is equally as impressive as the view of Lake Alexandrina
Lake McGregor
Between Lake Alexandrina and Lake Tekapo sits Lake McGregor which is another picturesque lake in the Mackenzie Basin. Lake Alexandrina feeds into Lake McGregor which then feeds into Lake Tekapo.
We didn't see anyone swimming or boating out on the lake and we wondered if it's not the best for swimming in or if the other lakes are just better for whatever reason! I loved the lush green trees surrounding Lake McGregor and the mountain backdrop.
When you turn into Lake Alexandrina Drive, Lake McGregor is the first lake on your right.
We didn't see anyone swimming or boating out on the lake and we wondered if it's not the best for swimming in or if the other lakes are just better for whatever reason! I loved the lush green trees surrounding Lake McGregor and the mountain backdrop.
When you turn into Lake Alexandrina Drive, Lake McGregor is the first lake on your right.
The area is lush in spring and summer
Lake McGregor
Know Before You Go
- Lake Alexandrina is a 17-minute drive from the Tekapo shops
- The water is beautifully clear and great for swimming in
- The grebes nest from October to February
- Don't go near the grebes!
- The road to the lake is gravel and graded to make your car shudder - so drive super slow or to the left to avoid it
- There are no toilets here (we didn't see any!). The nearest would be in the Tekapo town or up Mt John
- The stones in the lake aren't sharp but they can be slippery
Mappy McMap Face
Getting There
Lake Alexandrina is a 17-minute drive from the Tekapo shops. Turn right out of the shops onto State Highway 8 until you reach Godley Peaks Road, stay on this road (you'll pass the entry to Mt John) then turn left onto Lake Alexandrina Road. The road is vvvvvvveeeeeeerrrrrryyyyyy rattly and shuddery, so the slower you go, the less rattling ya teeth will do! We found driving right to the left to be helpful too. Keep driving past Lake McGregor until you reach the end of the road. There's no carpark as such, you just find a place to park and Bob's ya uncle.
Conclusion
Lake Alexandrina is a beautiful place to visit. The lake is clear and calm and great for swimming in and kayaking. The views around the lake and especially from the top of the hill are extremely impressive! If you're a keen photographer, the lake will give you amazing reflections of the hills and snowy mountains and I'm sure a great sunrise or sunset too!
The grebes are fun to watch, especially when they're doing their mating dance in perfect synchronization. If you're there in the right month, you'll get to see the eggs or even baby grebes.
Summertime here is very quiet, with most visitors in the area staying at Lake Tekapo, so it's a nice quiet spot to enjoy the water.
The grebes are fun to watch, especially when they're doing their mating dance in perfect synchronization. If you're there in the right month, you'll get to see the eggs or even baby grebes.
Summertime here is very quiet, with most visitors in the area staying at Lake Tekapo, so it's a nice quiet spot to enjoy the water.
Gallery of Lake Alexandrina
Check out the rest of the awesomeness that didn't make it to the main blog but deserves to be shown.
More to do in the South Island
TEKAPO LUPIN FIELD
CANTERBURY During December & November, this field has an ocean of lupins as colourful and as far as the eye can see!
|
WHITES BAY BEACH
MARLBOROUGH The perfect beach for swimming and taking in the most incredible views from the cliffs. The drive here is just as breath-taking!
|
HOOKER VALLEY TRACK
MT COOK An easy track for the family to enjoy incredible mountain and lake views all year round. The kids will enjoy crossing the 3 swing bridges.
|
SEND US A MESSAGE, WE LOVE GETTING MAIL! |
DISCOVER |
FOLLOW USBORING (BUT IMPORTANT LEGAL) STUFF |