WINTER WONDERLAND ADVENTURES
11 JANUARY 2024
Thrills & Chills
Winter - you either love it or you hate it, there's usually no in between. Let's face it - it's wet, it's cold and you can't go swimming without turning into an ice block! Despite all that, we LOVE winter! Our favourite part is the snow... eating it, playing in it and watching it fall gracefully from the sky, like little white butterflies on their way to nowhere in particular.
There are a few towns in New Zealand that get the odd few days of snow in winter and Tekapo in the South Island, is one of those towns. It's one of our fav towns (we have spent the last 2 summers here!) and any opportunity we get, we come to Tekapo. We had just spent an incredible 9 weeks exploring Te Anau, Milford Sound and the Catlins, so we were driving up from Southland to Christchurch and we spent the night in Tekapo so we could spend the day at Tekapo Springs to go snow tubing, ice skating and have a soak in the hot springs.
We didn't get the chance to go ice skating as there were a few ice hockey games on and the rink wasn't available till 3pm and we needed to get to Christchurch before dinner... so this was really disappointing as we haven't taken the girls ice skating before.
There was a lot of snow lining the pathway up to Tekapo Springs from the carpark and boy was it cold!! We chose the 10am slot for snow tubing, they run in 1 hour slots and you get to go down as many times as you want within the hour. There were only a small handful of us, which meant we got more turns than usual. This is a huge reason we advocate for winter travels around New Zealand... everything is sooo quiet. Yes it's colder than summer (obvs), but the amount of times we have had places to ourselves, or almost to ourselves, is insane (places like Steampunk HQ in Oamaru, Larnach Castle in Dunedin, Shantytown in Greymouth, Whitestone City in Oamaru and the Milford Sound Cruise!
We all had an absolute blast, although Sienna wasn't the biggest fan of how fast the tubes were going! I was really surprised how fast they were and once we hit the bottom, it felt like we were going so fast that we would propel over the edge of the wall and end up in the ice-skating rink! Thankfully, this didn't happen. The slope is 150m long but it feels so much shorter.
We kept swapping between the single and double tubes and had turns going down the slope with each other. Bella even plucked up the courage to go down on her front, and this is a kid who can take a while to warm up to the idea of something as adventurous as snow tubing, so it was great to see her get out of her comfort shell with a decision she made on her own. You can hold onto each others snow tubes and go down in a line. We didn't do this but it looks like a lot of fun!
Bella pretty much tubed for the full hour but Sienna, Lath and I went for around 6 or 7 runs then chilled by the bottom of the magic carpet, watching Bella wear herself out. The magic carpet is an absolute dream... can you imagine having to walk back up the hill each time?! It was a bit challenging taking the tubes up behind us, especially the double tubes, but we were pros by the end of the session.
I really wish I had taken my DSLR in with me and taken some action shots with my 50mm lense - they would have been so awesome! Next time for sure.
There are a few towns in New Zealand that get the odd few days of snow in winter and Tekapo in the South Island, is one of those towns. It's one of our fav towns (we have spent the last 2 summers here!) and any opportunity we get, we come to Tekapo. We had just spent an incredible 9 weeks exploring Te Anau, Milford Sound and the Catlins, so we were driving up from Southland to Christchurch and we spent the night in Tekapo so we could spend the day at Tekapo Springs to go snow tubing, ice skating and have a soak in the hot springs.
We didn't get the chance to go ice skating as there were a few ice hockey games on and the rink wasn't available till 3pm and we needed to get to Christchurch before dinner... so this was really disappointing as we haven't taken the girls ice skating before.
There was a lot of snow lining the pathway up to Tekapo Springs from the carpark and boy was it cold!! We chose the 10am slot for snow tubing, they run in 1 hour slots and you get to go down as many times as you want within the hour. There were only a small handful of us, which meant we got more turns than usual. This is a huge reason we advocate for winter travels around New Zealand... everything is sooo quiet. Yes it's colder than summer (obvs), but the amount of times we have had places to ourselves, or almost to ourselves, is insane (places like Steampunk HQ in Oamaru, Larnach Castle in Dunedin, Shantytown in Greymouth, Whitestone City in Oamaru and the Milford Sound Cruise!
We all had an absolute blast, although Sienna wasn't the biggest fan of how fast the tubes were going! I was really surprised how fast they were and once we hit the bottom, it felt like we were going so fast that we would propel over the edge of the wall and end up in the ice-skating rink! Thankfully, this didn't happen. The slope is 150m long but it feels so much shorter.
We kept swapping between the single and double tubes and had turns going down the slope with each other. Bella even plucked up the courage to go down on her front, and this is a kid who can take a while to warm up to the idea of something as adventurous as snow tubing, so it was great to see her get out of her comfort shell with a decision she made on her own. You can hold onto each others snow tubes and go down in a line. We didn't do this but it looks like a lot of fun!
Bella pretty much tubed for the full hour but Sienna, Lath and I went for around 6 or 7 runs then chilled by the bottom of the magic carpet, watching Bella wear herself out. The magic carpet is an absolute dream... can you imagine having to walk back up the hill each time?! It was a bit challenging taking the tubes up behind us, especially the double tubes, but we were pros by the end of the session.
I really wish I had taken my DSLR in with me and taken some action shots with my 50mm lense - they would have been so awesome! Next time for sure.
Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall, Who Is The Wrinkliest Of Them All?
After spending the hour snow tubing, it was time to warm up in the hot springs. It was 2 deg C outside, so the pools were calling our names! 2 deg hits so different after living in the North Island for so long... it's a completely different type of cold in the South Island compared to what we are used to.
There are a few pools with varying temperatures and we ended up staying in just one pool, otherwise the girls would have loved to pool hop ALL morning... no thanks!
Last time we were soaking at Tekapo Springs it was so quiet as New Zealand wasn't open for tourism, but this winter was buuuusy! We always love soaking in the hot springs and seeing who has the wrinkliest fingers by the end (spoiler alert: it's usually Sienna).
There are a few pools with varying temperatures and we ended up staying in just one pool, otherwise the girls would have loved to pool hop ALL morning... no thanks!
Last time we were soaking at Tekapo Springs it was so quiet as New Zealand wasn't open for tourism, but this winter was buuuusy! We always love soaking in the hot springs and seeing who has the wrinkliest fingers by the end (spoiler alert: it's usually Sienna).
Know Before You Go
- Wear waterproof layers, gloves and shoes/boots suitable for the snow
- Helmets are provided with entry and are mandatory
- You can buy combo passes for the springs, snow tubing and ice skating (nothing better than pennies saved)
- You can go down the slope in a line by holding onto each others snow tube
- There are single and double snow tubes available
- Kids must be at least 1m tall to go snow tubing
- The snow tubing park is open from about July until September (all depending on the weather)
- You can't wear hard boots or shoes with buckles at the snow park
- Click here for more info and to book
How To Get To Tekapo Springs In Canterbury
300 Lakeside Drive, Lake Tekapo. From State Highway 8, turn into Lakeside Drive and follow the road around Lake Tekapo, until you see the signs for Tekapo Hot Springs. Walk up the ramp and you're there!
The Hot Springs are 3 hours from Christchurch, 3 hours from Queenstown and only 8 minutes from the Lake Tekapo town.
The Hot Springs are 3 hours from Christchurch, 3 hours from Queenstown and only 8 minutes from the Lake Tekapo town.
Conclusion
Calling all snow enthusiasts and adventure seekers! If you're a winter lover, Tekapo Springs is the place to be for an incredible snow tubing experience. Feel the rush of excitement as you zoom down the slopes at high speeds (don't worry, you won't go flying off the edge!). Thanks to the handy magic carpet, you'll be back up in no time for more turns, ensuring you make the most of the hour in the snow tube park.
More to do in New Zealand
BARNES DAM TRACK
MARLBOROUGH The track follows a water pipe the whole way through the lush forest until you reach the dam and a stunning waterfall.
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CANNIBAL BAY
OTAGO Along the wild coast of Catlins is a beautiful beach with white sand, huge cliffs and even a colony of sea lions to photograph.
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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!
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