Lake Tekapo Nights

Captains Log.  Day 7.
It is a strange, yet beautiful land this "New Zealand".  Driving on the left hand side may make some travellers wary, however we navigated the roads as though we'd driven for half our lives.
Manuevering the majestic hills with ease, with nothing but our wits, maps, and TomTom GPS to guide us, we made the journey down from Christchurch and into the mountains of the South Island Alps.
Much of the ride was shrowded in a thick veil of clouds, blocking the mountain view from our eyes, however we sensed their presence all around us.  We were able to take in the sights of the nearby scenary, with many a horse, cow, and sheep to draw our attention.
On the final leg of the drive from Fairlie to Lake Tekapo, we rounded the bend to catch our first glimpse of
a shimmering aqua lake - water a color the likes neither of us had ever seen, but had heard about in tales of old.
We stopped to take some documentation of the wilderness at an old church, the Church of the Good Shepard.  The clouds began to part, revealing breathtaking views of the mountains on the far shores.
The scene was serene, our pictures cannot do them justice, though they try.  It was just us and nature, and a busload of Japanese tourists, but we saw past them to the beautiful surrounding scenery...
We arrived out our destination for the eveining - the Backpackers Lodge at Lake Tekapo...until we discovered our reservation was actually for the Lake Front Lodge.  Indeed.
A quaint bunk, room enough for Ash, myself and our gear, and if we were to have travelled with 4 others...them too.  The view out the front of the cabin revealed the glacial lake in all its glory.  Such aqua color...such beauty.  We debated over a quick hike to the observatory a mile away, however by this point in the evening, the rains began setting in again, and an evening hike sounded less appetizing than a quick stroll to the nearby sauna and hot springs.
We bathed our sore muscles in pools of water shaped like the great lakes themselves - only their waters raised to temperatures of 32, 34, and 36 degrees (by the local meter, which is 89, 93, and 96 degrees to some).
Indeed, a rugged end, to a rugged day...end log.