The Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo

The copyright for this photo is managed by Getty Images

Photographer: Frans Lemmens

Location: The Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo with Mount Cook National Park in the background on the South Island of New Zealand

New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury, Lake Tekapo, background: Mount Cook National Park, Unesco World Heritage Site. Southwest New Zealand World Heritage Area. Maori: Te Wahipounamu. Foreground: Church of the Good Shepherd.

Church of the Good Shepherd: Built in 1935, it is considered the most photographed building in New Zealand, It is a registered historic place in New Zealand. The church contains a significant collection of Gurnsey's carvings and features an unusual altar window, which offers visitors a magnificent panoramic view of the surrounding lake and mountains. It is built from local materials and surrounded by indigenous plants makes it very much part of the surrounding landscape and gives it a timeless quality.

Lake Tekapo: Summer or winter, snow-covered or golden yellow, the surrounding mountains and turquoise lake make a spectacular backdrop for the Church of the Good Shepherd. The unforgettable night sky reveals why Lake Tekapo has a reputation for clear air.

Travel information and other information can be obtained from this website

More interesting information

The magnificent Mackenzie has a startlingly clear night sky and is about to become the worlds first "Night Sky National Park".

A few images of the night sky are here

Another image of the same landscape on Getty Images (Managed Rights) taken by Hideo Kurihara

Fraser Gunn, a resident of Lake Tekapo has a photography site.

Other interesting information, Aurora Australis can be seen from this location and it seems amazing. The above website has breathtaking pictures