Eventually having to leave, we followed the walkway down the northern tussock slopes of Mt John to the lake again, where a long walk south along its open shoreline gave us many opportunities to admire the quality of the water colour and subtle variations in its intensity with wind movement on the lake and changes in sunlight.
Two days earlier we had crossed Arthur's Pass, with its many highly reputed tramping tracks, took one look at the mountains, bare under a greyish sky, and said "Nah!, let's keep going". Were we reaching the point of tramping burn-out? Perhaps, but after our unexpected and greatly rewarding stroll at Lake Tekapo we returned to the backpackers with a renewed enthusiasm.
Tomorrow Mt Cook - yes!!!