New Zealand Tekapo Dog Momument

Lake Tekapo is in the Mackenzie District. This area was named after James Mackenzie, a Scottish shepherd turned sheep rustler, who was the first settler discover the area. Mackenzie, with the help of his dog Friday, drove flocks of sheep inland to avoid being discovered in the 1850's. Sheep have been farmed in the area ever since.

A bronze memorial to working sheep dogs, such as Friday, was commissioned in 1968 by local farmers and now stands on the shores of Lake Tekapo near the Church of the Good Shepherd.

Tekapo is renowned for its dark night skies and in 2009 became the the worlds first UNESCO World Heritage’s Starlight Reserve.

Get a red head lamp. Your ability to see the stars at night is greatly enhanced after spending about 10 minutes away from bright white lights. The best way to keep moving and see what you are doing is with a red light.

When moving around an area where there are a lot of other photographers, try not to shine your torch around the landscape. Keep it point downwards. Time lapse photographers will have been standing in the cold for hours and will get grumpy if you add a bright foreground to their movie. Scout the area during daylight plan your shots early.

The dog monument is about 100 meters from the church.