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The MacKenzie Country was named after an infamous sheep
rustler (stealer) named MacKenzie who used this high country plain as a giant
holding pen for his stolen ewes. The region is fantastically beautiful,
lined on all sides by great snowy mountains, including the highest, Mt Cook, and
dotted with azure blue glacier fed lakes. The plains glow with the yellow
tussock grass and are crossed with silver rivers of rushing clear water.
Routes into the MacKenzie include over Burkes Pass from Fairlie and
Christchurch, and over the Lindis Pass from Queenstown, Wanaka and the West
Coast. The Lindis Pass road offers a stunning view of much of the
MacKenzie basin.
Notable points in the MacKenzie country are Mt Cook and
Lake Pukaki, which have excellent facilities for all types of mountain
adventures and Lake Tekapo, a summer time haven for boating and swimming, and a
winter time scenic delight, featuring the quaint stone Church of the Good
Shepherd and nearby sheep dog monument. The area has many other lakes,
rivers and mountains and provides adventure and scenic tours and activities for
all tastes.
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