Church of the Good Shephard The Church of the Good Shepherd is situated in the beautiful Mackenzie Country only 2 1/2 hours away from Christchurch.

Maoris were the first to venture into the Mackenzie Country, hunting moas, birds and eels to return to the coast for food and trade. In 1865 James Mackenzie, of sheep stealing fame, found the pass used by Maoris to gain access to the interior country that now bears his name. The first European settlers to make their home in the Mackenzie were Barbara and John Hay in 1858.

Accommodation at Takapo House was available from the 1880's until its demolition in 1954 when the lake was raised for power generation.

In 1935 the Duke of Gloucester laid the foundation stone for the Church of the Good Shepherd to commemorate the pioneers of the Mackenzie Country. The bronze sheepdog statue was erected in 1968.

Started in 1938 the Lake Tekapo hydro electric station was finished in 1951. Lake Tekapo water travels along a series of canals to pass through eight power stations accounting for one quarter of the power generated in the Waitaki Valley. Hydro development created the demand for a village that now caters for tourists.