Mackenzie Sheep Dog Statue: A Hidden Gem on the Banks of Lake Tekapo
Since I was visiting Lake Tekapo, I just had to go and check out the Mackenzie Sheep Dog Statue (Near Church of the Good Shepherd). I had heard that the statue was a memorial to the sheep dogs that the Scottish shepherds who lived in the Mackenzie area kept.
The statue stood proudly on a rock on the banks of Lake Tekapo. I could see snowcapped mountains in the background. The statue of the sheep dog looked just right in those surroundings.
There was a plaque below the statue. It said, “This monument was erected by the runholders of the Mackenzie County and those who also appreciate the value of the collie dog, without the help of which the grazing of this mountain country would be impossible. Unveiled on March 7th 1968 by Sir Arthur Espie Porritt, BT, G.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., C.B.E. Governor General of New Zealand. Beannachdan Air Na Cu Caorach.” I looked the last sentence up and realized it meant “blessings on the sheep dogs” in Scottish Gaelic.
There weren’t a lot of visitors at the Mackenzie Sheep Dog Statue. But I thought it was very nice that the people of Mackenzie had made such a statue for their dogs. They had realized how important those dogs were. The dogs had worked hard to protect their farms and their lands.
As you can see in the image above, the statue is quite high up. I had to lift my head to look up at the dog. The statue was made of bronze. The dog is standing on all four legs and its head is raised. The statue was life-sized. I had heard that the sculptor who had made it had used a real sheep dog as a model.
I was staying in the area and I wanted to come and see the statue at night as well. In the evening, clouds started to fill the sky and it grew very dark. I moved a little further back to take a picture of the statue from a distance. In the dark, the statue really looked like a dog standing on a big rock. If I had not known it was a statue, I would have thought it was an actual collie.
When the sun managed to break through the clouds and shone down on the statue, the bronze glowed a little in the sunlight. It was almost time for the sun to set.
The houses in the town of Lake Tekapo began to switch on their lights. So I could see the lights coming on behind the statue of the dog. The dog stood alone on the shore of the lake. It looked like it was guarding the town.
The Mackenzie Sheep Dog Statue was one of the most unique things I had seen. I thought everyone who came to Lake Tekapo should visit the statue (besides dining at Mackenzies Café Bar & Grill and Astro Cafe). It was a wonderful tribute to those hardworking sheep dogs.
