This is the highest muggle zone of Tekapo, the much photographed Church of the Good Shepherd and the bronze statue of the collie dog. Hence the palindrome name for the geocache DOG & GOD. Tour buses drop the tourists for their photo moments at DOG for a short stroll to GOD, or vice versa. The cache is a 30mL camo pill bottle placed so that it should be sighted before its retrieval. It contains only a log, so please bring your own pen to sign. You may park your vehicle right next to the cache.
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GOD The Church of the Good Shepherd was built to the glory of God as a memorial to the pioneers of the Mackenzie Country. Its foundation stone was laid by HRH the Duke of Gloucester, on January 15, 1935. The builders of the Church were instructed that the site was to be left undisturbed, and that even the matagouri bushes surrounding the building were to remain. Rocks which happened to be on the wall lines were not to be removed. The stones for the wall were to be procured within a radius of five miles of the site, and to remain unchipped in their natural condition. This Church, which offers awe inspiring views of the lake and mountains through the altar window, is interdenominational and services are held regularly throughout the year.
DOG Scotsman James McKenzie and his dog named Friday could muster stolen sheep inland through a remote alpine pass into “a plain of immense extent”. Their deeds have been immortalized in this high country area named after him, with a-mended spelling, and a statue dedicated to all hardy working sheep dogs. Authorities were finally able to capture Mckenzie “in the company of a thousand stolen sheep” as he rustled them with his dog Friday, but they struggled to take control of the sheep due to his highly intelligent dog. It is alleged Friday continued to drive the sheep without his master's control until finally being disabled by the authorities. A bronze memorial to working collie dogs such as Friday, enabling the grazing of such mountainous country, was commissioned in 1968 by local farmers and now stands on the shores of Lake Tekapo near the Church of the Good Shepherd. The dog also watches over this cache. Enjoy your stroll around DOG & GOD.