Mount Cook - the Final New Zealand Post

As our time in New Zealand was coming to an end we had to make our way from Queenstown area, where we were luxuriating in our time with friends, to the airport at Christchurch.  Along that route was a stop that we had identified as a “must do” when we started researching our time in New Zealand.  The drive takes you past Mount Cook National Park and in particular a campground called White Horse Hill, from which you can embark on the Hooker Valley walk.

We had originally planned a few days in this area, but we were having such a nice time with our friends that we left later than planned and only budgeted one night on the road.  When we turned onto the road for the national park we got a sense that something magical was brewing.   The main tip off was the colour of Lake Pukaki.  As we drove along the shores of the lake I kept taking off my sunglasses, thinking there must be a trick at play, as the lake was a shocking turquoise colour.  We had seen beautiful colours in many lakes and rivers in New Zealand, but on this particular day, with clouds lingering in the sky, the lake looked supernatural.  As we drove into the valley, towards the campground, we marveled at the lake and started to get glimpses of the mountain peaks between the clouds.

Looking back at where we came from, you can just glimpse the turquoise lake in the distance.
Do not ask me why we did not stop to get an actual photo of the lake.  I think it was the magic.
 I also planned to get photos on our return drive, but that day it was clear blue skies and the lake was a much more "normal" colour.  Amazing tricks of sediment and light refraction.  And magic.

This is the road driving into the Valley, on the day we left when the skies were clear and Mt Cook was piercing the blue sky.

When we arrived at the campground it was mid afternoon and the place was full of campers and trampers and tour buses and cars.  It was PACKED. From the parking lot the place felt like an amusement park, but one whose attractions were walks into the wilderness.

We set up our tent so we had a spot to sleep and set off on the Hooker Valley hike.  This is an easy 10km walk on fairly flat terrain that takes you across three swing bridges and leads you deeper into the valley.  As we walked the clouds broke up and the sky cleared.  With a gasp we realized we were hiking in the shadow of towering mountains.  There were views every which way you looked including glaciers and waterfalls along with snowy peaks.  Mount Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand and it felt like a gift getting to see its peak and surroundings mountains so clearly exposed in the blue sky.

Imagine getting this close to the mountains from a boardwalk! 
This ease of access is what sets New Zealand's landscapes apart from other places we've trekked in the world.

At the end of the walk (or more accurately the turnaround spot) is a high alpine lake that has icebergs floating in it.  These have broken off from the glacier that ends in the lake.  We played at the edge of the water, marveling at how cold the water was.  Truly just a few degrees above freezing.

From the walk we returned to our campsite where we enjoyed our last night camping under the stars.  This campground was in some ways the most majestic and closest to the mountains, but it was also one of the busiest.  That said it was a fitting place to end our New Zealand adventure, highlighting how the beauty of New Zealand wilderness is remarkably accessible.  

Our trusty little tent served us well in New Zealand.
Within 12 hours of waking up here we were in Sydney Australia. Crazy!