Day 8: Aoraki (Mt. Cook)
After a good night’s rest in our RV, we returned to Mt. Cook National Park for some day-treks. We opted for the most popular, the Hooker Valley Trail, with stunning views of the mountain peaks.
Hooker Valley Trail to Aoraki
A couple of boots chillin’ in view of the mountain
We got back to the RV just in time for a leisurely lunch, and hit the trails again to check out the longest glacier in New Zealand – the Tasman Glacier. Unfortunately, we discovered that the glacier, while very big, is covered in a layer of moraine (AKA: dirt) so it’s not super impressive. But we had fun walking around the glacial & alpine lakes nonetheless.
A windy view of the Tasman Glacier – covered in dirt.
Just keep hiking! Stopping to visit the Memorial to climbers who have perished on Mt. Cook. (over 200!)
Igor testing the waters of the “Blue Lakes”
Exfoliating glacier silt – good for the feet!
After walking most of the day-trails in the park and visiting the museum for some interesting facts about the history of the mountain, climbing attempts & accidents, we discovered that Mt. Cook is easily done as a day-trip (unless you plan on forking over $100s for helicopter tours). So we decided to hit the road a day early and head toward Lake Tekapo.
South Island sunset
The tricked out RV park in town was crazy crowded, so we headed for a cheap-o $5 site 15min away. While we had no electric hook-up, and the place looked like a shady parking lot in the boonies, once we shut the curtains, we enjoyed a delicious dinner in our private oasis.
We’re the 4th car from the left. Just pour a little bubbly, and the crowd disappears!
Wow, we leave in two days for New Zealand — getting so excited especially after seeing all the wonderful pictures. Love you Mom and Bo