After completion of our Doubtful Sound cruise, we had about a week to be on the north end of the island, some 1200 km (700 mi) away. So we had some serious ground to cover, and a too-big list of ideas collected both from our own research and from excited fellow travelers. But with one eye on the weather and a tentative plan, we headed north from Te Anau.
Our first objective was Aoraki / Mt. Cook. But to get there, we had to first drive back to essentially Queenstown, and up and over the Crown Range to Wanaka. The drive was a delight. Windy roads, nearly endless pastured hillsides dotted with sheep, lakes, mountains ... and nice weather! Wanaka itself is pretty laid-back town on a big lake surrounded by mountains. And no obvious signs of the high-octane adventures that abound in Queenstown. Nice little restaurants and bakeries. There's reported to be some good tramping around that we initially planned to try out, but we gave in to the vibe and just walked around town, spent the night, and kept movin'.
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| Pastured Hillside |
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| Hill hugging "highway" along Lake Wakitpu |
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| Wanaka Sunset |
From Wanaka to Aoraki / Mount Cook, the drive continued to impress. Big-sky country, and definitely much drier than the west coast. And suddenly, beyond huge Lake Pukaki, glacier-draped Aoraki / Mount Cook beckoning in the distance!
Aoraki / Mount Cook is the tallest mountain in New Zealand, at over 3700 m (12,000 ft). It's also the only place in New Zealand with a dual official name ... a combination of the Maori and European names. Geographically, there's a vast flat river plane (at about 700m) with the peaks jutting up another 2000 - 3000 meters. It's also a national park, and as such, was a bit crowded at times. But Karen was way smart and splurged for the more-expensive in-park accommodations, allowing us to just chill out and enjoy the evening and morning light without all the hustle and bustle. We spent the better part of two days tramping around. Crystal clear skies. Giant glaciated peaks all around, and very close. Big lakes with icebergs that had calved from the glacier walls at the inlets. Truly awesome! The crowds were only a bit annoying on one of our hikes (mid afternoon on Hooker Valley Track), but even then, we found some lonesome time to absorb it all by pushing on past the nominal end of the trail. Definitely inspiring.
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| Hillside textures |
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| Aoraki / Mount Cook beyond Lake Pukaki |
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| Bridge on Hooker Valley Track |
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| Glaciers on Mt Setton |
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| Alpine flora |
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| Aoraki / Mount Cook above Hooker Lake |
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| Aoraki / Mount Cook Sunset (from our hotel) |
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| Hooker River Valley and Burnett Mountains (Mt Cook Village, middle right) |
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| Glacial tarns |
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| Aoraki / Mount Cook |
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| Tourist boats departing glacier wall on Tasman Lake (Minarets beyond) |
Activities
- Hike Hooker Valley track, plus some of Ball Pass route
- Hike Sealy Tarns track (first 1000 steps of the 1800 steps)
- Hike Tasman Glacier View track
- Aoraki / Mt Cook Visitor Center
5-Star Moments
- Aoraki / Mount Cook! The whole damn thing!
Random Scenes
- When washing my hands in the men's bathroom at Altamont Lodge, I noted, with a bit of surprise, that there were 2 sinks. But wait, when I showered earlier, there were 3. Oh, no! I must have showered in the women's bathroom!! All's well that ends well.
- Enjoying our solitude beyond the end of Hooker Valley Track, when a group of tourists approach, and promptly launch their UAV. They had simply no awareness and/or concern of the impact of their actions on others. Never mind that UAVs simply aren't allowed there.
Tom's Daily Stress Points
- If I go up all 1800 steps, will I screw my knees up and ruin the rest of our trip? (stress level = medium-low)
Sleeps
- Wanaka: Altamont Lodge (totally ok, beds were pretty hard)
- Mt Cook: Aoraki Mt Cook Alpine Lodge (killer mountain view, very comfortable)
Noteable Eats
- Wanaka: Big Fig (decent quick dinner), Doughbin Bakery (good pastries)
- Mt Cook: Old Mountaineers' Cafe Bar and Restaurant (totally fine dinner)
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