Aoraki Mt Cook National Park: Hooker Valley Walk

6 August 2021

Today is forecast to be the best day of our stay so we decide to drive to Aoraki Mt Cook National Park – about an hour’s drive away. As we head across the plains we encounter huge bands of clouds and banks of fog, which make for interesting driving particularly as we encounter a large herd of cows that have got through a gate and are about to cross the main highway. We drive past and flash our headlights at people coming the other way, and others stop to try to convince the cows back where they were supposed to be.

Breakfast was first on our agenda for the morning and Chloe had discovered that Poppies Restaurant in Twizel (just past the turn off to the National Park) had a great write up. We eventually found the aptly described ‘hidden gem’ and choose a table right beside the fireplace. Margot and Chloe have the Breakfast Burritos and I opt for the Eggs Benedict with local hot smoked salmon.

Once we finish breakfast the fog has lifted and the sun is trying to peek through the clouds. The road to the National Park looks a lot more optimistic now but the legendary glacial blue Lake Pukaki is still looking decidedly gray and uninviting. As we get closer to Mt Cook Village we get glimpses of snow-clad peaks appearing through the clouds. A quick stop at the Visitor Centre reassures us that everything is open, and we head to the start of the Hooker Valley Track.

The Hooker Valley Track is a relatively flat 3 hour return walk that leads from the campground at Mt Cook village up the Hooker Valley, past Mueller Lake and Mueller Glacier to Hooker Lake and the Hooker Glacier at the foot of Aoraki Mt Cook – NZ’s highest mountain. There is lots of snow on the ground around us and we are very glad to have our multiple layers of clothing with hats and gloves. But the sun comes out and we start to warm up – and suddenly Aoraki Mt Cook magically appears in the valley ahead of us! All is right with the world – what a majestic sight!

We are very slow with our walk as we stop every few meters to take yet another photo. There are several swing bridges across the river, and lots of lookout points for the spectacular scenery along the way. Whilst we would have loved to have had the place to ourselves, we are delighted to see so many NZ families out enjoying the walk. Everyone is friendly and some provide us with entertainment with their antics.

When we reach Hooker Lake the sun is streaming down and it almost feels like a summer’s day (with puffer jackets). The surface of the lake is frozen apart from some bands where icebergs have drifted across. It is quite unreal – I feel like I am back in Iceland visiting the Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon. We spend a long time gazing at the scenery and taking photos of patterns in the ice and colours of the icebergs; we also curse at the idiots who seem determined to ruin it by throwing rocks.

Even though it is a beautiful day we know that it will get very cold again the moment the sun goes down behind the mountains so we are concerned by people just starting the walk as we head back, with very little warm clothing. We feel that we have earned afternoon tea at the Hermitage Hotel (a rather lovely hotel that has views right up the valley to Aoraki Mt Cook).

Our postponed stargazing experience is scheduled for tonight so we have to head back to Tekapo (willing the skies to stay clear). But we do have to stop to take quite a few more photos along the way as Lake Pukaki has regained some of its legendary colour and there are spectacular views across the lake and back up to Mt Cook.

Back home, we have just enough time for a quick freshen up and to put even more layers on as the temperature is dropping fast. Our luck holds and the Dark Sky Project’s Summit Experience is going ahead. We meet at their centre in Tekapo village and are presented with red light torches and gigantic polar jackets to keep us warm before all bundling into their bus for the trip up to the Mt John Observatory. For more information on stargazing see my previous post.

After an amazing evening stargazing we arrive back in the village and hope there is somewhere open for us to have something to eat (particularly as we had observed that many places closed early). Just along from the Dark Sky centre, Our Dog Friday is open although it is very busy and we have to sit outside! Thankfully they have very effective heaters and delicious hot toddies to keep us warm.