Mount Cook

James and I went on a fantastic 10 km hike today. Again this suggestion came from Jamie; to walk the Hooker Valley trail to get great views of Mount Cook from Hooker lake at the end of it. And that’s exactly what we did. After leaving beautiful Wanaka - oh how I would love to return there one day! - we drove towards Tekapo, turning off down a 65 km detour to the trail. It was a long drive in but the views were stunning. For a long time we drove along the side of turquoise opaque Lake Pukaki. When we arrived at the car park from where quite a few trails commenced, we were surprised at how busy it was; lots of campervans as well as cars. It is clearly a very popular place and no wonder. We set off along the trail. It wasn’t hard going, but it was a bit too hot for me. The slight breeze was blowing from behind us so only my rucksack was cooled by it! When we arrived at the lake it was so worth it! This lake was also opaque but it was grey in colour and had small icebergs floating in it. Above and beyond it was mighty Mount Cook, hanging glaciers clinging to her upper slopes. In fact the valley that we walked up had once been covered with a glacier but it has retreated. We had a great time paddling in the icy water, it cooled me right down. It was so beautiful that I didn’t want to leave. However there was a bonus on the way back; the gentle cooling breeze was on our faces this time and it made for a much more pleasant walk. Our next stop was the small town of Tekapo, set on a lake and with a very special designation - Dark Skies.