Mount Cook

So leaving Lake Tekapo on another cloud-free day we stopped off at a nearby salmon farm. The farm is actually setup in a canal created to take the water exiting the Lake Tekapo hydro-power station to another hydro-power station further down the line of stations at the next lake, Lake Pukaki (New Zealand generates a huge proportion of it's electricity from hydro-power, which fits nicely into it's national 'green' image). Apparently this constant fresh water flow prevents many common fish-farming diseases, and so after a short tour from the friendly owner, a bit of fish feeding, and a free sashimi taster, we bought some fresh salmon for that evening's dinner.

So after a fabulous drive along the lake shore with fleeing glimpses of the snow capped mountains in the distance we arrived that afternoon at Mount Cook village, and after checking it out (including popping into the exclusive and famous Hermitage Hotel - and using the free Internet that I stumbled across as I was exploring the views from the top floor!), we setup camp in the nearby Department of Conservation (DOC) campsite.

I think maybe our 4 days at Mount Cook capture most succinctly some of my most lasting impressions of New Zealand in general. Basically here we were with free entry to one of the most important National Parks in the country, in amazingly cheap accommodation (all the DOC sites around New Zealand are only a few dollars each per night, although the facilities are very basic), with a large number of completely free hikes that are all brilliantly maintained and signposted, and with truly majestic snow capped mountains greeting you each morning. For me at least, it just seemed to capture an important aspect of life in general - being able to emerse yourself in the splendor and majesty of the natural world, without it being 'enhanced' by interpretative centres or surrounded by 'safety' fences, or protected by security guards. And of course, access should ideally be free - and in all those regards the kiwis seem to have it spot-on.

Certainly in Australia we had to pay just to enter most of the National Parks (in one of Tasmania's parks I asked if we could just walk through the gate to have our lunch and then leave, i.e. not actually walk or hike through the park, but I was told no, I'd have to pay the full entry fee - needless to say, we just drove on). I remember getting quite annoyed at having to pay to enter Dun Aengus on Inish Mor years ago, something we never had to do when I as a kid, but such is progress I suppose (and obviously I know that these monuments have to be protected from vandals, and general idiot tourists - it's all just such a pity though).

Anyway, we spent 3 nights at the DOC campsite, and all very cosy it was too nestled at the base of a large hill, just around the side of which was a great view up the valley to Mount Cook itself. Over those 4 days I hiked all the marked one day trails in the area (various lengths, but about 8 in all I think). My favorite hike was the Hooker Valley, which basically just follows the valley that approaches Mount Cook, giving a clear view of the mountain for practically the whole length of the walk.

Later that same day I did the Meuller Hut hike, which was far more challenging, as it involves climbing a steep mountain. I actually met Sarah who was coming back down (she wasn't feeling the best that morning, so didn't fancy the Hooker Valley, but felt better later and decided to do the Mueller Hut trek). At the top of the climb there was a ferociously strong wind, probably the strongest wind I've ever encountered. I knew the Mueller Hut (used by hikers trekking for multiple days), wasn't that much further on, but I was thinking it was getting a bit late in the day, and I thought things might get dodgy going down the mountain if the wind got much stronger. So I turned back after a couple of photos and some mad leaning-into-the-wind antics.

On one of the hikes I saw a big chunk of ice break off an iceberg and crash into the Tasman glacier lake - pretty cool to see (although I didn't actually hear any crash or anything, but still another one of those things I've always wanted to see, so another one ticked off the list).

On our last evening, after checking out the impressive Edmund Hillary centre (which had a couple of good planetarium shows, and a great documentary on Hillary himself of course), we splashed out on dinner at the famous Hermitage hotel's restaurant. We had no trouble getting a table, and arrived at the perfect time to watch the last of the daylight disappear while gazing at Mount Cook through the huge restaurant windows. It was a fantastic meal too, one of the best of the trip, and not too expensive either.

But when we came back from the restaurant, we discovered to our surprise that our picnic table had been stolen! It was awkward having the table and chairs in the van while we slept, so we'd generally keep them under the van at night, and we hadn't bothered to put them back in the van before we left for the village that afternoon. Although it was very annoying (and Sarah got up early the next morning to scour the town looking for the culprits (our neighbours at the campsite saw the guys using it for their dinner, and then drive off with it)), it was really a bit of a blessing in the end. We had very rarely used the table, and never missed it thereafter, so in the end it saved us from having to cart it around (and the rental people just dismissed it without any charge to us, which was nice of them really).

Anyway, after no sign of the thieves, I did a big 5 hour hike up the Tasman Valley, hoping to see the terminal face of the Tasman glacier. It was actually quite a boring hike this time, and you don't get close to the glacial face at all really (just the rocky moraine top surface level, which is still kinda impressive I suppose when there are big holes in the ice). After a quick stop at the hut for my lunch, where the road just runs out (the glacier is still eroding it's way down the valley, and the hut has been moved a couple of times in the past), I came back, and we made our way South to the town of Twizel.