Mount Cook or Aoraki (the Maori word for “cloud-piercer”) is New Zealand’s highest mountain 12, 316′. According to Maori legend, Aoraki was a young boy in the canoe Te Waka a Aoraki, which was stranded on a reef and tilted to one side. Aoraki and his brothers climbed to the high side and sat on the wreckage. The south wind froze them and turned them into stone, creating the Southern Alps/Ka Tiritiri o te Moana.
Some of the group were going to climb up to the main ridge above Mueller Glacier, a 3-4 hour slog up, too difficult for ex-Marine and myself. Iinstead we took one of the other hiking options. There were 10 short or all day walks around Aoraki/Mount Cook Village and into the main valleys, and we headed out on the Hooker Valley route, one of the most popular.

Mount Cook National Park map

Hooker Valley Track had three options from the village depending on how long you wanted to walk, anywhere from 1-1/2 to 4 hours roundtrip. The track headed up Hooker Valley towards Aoraki/Mount Cook, passing close to an Alpine Memorial, a great viewpoint. From there, we crossed over the Hooker River on swinging bridges (yes, more swinging bridges) continued beside the river’s source, eventually reaching the Hooker Glacier terminal lake. The track had markers, poles and rock cairns marking the way.

Mount Cook
Sitting outside in the sun listening to the pieces of glaciers calve off and waiting for our Mueller Glacier hikers at the Mount Cook Visiters Center, we started talking to some other Americans. Would you believe that one turned out to be a friend’s sister? All together now…what a small world!!
From Mount Cook National Park, we drove to Lake Tekapo for a one-night stay with day hiking. There were two hikes (walks) to choose from: The South Hill Walk that took you through the historic area of Oamaru and up onto Cape Wanbrow offering views of the town and coastline; and the Skyline Walk climbing climbing up the hills on the west side of Oamaru. Lake Ohau Lodge functions as one of New Zealand’s premier ski resorts during the winter with spectacular lake and mountain views.


Lake Tekapo
This was a little church on the lake shore in Tekapo, the Church of the Good Shepherd and it is considered to be one of the most photographed churches in the world. It was erected in 1935 as a memorial to the piioneers of the area. And close to the church is another memorial – a sheepdog – the unsung heros of high country farming.

Church of the Good Shepherd
After the coolness of Milford, it was unbelievably hot hiking around this area and we were mentally and physically exhausted and ready to head home.
What can I say about New Zealand?
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