Hooker Valley (Mount Cook) and Wanaka

We drove to the foot of Mount Cook at the head of the valley that the big lake is in.
We could not quite believe that mountains still had snow on them as the temperature was 21 deg at 9 am rising through the day to 29 where we were. The ice and snow was clinging to the mountain sides with little rivulets feeding the river in the Hooker Valley below.
We walked the 10km Hooker Valley walk up to the lake which has formed at the bottom of the Hooker Valley glacier, a rise of about 80 m in total and a pleasant easy stroll along a well defined route. The wind however was howling and the journey across one of the three suspension bridges on the way was exciting as it was sideways onto the wind. The valley was beautiful and the views to the mountain and its surrounds spectacular.
The waters coming off the mountains were very grey as they passed down the valley to Lake Pukaki. They carry minerals which give the lake the turquoise colour.
We then travelled to Wanaka, further south, which is a happening place on the banks of Lake Wanaka. Wanaka was busy with tourists and so many camper vans. We have chosen a quiet site to the west of the town, next to the lake. We are on the upper terrace of the site with the most amazing views of the mountains and turquoise blue lake. We plan on staying here for 2 nights and will be exploring the town and its winery tomorrow.Read more