Hooker Valley Hike

Day 14: Hooker Valley/Mt. Cook Hike, Drive Van & Follow Tour Bus, Billy the Bard, Star Gazing

Day 14 meant unfortunately saying goodbye to the holiday homes. While most of the group boarded the coach with Reese; Paige, Jade and myself hopped into the van we rented to follow the group to our next destination. The drive up to Hooker Valley hiking trail reminded me of the backside of the Road to Hanna, with its winding roads on the side of mountain hills rolling into Lake Pukaki. The road also provided the group with our first views of Mount Cook, the largest mountain in New Zealand. We eventually arrived at the start of the Hooker Valley trail, beginning the 1.5hr hike to the Mt. Cook viewpoint. With mountains on both sides of the trail, it was hard not to take photos every second of the walk. Eventually we reached the end of the trail to see the mountain and several small glacial icebergs sitting on Hooker Lake. Unfortunately, the rain started to push us out of the valley, and so we continued to our next hostel in Lake Tekapo.Read more