• Chris DicksonNew Zealand 2025Traveler
    Intrepid walker, in the sun, rain and wind, all at once
    The Twizel RiverThe Twizel RiverDistant view of Mt Cook, from Twizel. Only time we saw itLake PukakiScrambling up the Glencoe TrackA tui. I thinkThe road in to Aoraki/Mt CookViews from the Glencoe WalkKea Point TrackView from Kea Point. Mt Cook is somewhere out thereLake PukakiTribute to the border collies and their role in the sheep industryThe Church of the Good ShepherdFootbridge over the Tekapo RiverLake Tekapo

    Aoraki/Mt Cook and Tekapo

    Oct 14–18 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Our New Zealand holiday came to an end with two more incredibly scenic destinations, as has been the case for the past three-and-a-bit weeks.

    It is a beautiful country to visit - unspoiled, unhurried, uncrowded, in some cases untamed. You can find a parking spot in all but the busiest places, and the tourist setup, especially in the national parks, is beyond excellent. There is history aplenty to go with the stunning natural beauty.

    We returned to the alps with a visit to Mt Cook, about forty-five minutes from our base in the town of Twizel. Even the drive in was great, with pretty Lake Pukaki adding still more shades of blue to the world’s collection.

    When we arrived, we set out on the short Glencoe Walk, only about twenty minutes to a viewpoint just behind the township. It was a steep, scrambling affair that soon had us regretting the excessive food and drink of the past three weeks. The views from the end of the walk were excellent, though.

    Back in town, we had lunch at a cafe that managed to include not a single healthy item on its menu. You could have a burger. Or a cake. They didn’t even do decaf.

    Then we walked out to Kea Point, about six kilometres return. The walking was easy, along gravel tracks and boardwalks, and the scenery excellent.

    The weather was interesting, too. It was sunny, with light rain falling, and an icy wind that at times cut through the thickest of clothing.

    Anyway, we soon reached the end and were rewarded with a striking view of the glacier moraine and the nearby cliffs. And the space between the cliffs where Mt Cook would be were it not completely obscured by cloud.

    So we made our way back, Mt Cook viewless, and drove back to Twizel for some drinks and dinner.

    Our final destination was Lake Tekapo, a short drive from Twizel.

    Another impossibly-blue, impossibly-scenic lake, with a small but growing township at its southern end, we enjoyed a quiet few days to finish off the holiday.

    We took a look at the Church of the Good Shepherd, which, back in 1935, its founders had the good sense to put on a promontory with lake and mountain scenery all around.

    All that is needed for the perfect photo, apparently, is to strike the right pose in front of it, or so it seemed from the busloads of people who were doing just that.

    And so we are on our way home, looking forward to seeing loved ones, going on a diet and saving up for another adventure.    Read more