Bob and Faye saw us off at the Rotorua airport and we flew to Christchurch for the South Island part of our trip. We picked up a rental car and checked out Christchurch for our first day there. It’s a fun city, and we enjoyed exploring the downtown, including finding some craft beer and Tibetan momos in Riverside Market! We also got to meet up with Angie’s former student, Sarah, who is a biology professor at Canterbury University. It was so fun to catch up with her and hear all about the interesting work she’s doing with pipefish genetics. It was also nice to hear what life is like in Christchurch. It’s so great to learn about the cool things students have gone on to do after graduation!
The next day we drove to Aoraki / Mt. Cook to stay for a few nights at the Hermitage Hotel. We stopped on the way for pies at Fairlie Pies – recommended by Bob as the best pies in New Zealand. They didn’t disappoint! The drive to Mt. Cook Village is stunning, and we were lucky to have a clear view of Aoraki for most of it. Angie kept getting out the camera to take photos while Adam drove!
We reached the hotel in time for a snack break, before checking into our room. We decided to do a short walk before dinner. The Governors Bush Hike is a quick walk from the hotel, and heads up the hill above Mt. Cook village through a forest with some nice views over the valleys. It was also a quiet walk – we were the only ones there!
Back at the hotel, I had booked us a “no view” room. Turns out some of those rooms DO have views, and we were treated to a spectacular glimpse of Aoraki in the morning when we got up.
That morning we had decided to do the popular Hooker Valley hike, so after an early breakfast we set out to get to the parking lot at the trailhead before the crowds rolled in. There were already quite a few people starting the walk, but it was still pretty quiet. We enjoyed the cool air of the morning, and were treated with spectacular views all along the trail.
The trail ends up at Hooker Lake, and you can see across the lake to Mueller Glacier, with Aoraki / Mt. Cook behind it. The day we were there was absolutely clear. We took a break by the lakeside and ate a snack while enjoying the gorgeous view. And, we couldn’t help but be inspired by nearby young people doing some kind of social medial photoshoot, so we also took a few funny Insta-worthy photos! 🙂
On the way back I couldn’t resist a few wildflower photos, but by this time the sun was high enough we weren’t in shade anymore, so it was WARM. We didn’t linger too much because of the heat.
The day after we did the Hooker Valley Track was overcast and rainy, so in Sauer family rainy day tradition we checked out the Visitor Center. We enjoyed the many interesting displays about the history of the valley and the natural life that lives there. We also talked to a ranger who recommended the Tasman Glacier View Track as a good one to do for a quick nearby hike. We headed out for that walk, and enjoyed the short stretch up to the lake overlook. We couldn’t see much of the mountains, but the lake was interesting and there is another little lake that was surrounded by wildflowers and quite pretty.
For our final morning in Mt. Cook Village, we decided to take a Glacier Explorers tour of Lake Tasman to see the Tasman Glacier from a closer vantage point. We again lucked out with the weather, and it was clear and beautiful that morning. We were also lucky enough to have a glaciologist for our boat captain as well! We loved geeking out with all the information she told us about the glacier and the icebergs in the lake.
After the tour we headed off in the car towards Wanaka, which is the next post in this series. As we drove away, we couldn’t help but stop by the side of the road next to Lake Pukaki for one more chance at the beautiful views of Aoraki / Mt. Cook!
