This was a great day, spent in the area we’d flown over the day before.
The drive into the area had some spectacular sights
When we arrived the Hooker Valley was shrouded in cloud so we started with a short walk, with a lot of stairs, up to the Tasman Glacier viewpoint. This finished with a great view over the terminal lake. This path was surrounded by many wild flowers, and great views down the valley back toward Lake Pukaki.
This was the car park.
The higher we got the more it opened up the valley.
The glacier was just visible.
As were the "icebergs" in the lake
This was followed by the Hooker Valley Trek, one of New Zealand’s great day walks. Thankfully the cloud cleared so we could appreciate the views. This was relatively easy walking among great scenery up to the Hooker Lake, at the base of the Hooker Glacier. This felt like Malham Cove, a striking area but really busy.
The first of three swing bridges,
It was a great view from the bridge.
Where ever you look there is lush plant life
As we headed back to the car the clouds were rolling back into the valley.
Alpine Plants
As we drove back to Tekapo there was one last view of Mount Cook over Lake Pukaki.
The day finished with probably the best meal of the trip at McKenzies.
