Day 19: South Island New Zealand~Mount Cook

We left Lake Hāwea, near Wanaka early, our journey to Mount Cook was only about 207 km but we wanted to get there in time to hike one of the many trails we’d been told about. We knew we were fortunate to have blue skies, at this time of year it’s possible to get to Mount Cook and not be able to see it, and a three hour hike in the rain is not my idea of fun! I did wonder though, as we headed off for this much talked about destination, would it really be as incredible as all the hype? And as we were driving towards New Zealand’s highest mountain, how far away would we be when we caught a glimpse of it? Initially, as we drove through more dramatic, undulating countryside, there were few people, towns or even sheep, and certainly no mountains in sight.

Peters Look Out at Lake Pukaki

When we were about 70km away the road began to run alongside Lake Pukaki and just before that we caught our first glimpse of the mountains in the distance. We stopped at the next available place, Peters Look Out, on Lake Pukaki, which originally had sat at the top of a terrace above a much smaller lake than where we were now above. The damming of the southern end of the lake for Hydro Electric Power, initially in the 1950’s and then the 1970’s, had doubled the lake’s original length and raised its height by almost 50 meters.

Studying the information boards we read Peters Look Out is one of the best vantage points to see Mount Cook, towering above the clouds to a dazzling 3724m.

The legend of Aoraki

We also learned that Mount Cook’s Maori name is Aoraki and that the Maori people regard Mount Cook as an ancestral mountain. Legend has it that an ancestor of Aoraki came from the heavens in a waka or canoe bringing with him his three brothers. On their journey home the waka crashed into the ocean. The three brothers climbed to the highest side of the wreckage where they sat and waited, eventually taking form as mountains first known as Te Waka-o-Aoraki (the canoe of Aoraki), today, in English referred to as the Southern Alps.

As we grew closer the majesty of this mountain intensified.

Its jagged, white capped beauty dominating the skyline, the surrounding glaciers framing it’s magnificence, a dramatic reminder of the might of nature

Hotel Hermitage

At the end of the valley, at the mouth of this stunning spectacle sits The Hotel Hermitage. It is the only hotel accommodation available but in our opinion, given the remoteness of the location, the best choice to be able to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy all the Mount Cook park area has to offer. There are several hiking trails, plane excursions and boat trips out to the icebergs, you can see what’s on offer here: Mackenzienz activities.

The Hermitage Hotel has some interesting historical displays. A vintage Royal Mail van dating from 1908 was sat beneath

this aircraft with skis, a reminder of the area’s long history with aerial sightseeing and access to the surrounding mountains, particularly for skiing expeditions.

Mount Cook Ski Plane

During the 1950’s New Zealand’s Airworthiness Division spent hundreds of hours advising about the design of retractable skis for planes. Finally a solution was devised to fit the British, Auster’s airframe. Radius rods connected laminated, Oregon, pine skis to a lever outside the pilot’s window. This allowed the aircraft tires to be projected below the skis for landing on grass. Rods rotated to push the skis below the tires for snow landings. On 22 September 1955 Harry Wigley flew the first ski plane, an Auster aircraft with retractable skis. Flying with him, on that historic day was Sir Edmund Hillary.

Sir Edmund Hillary

The Edmund Hillary Museum at the hotel tells the fascinating story of one of New Zealand’s most famous heroes, Sir Edmund Hillary. Hillary was born in Auckland in 1919, to a family of beekeepers. After his first visit to New Zealand’s Southern Alps in 1939, Hillary became enthralled with mountaineering. During his military leave as a pilot in 1944, he returned to Mount Cook with the intention of climbing it. Sadly, when his climbing partner didn’t show up, he was forced to abandon his plans because of the dangers of climbing alone especially once facing the mountain’s deep crevasses. Throughout the rest of the war Hillary pursued his passion conquering several other mountains, but the towering peak of Mount Cook, known as the most challenging mountain in New Zealand, at 3724 meters tall, still dominated his thinking. In 1948, along with three friends, he proudly achieved his dream and reached the summit of Mt Cook’s southern ridge, the first to ever do so, but Hillary was not finished.

A trip to England in 1950 took Hillary to Switzerland where he tackled the Alps of Europe, by which time his reputation and expertise had become internationally recognised. A year later he was invited to join a New Zealand team hoping to try to take on the Himalayas. Held spell bound by these giants of all mountains, Hillary promised himself that one day he would claim the greatest exploration prize in the world and reach the top of Mt Everest. At 8848.9 meters, Everest stood a great deal higher than Mount Cook, but Hillary was determined he could conquer it. A combination of careful planning, team work, sheer grit and courage, meant that on the morning of her coronation, June 2nd 1953, the young Queen Elizabeth II woke to the news that a few days earlier, May 29th 1953, Edmund Hillary together with his Sherper, Tenzing Norgay, decades before modern hiking equipment, specialized foot wear, gortex and thermal layers had even been heard of, had reached the summit of Everest. Hillary became an international hero and this outstanding kiwi athlete, whose mountaineering prowess had begun at the foot of Mount Cook was shortly afterwards recognised by the Queen with a knighthood.

The Hooker Valley Trail

Attempting to climb Mount Cook, or any of the mountains which filled the skyline was not on our agenda, but the Hooker Valley Trail was. We’d highly recommend this 6.8-mile out-and-back trail near Mount Cook Village, the spectacular views are worth the few minor challenges and it takes just under 3 hours to complete the round trip. We were there on a glorious day and it was fairly busy. October – April is considered the best time, it’s free and no booking is required.

The trail is mostly flat and well-maintained with a few inclines and steps and it crosses three swing bridges. There is a bench and a stone landing at the Muller Lake Lookout and picnic tables along the way. There is a breathtaking view over the Mueller Glacier, Hooker Lake, and up to Mount Cook at the end of the track.