[Mount Cook, New Zealand] At last. I woke up feeling more or less ‘normal’. What a huge relief after the discomfort of the past 10 days. We packed up early, paid the NZ$2 each for a shower and left the campsite as quickly as possible.

First up was a walk up to the Mount John Observatory overlooking Lake Tekapo. It was a pleasant stroll up a gradual path through pine forest. It only took around 45 minutes to climb the 300 odd vertical meters to the summit where we were met by a car park and the Observatory. The signs indicated that it is part of the University of Canterbury Physics Department – pretty cool setup with at least 5 instrument domes and a convenient coffee shop. The weather was perfect (maybe a little cool) and the views endless from the store patio but the angle of the sunlight made the lake look less blue. V and I sat a while and took a few snaps before heading back down the same path now busier with young and old walkers (‘busy’ in NZ means you can see more than 3 people if you look in any direction).

There were two small attractions on the shore of lake Tekapo that we wanted to catch before heading out. The first is a monument to the local Collie’s without whom sheep farmers would have had to do a lot more work. These ones are well trained Mom. Finally a tiny old stone church perched on the shore. A wedding was in progress surrounded by bus loads of Asian tourists. Maybe not the best choice of venue – guess it made for good photos. A quick stop at the shops – this time for essentials and beer (water is getting boring) and we hit the road.

The first time you come around a bend and spot Mount Cook seemingly rising from lake Pukaki…WOW. We won’t forget that for a long time to come. Following the length of the 30km long lake we frequently pulled into viewpoints to ogle and take photos. The lake eventually turned to a vast sprawl of intertwined tributaries as Mount Cook started to fill the windscreen. The ranger on duty at the stunning visitors centre was a friendly chap who immediately warned us that the weather was expected to change in the morning. He recommended getting to the campsite and out on the trail today. We heeded his warning and set off for the campsite. The site is classed as a ‘Basic’ which means running water (that may need boiling) and toilets. Not the most picturesque site – basically a large dusty parking lot but the sign in procedure was a novelty. You take a bag and receipt from a box. Put your fee inside and deposit it in a drop box. Can you imagine that working in Africa !?

We started out on the Hooker glacier hike around 3pm (they estimate a 3 hour round trip and it is light until 22h00 at the moment). The immaculate trail crossed over two huge pedestrian suspension bridges that were nothing like the rickety bridges we have been on in Asia. Low lying sections were raised on wooden walkways and areas where rockfall could be a problem were protected with steel mesh. Mount Cook popped out as we rounded a bend to add to the beauty of the glaciers to our left. The Hooker glacier (when we eventually reached the lake at it’s base) looks more like a large rock slide with an icy front face. We walked a little further towards the glacier passing huge icebergs in the muddy looking lake before stopping for a quick snack. After absorbing the surroundings for a few minutes we started back past some looney Kiwis taking a dip in the glacial lake. By the time we got back to camp we were knackered with the sun and exercise having taken it’s toll. Still daylight we watched the Moon rise over a glacier before retreating to our van. Early to bed for us tonight after another amazing day in New Zealand.

[Pictures: Looking out from Mt John Obeservatory. The Collie monument. A first glimpse of Mt Cook in the distance. Mount Cook – beautiful]

– Posted from my iPhone via 3G