Aoraki – A Weekend at Mighty Mount Cook

It’s been a long time since my alarm went off at 7am on a Saturday morning, my weekends are used for relaxing and sleeping in is a big part of that. However despite the (relatively) early wake-up this was still set to be one of those relaxing weekends. With bags packed the night before all that was required in the morning was to get up and start driving, with an obligatory stop at the supermarket to get drinks, lollies and similar road trip supplies.

Mount Cook National Park

With the goal of Aoraki/Mount Cook in mind we set off heading south out of Christchurch. First stop of the day is coffee in Ashburton, the sad thing for people travelling through Ashburton is that State Highway 1 by-passes the town centre so many people miss out all the great cafes, galleries and museums. However you do pass the Ashburton Domain which is a great place to stretch your legs, with over 37 hectares of land dedicated to lawns, gardens and sports grounds, though my favourite has always been the aviary.

Heading south out of Ashburton we continue towards Geraldine, many locals recommend a scenic route by the name of Thompson’s Track which goes around Ashburton and is supposed to be a lot quicker, however every time my co-pilot has directed me this way it has ended poorly, it would have also meant I missed getting a coffee and after my early start this was not an option I wanted to consider.

The next essential stop was at Talbot Forest Cheese in Geraldine, I had the foresight to buy some crackers at my supermarket stop before leaving Christchurch and after sampling just about every cheese I could (I avoided the blue cheese, I’m sure it was delicious if you like that but it’s not for me), made my purchase before hitting the road again. I also recommend a visit to the Barker’s shop, just a couple of stores up from Talbot’s, a very tasty range of fruit/vegetable jams, spreads and sauces, but with Christmas behind me, no birthdays (that I could remember) coming up and the lack of foresight to bring a loaf of bread with me I decided against visiting this trip for fear of a lack of self control and impulse purchases.

With the majority of straight coastal highway behind me I was soon reminded why I volunteered to drive the whole 700ish kilometre round trip myself, the drive from here on is by far my favourite driving route in New Zealand, the landscape is so diverse and serene, and my absolute favourite moment is the very first sighting of Lake Tekapo as you round the corner, its turquoise blue water is a beautiful sight to behold and such a contrast to the terrain you have just driven through that you can’t help but be impressed. The next must-do stop on the trip was at the Church of the Good Shepherd, whether you are religious or not (the church is interdenominational) it is well worth a stop, located on the shore of Lake Tekapo and built as a memorial to the pioneers of the region. Those pioneers put in a lot of hard work establishing the region and their hard work seems to have paid off (as far as I am concerned). I would be very pleased with myself if someone built something like this as a memorial to me! Definitely have your camera handy, photos of this stone building in front of a majestic blue lake and the surrounding mountain range are essential.

Carrying on towards Mount Cook you get to spend a large portion of this remaining leg driving along the west side of Lake Pukaki which is just as spectacular as its eastern cousin, both Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki are glacier fed and both have the distinctive blue colouring from the glacial water. About 15 minutes before Mount Cook we stopped at Glentanner Park Centre, situated on Glentanner Station, it offers all sorts of affordable accommodation, but more importantly (from my point of view) was the runway and helicopter pad where Air Safaris and The Helicopter Line run some of their flightseeing tours from, unfortunately they were all booked up for the day, so I learnt a very valuable lesson: book ahead!

Fortunately my accommodation at The Hermitage was all booked and 15 minutes up the road I checked in and went up to my room. Opening the curtains revealed an amazing view of the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, the Southern Alps and of course the mighty ‘Cloud Piercer’ of Aoraki himself. The view proves to be so inspiring that a quick decision is made to go find a walking track, as despite the view from the room, it probably has nothing on being immersed right in the surrounding foliage.

Right on. The view was amazing, but getting down amongst it was something else. After a short drive following the signs to Hooker Valley we arrived at a car park and a Department of Conservation (DoC) camp ground with a number of walks sign posted for our convenience. Less than 5 minutes in to the track was a memorial for those who had lost their lives in the area, a not so subtle reminder of how dangerous things can turn, or more importantly, to make sure you are adequately prepared to help minimise the danger. I continue along the very well maintained track (camping fees in the park go towards the maintenance of the tracks and facilities) until hunger gets the best of me.

Back in the Mount Cook village I decide to stop in at the Old Mountaineers Cafe Bar & Restaurant, with its plethora of organic foods on the menu it reminds you of the eco-awareness that being in (and for the locals living and working in) a national park instils.

After dinner I went to see the 3D movie Mount Cook Magic at the Sir Edmund Hillary Centre, it retells the Maori legend about the creation of Aoraki Mount Cook (and why I refer to the mountain as being male), follows climbers as they climb Mount Cook, and skiers on the Tasman Glacier. The Museum & Hillary Gallery tell some spectacular tales about the history of the area and The Hermitage (currently the third version as the first two were flooded or burnt down).

At the end of a long day the most appropriate way to unwind seemed to be at the Snowline Bar, though the fireplace wasn’t needed and therefore not roaring like usual, the sofas gave it a very ‘kick up your feet’ feel. Well actually the best way to unwind was to sleep and given that I didn’t want to waste any day light hours it was time for bed.

Glacier Explorers Tour

Despite spending several hours under its glory the first thing I did upon waking was to open the curtain and gaze upon Mount Cook, as if somehow it might have disappeared overnight. After breakfast it is time to head out to the Tasman Glacier with Glacier Explorers. This is an unreal experience, hanging out with ice-bergs in the middle of the South Island, the terminal lake was formed by the Tasman Glacier advancing and then retreating as it melts and breaks apart (calving). Each day out on the lake is different as the ice-bergs melt and try to maintain their balance, the guides do a great job of explaining how the ice-bergs form from the Tasman Glacier and do an even better job of driving you right up to the side of (the safer) glaciers so you can literally break a small chunk of 300 year old crystal clear ice off, and I have it on good authority that this ice melts seven times slower than the ice you make in your freezer and is therefore ideal for cooling drinks. Unfortunately on this occasion I did not have a hip flask on me, but this is probably a good thing as the tour departs the lake and we head back to Mount Cook Village it is also time to start the drive back to Christchurch.

As I leave Mount Cook I can’t help but look in my rear view mirror at the majesty of New Zealand’s tallest peak. In less than two days I have driven to one of Canterbury’s most remote areas from Christchurch and back, wandered through a national park, touched an ice-berg and come as close as is safe to the face of a glacier. All this made for a pretty good couple of days off, surprisingly accessible for such an astounding part of the country.