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On the 7thof January we hiked the Hooker Valley Track, a very popular route in Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park. Aoraki is the tallest mountain in New Zealand. It is a sacred place for the Maori and one of the most important elements in their creation story. At 3724 meters (12,218 feet), this magnificent, snowcapped peak towers over the valley where we hiked.
Aoraki with the Hooker River in the foreground
Just off the trail is Mueller Lake which is at the base of the Mueller Glacier and fed by the Hooker River. The Hooker is a raging torrent at this time of year and three suspension bridges cross it on this track. It is quite an experience to walk across these bridges as they bounce up and down and the water roars across the rocks below.
Suspension Bridge
Both Mueller Lake and the Hooker river are white in colour due to the high concentration of extremely fine particles of rock “flour” that is suspended in the water. The grinding of glacial ice on stone creates this finely ground powder which is then washed into lakes and rivers. Eventually these particles are dispersed into larger lakes, such as Lake Pukaki, which we drove by on the way to the Hooker Valley Track. At lower concentrations in these bigger bodies of water, the tiny bits of rock reflect the blue of the sky causing the lakes to appear an amazing shade of bright turquoise.
Lake Pukaki
Glaciers above Mueller Lane
There were quite a few beautiful wild flowers along the trail.
Mountain Daisy (the flowers look like a daisy but the foliage is totally different)
Wild Foxglove - I've never seen this in the wild before
This flower, which I was unable to identify, is growing right on top of the rock
And one last shot of Aoraki:
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