NZ 2023 Day 2: Lake Tekapo to Mount Cook
DAY 2: 25 NOV 2023
 |
| Mount Cook |
It was a bright and sunny day!
We were heading towards Mount Cook today and
there were many beautiful scenic lookouts along our route.
 |
| Lake Tekapo |
Before leaving Lake Tekapo, we took one last walk at the lakefront.
We also visited the supermarket, Four Square, before leaving the town.
As there were minimal food options at the Mount Cook village, we decided to cook our dinner at our accommodation.
We bought tortellini pasta, tomato pasta sauce and sausages as dinner ingredients.
I took the wheel for 20 minutes and drove us to Lake Pukaki viewpoint.
There were so many lupins at the viewpoint and we couldn't resist the temptations to take photos with them yet again.
We then drove to the nearby Pukaki Kettle Hole track.
Zhi Sheng took the wheel because I was not competent enough to drive on gravel road.
 |
| Kettle hole pond |
The kettle hole pond is located near the carpark but the catch is that you have to walk up a steep slope for about 10 minutes.
The turquoise colour of the water brightened up the pond and the clarity of the water enabled us to see the bottom of the pond clearly.
The track was estimated to take an hour to complete so we were puzzled as to whether we were on the right path.
Turns out, we had to pass a gate situated at the bottom of the slope to get on the track.
So we were both not on the track, haha.
But it was alright as the views from the top were pretty.
We decided it was time for some food and drove off to our lunch place.
 |
| Mt Cook Alpine Salmon Shop |
Salmon sashimi was our lunch for the day!
The prices were steep here: 13 NZD for 100g and 45 NZD for 500g
As the 500g option was too much for us, we decided go with two 100g sashimi packs.
We found a table which was closer to the lake and slowly savoured our sashimi.
To us, the alpine salmon tasted like any other salmon sashimi we had.
There were a few photo spots near the shop.
We spent some time taking photos before driving once again.
The drive to Mount Cook brought us to many scenic lookouts.
 |
| Mountain view from Glentanner |
It is a must to stop along the road, safely, to take that Mount Cook shot!
We brought our tripod along for the trip so it was hassle free taking photos together.
Our accommodation for the night is Aoraki Mt Cook Alpine Lodge which costs 215 NZD.
We explored the neighbouring area, including the luxurious Hermitage hotel, before checking in.
By the time we checked in, it was close to 3.30pm and we decided to make our way to the hooker valley carpark.
The carpark was full of cars!
But as many would have started their hikes early, there were parking lots available for us.
The hooker valley track takes 3 hours for a return journey.
The hike is relatively easy as you are walking on flat ground most of the time.
If you are afraid of heights, you will need to mentally prepare yourself for the three suspension bridges.
 |
| Viewpoint near the trailhead |
Shortly after starting our hike, we arrived at this beautiful viewpoint.
We used our tripod to take this photo and the background was so stunning.
 |
| One of the suspension bridges along the track |
We really took about 1.5 hours to reach the glacier lake.
The views along the way were so gorgeous and definitely my top favourite for this trip.
I wanted to hike to the upper viewpoint to get better views of the glacier lake.
As usual, Zhi Sheng sets up the tripod while I settle the phone connectivity and mount.
Then this happened when he finally stood next to me haha.
I kind of expected this to happen on the trip, but not here (:
I think I have typed this umpteen times.
But the scenery is so stunning here.
The hooker valley track definitely lives up to its name of being one of the top hikes to do in NZ.
After soaking in the vibes here, we decided to head back to the trailhead.
We arrived at the trailhead at 7pm.
The sky was still brightly lit but the sun is slowly starting to set.
We drove back to our lodge and began to cook dinner.
Pasta is the easiest to cook and that was our dinner menu.
However, it took us quite some time to get the water boiling and to heat the sausage.
Nevertheless, food was ready and we decided to dine outdoors with Mount Cook in the background.
The other patrons were probably wondering why we were dining in the cold with our jackets on.
While cooking and eating our dinner, Zhi Sheng did a sunset timelapse video.
Total darkness only set in after 9.30pm.
And of course, we had to photograph the stars while we were here!
That marks the end of day 2!
Comments
Post a Comment