Aoraki/Mt Cook

Quick peek before the clouds veil her

We’ve just arrived home after a three-day break in Aoraki/Mt Cook. Our son who is working there suggested we come up before the summer rush when the village and tracks are inundated with tourists.

Tree on Bowen Bush Walk

We enjoyed the Bowen Bush Walk, Governors Bush Walk, the Red Tarns Track, the Hooker Valley Track and the Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier Lake Walks. With four other walks on our ‘still to do’ list we’re already planning a return trip. And Aoraki/Mt Cook? Well we decided she was too large a scale for us!

The Aoraki/Mt Cook visitors’ centre in the village is wonderful. We were delighted to see a few lines from Fleur Adcock’s poem, Flight with Mountains, inscribed in the Memorial Room. Fleur wrote this poem in memory of my Uncle Dave who was killed in an avalanche on Mont Blanc.

Tasman Glacier Lake

Robbie joined us on our Tasman Glacier Lake Walk on his day off and, with local knowledge,  guided us back to the car via the Blue Lakes and Ball Hut Route Road.

Robbie at the green looking Blue Lake

On Thursday night we went along to the Chamois Bar and Grill  for a  meal and added our aged knowledge to Robbie’s youthful mind to form a team for the quiz night, we didn’t win! On Friday night the three of us enjoyed a great meal, seated by one of the fires, at the Old Mountaineers Cafe Bar & Restaurant. Even though it was only a short break away from Dunedin and work, we packed a lot in and have returned home refreshed.  Now I’m back into preparations for Bellamys at Five.

Look what I just happened to find lying by the Hooker Glacier Lake.
OK I admit,  stage-managed, but the icebergs weren’t!

I even left a few spring cards at the Mt Cook Youth Hostel so who knows where in the world they will end up!