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Day 6
Te Anau – Milford Sound – Queenstown

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I was sort of looking forward to Day 6 because of Milford Sound. I’ve read so many exciting stories about the place prior to the trip and now, everything will be fully unveiled in front of my own eyes. I couldn’t even sleep properly the night before as I kept thinking about the place.

But first, I had to get over the slight disappointment when I found out that it was still raining when I woke up the following day. Feeling helpless about the weather, we packed our bags before checking out from the hostel.

It was still dark when we hit the road. Coupled with rain, our designated driver took the road with extra attention.

I couldn’t recall much what happened during the journey as I dozed off halfway. Somehow when I woke up, the skies have brighten up but the rain still did not even budge a bit. However, with brighter skies now, we could see much more – with mountains on both sides of the road, but they were no ordinary mountains. Hundreds of waterfalls were lining up the walls of those mountains. The scene was so gorgeous that we even stopped by the roadside to get better view. Thanks for the persistent rain, otherwise we wouldn’t able to witness such jaw-dropping scenery.

Temporary waterfalls.. Such a scene..

We came to The Main Divide (politically known as boundary between Canterbury and West Coast regions) and at 900 metre plus elevation, we could see some snow on some higher mountains. The Main Divide is also where Homer Tunnel is located, and it is a unique tunnel built in 1954 to connect Milford Sound and Te Anau. The tunnel is not wide enough for two vehicles, so traffic lights are erected at each end of the tunnel.

The scenery was even more stunning after passing the tunnel. It was a place like no other, more like stepping into another world. This is a truly mystical place and I’m so glad to be able to make the trip thus far.

We arrived at Milford Sound an hour before our boat cruise and it was still raining as heavy as ever. I was more worried about the cancellation of the cruise due to bad weather but luckily it did not happen.

Time passed very quick and we were on board the huge Milford Mariner operated by Real Journeys. The boat sailed out shortly and began to introduce the history of Milford Sound.

On board Milford Mariner

Milford Sound (Piopiotahi in Māori) is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand’s South Island, within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world’s top travel destination in an international survey (the 2008 Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards by TripAdvisor) and is acclaimed as New Zealand’s most famous tourist destination.

Most of us didn’t really pay attention to the boat captain as we hang out at the deck taking photos and videos. It was still raining but that did not deter us from witnessing some of the great temporary waterfalls, which usually appear after heavy rain. How amazing! With the boat cruising along and close to the rock cliffs, it gave us some great, unobstructed view.

Milford Sound is even more stunning when it rains!

Getting nearer to the cliff rocks

Milford Sound runs 15 kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea at Dale Point – the mouth of the fiord – and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) or more on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 1,517 metres (4,977 ft), said to resemble an elephant’s head,[6] and The Lion, 1,302 metres (4,272 ft), in the shape of a crouching lion.

Milford Sound sports two permanent waterfalls all year round, Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls. After heavy rain however, many hundreds of temporary waterfalls can be seen running down the steep sided rock faces that line the fiord. They are fed by rain water drenched moss and will last a few days at most once the rain stops.

The boat captain made its way back upon reaching the tip of Milford Sound, which oversees Tasman Sea. On the way back, the rain had stopped, so we happily hang out at the front deck. Unknown to us (due to us being busy taking photos), the boat sailed slowly and closer to Stirling Falls. With the amount of rain that day, the roaring sound of the falls caught our attention. Still swinging our cameras around, little did we know that we were actually getting closer and closer to the falls. The boat continued to sail close to the falls, and when water started to splash the deck, we had no choice but to move to the rear of the boat to avoid getting drenched. We were too late for that though, as we completely soaked in water splashed by the falls. Despite that, it was great to feel the full force of nature!

Getting nearer to Stirling Falls

Open your mouth and taste the waterfall!

The boat docked at the terminal and thus, ending our amazing two hour cruise. A wet day at Milford Sound, nothing short of ordinary. I left the place feeling euphoric!

The skies started to clear up by midday, and as we went back, we took the opportunity to stop by Homer Tunnel again for more photo opportunity. And much to our excitement, we found a gigantic, thick slab of hardened snow (or likely ice) near the tunnel. We also came across the highly endangered alpine parrot, Kea.

Leftover from winter!

Alien surrounding~

Yay to us for making it!

Kea, world’s only and highly endangered alpine parrot!

Continuing our drive towards Te Anau, we also managed to stop by Mirror Lakes. As the name suggests, the calm water gives mirror-like reflection but it was quite windy that day, what we saw was ripples. Nevertheless, with great weather, the photos turned out to be great as well!

Mirror Lakes~!

We stopped at Te Anau for a quick lunch and refuel before hitting the road towards Queenstown. It was tiredness that got better of me as I dozed off, only to be awaken when we stopped for quick relief at Kingston. It wasn’t too long after Kingston that we came upon the beginning of Lake Wakatipu.

Lake Wakatipu is an inland lake (finger lake) in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of Otago Region, near its boundary with Southland. With a length of 80 kilometres (50 mi), it is New Zealand’s longest lake, and, at 291 km2 (112 sq mi), its third largest.

The drive was truly scenic and we actually stopped by to get some photos of the scenery. However, due to the day getting late, we couldn’t afford any more stops.

Braving the cold wind~!

Close to an hour later at about 7PM, we finally arrived at Queenstown, the adventure capital of NZ. The city is lively at evening, and shops at every corner of the road sell most of the adventure stuffs. The sky was getting dark, so we hurriedly checked in before heading out to get ourselves the famous Fergburger, which is just few steps away from our hostel.

In Ferg we trust..

We then took a stroll at the lakefront along the beautiful Lake Wakatipu, and we settled down quite early that day due to tiredness. It was certainly the longest day we had by far, with a lot driving involved but most importantly, we enjoyed the best of NZ so far!

Lakefront…

Queenstown at dusk…

Stay tuned for Day 7!

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Day 5
Dunedin – Te Anau

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After two great days in Dunedin, it was time to pack our bags and continue our journey. After checking out from YHA, we drove south towards Balclutha.

We stumbled upon another scenic stop on the way and decided to take a quick detour. Lake Waihola was shrouded in mist that morning but still breathtaking in its own way. We only managed to stay for few minutes as it was very cold.

Misty Waihola

Continuing our journey, it didn’t take long before reaching Balclutha. To save time, we did not stop but continued the drive towards our intended destination. Plying along the coast, the drive was pleasant until the final few kilometres past Kaka Point where the road isn’t sealed, so we had to tread carefully and slowly.

After some twenty minutes, we arrived at Nugget Point. There weren’t many cars, probably it was still early.

To get to the tip of Nugget Point or the lighthouse, we took a leisurely walk for about a kilometre to the scenic point.

The path to the lighthouse

Nugget Point is one of the most iconic landforms on the Otago coast. Located at the northern end of the Catlins coast down the road from Kaka Point, this steep headland has a lighthouse at its tip, surrounded by rocky islets (The Nuggets). The point is home to many seabirds, including penguins, gannets and spoonbills, and a large breeding colony of fur seals.

Rocky islets adorn the beautiful Nugget Point

The strong wind did not help at all. We struggled to get good shots of the surroundings. Everything had to be done in a jiffy. Good thing we work in a group. The guys would help me set up the tripod, the lady would stand and prepare for me to take some test shots.

The lighthouse

The Catlins coast is one of the most dramatic coasts along the Otago coast. Along with the iconic lighthouse and the beautiful islets, this is an amazing place not to be missed.

The Catlins coastline

Back on the road, we drove back to Balclutha for lunch before continuing our journey towards Fiordland National Park. Since Bluff wasn’t in our itinerary, we took chance to taste some Bluff oysters which were sold by a shop in Balcultha. They weren’t exactly cheap though and they were deep-fried in batter, so it kinda killed the sweetness of the oysters.

Continuing our journey after our sumptuous lunch at Subway, we continued plying along the State Highway 1 towards Clinton before stopping at local supermarket at Gore to replenish our supplies and also to get something for our dinner later. In case you didn’t know, in fact, the road from Clinton to Gore is named “The Presidential Highway”. Get the gist? Yes? No?

There was still plenty of driving to do as we stopped at Mossburn for a quick break. The heavy clouds gathered pace, so we moved on before reaching Te Anau at about 4:30PM. Sensing that the rain would come anytime soon, we did not waste time and immediately stopped at Te Anau Visitor Information Centre. We found so much information about Te Anau and Fiordland National Park and most importantly the weather forecast for the following day.

And then something happened when we were strolling outside the visitor centre. Somehow, I “managed” to let slip of my camera and THUD! It fell on the ground. It was silent for a moment before I let out a long OHHHHHHHH! The battery cover broke apart and the battery flung out while the zoom ring of my lens detached from the lens. My friends were too stunned to say anything at all. After gaining my momentum, I slowly picked up the pieces and my camera for inspection. Long story cut short, the camera was alright but the lens was only half working.

It took quite a while to digest what happened to my camera but along the way as we stopped at Lake Te Anau, I took quite a number of shots to assess the condition of my camera.

Accidental shot turned out to be one of the most beautiful photos

Lake Te Anau is in the southwestern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. Its name was originally Te Ana-au, Maori for ‘The cave of swirling water’. The lake covers an area of 344 km², making it the second-largest lake by surface area in New Zealand (after Lake Taupo) and the largest in the South Island. Lake Te Anau is however the largest lake in Australasia by fresh water volume

Trying to put that incident behind me, we continued on our plan for the day. After checking in, we headed to Fiordland Cinema to watch the exclusive Ata Whenua (Shadowland), a 30-minute documentary about Fiordland National Park in four seasons. It is a great cinema that serves wine, which we gleefully brought into the cinema and that was a completely new experience for us conservative Malaysians. The 30-minute was well spent, great atmosphere and awesome documentary.

Fiordland Cinema, small but stylish

Cool lounge area

We strolled around the area, picking up some souvenirs along the way before heading back to YHA Te Anau to prepare for dinner. It rained the entire night and I was hoping the rain will clear by the time I wake up the next day.

YHA Te Anau, common area, dining area and kitchen. Small but cozy.

Note #1 – We initially planned to ply along the Southern Scenic Route to get to Te Anau, but after careful consideration, we decided to take the shorter route. Southern Scenic Route is mostly coastal drive which starts from Dunedin, passing Balclutha, Catlins Forest Park, Invercargill, Riverton before heading up north to Manapouri and finally Te Anau. If you are taking this route, I’d suggest spending a night at Invercargill exploring the town and don’t forget to head to Bluff and try its famous oysters. It’s only 30 minutes drive from Invercargill.

Note #2 – The route we took (Dunedin – Balclutha – Clinton – Gore – Lumsden – Mossburn – Te Anau) is less scenic but gets you to the destination faster than the Southern Scenic Route. If you are planning to get to Te Anau from Dunedin and wants to drive along the Southern Scenic Route without spending a night at Invercargill, it is completely doable. Let me know if you are planning one.

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Day 4
Dunedin

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Things have been looking great so far and Day 4 was no exception either. A clear but cold morning greeted us as we inched towards the Otago Peninsula.

The Otago Peninsula is a long, hilly indented finger of land that forms the easternmost part of Dunedin, New Zealand. Volcanic in origin, it forms one wall of the eroded valley that now forms Otago Harbour. The peninsula lies south-east of Otago Harbour and runs parallel to the mainland for 20 km, with a maximum width of 9 km. It is joined to the mainland at the south-west end by a narrow isthmus about 1.5 km wide.

The fabulous morning from Otago Peninsula

The drive to the Royal Albatross Centre was exciting if not awesome. We even stopped by the road to take some photos of the scenery. It was truly panaromic I must say. All along the way, we took the inner road, which is narrow and dangerous. We were even amused by the speed limit imposed on these roads. How can anyone drive 100km/h along these roads? We even had problem keeping up to 40km/h, let alone 100km/h.

The scenic coastal road

Close to an hour, we arrived at the Royal Albatross Centre, located almost at the tip of the Otago Peninsula. While waiting for it to open, we walked around but had to cut it short as it was very cold and the wind didn’t help either. We ended up taking shelter in car instead.

At the Royal Albatross Centre

The heavenly view

Somehow in between, we waited at the wrong place. After being informed, we drove up to Nature’s Wonders which is just a short 3 minutes drive from the centre. However, we were put on the next available tour since we were a bit late. Not a problem for us since there is a cafe and we just took some drinks while waiting.

Nature’s Wonders is a self funded conservation effort to ensure that this land (Otago Peninsula) is preserved for all future generations to enjoy, by protecting the penguins, fur seals and other wildlife. The wildlife are living in natural environments the way nature intended it to be.

The coolest thing about this tour is the awesome eight wheel drive all terrain vehicle, which we rode and had fantastic time throughout the tour.

The eight wheel all terrain vehicle

First, we were taken to the mythical “Maori Footprint” location, which offers superb views of the surroundings. I think superb doesn’t even describe how awesome are the views. You just have to be there to see with your own eyes.

We were then chauffeured to Shag Point to see cormorants or precisely Spotted Shag, a type of seabird.

Look here! Look here!

It was a totally different experience altogether when we were brought up close to a breeding colony of wild fur seals and their pups.

What’s up?

Our last stop was a little disappointing as the extremely rare yellow-eyed penguins decided to hide among the thick bushes, thus we only only able to get a glimpse using binocular.

After the visit ended, we drove back to the Royal Albatross Centre for another scheduled visit.

Taiaroa Head is the site of the world’s only mainland royal albatross breeding ground, where you can observe the spectacle of the albatrosses with wingspans of up to 3m coming in to land like a succession of 747s.The Royal Albatross Centre is located on the tip of the Otago Peninsula, about a 45 minute drive from Dunedin.

It was quite an insightful tour. We were briefed and shown a video of the Royal Albatross before proceeding to the observation centre to see the baby chick. It was a great day as we sighted an adult bird flying around.

The Royal Albatross

Whether it’s Royal Albatross Centre or Nature’s Wonders, they have my respect for sure. There is no match for the amount of dedication and conservation efforts they have put in so far.

We concluded the tour with a quick lunch by the road and thereafter took the scenic coastal road to get to Larnach Castle.

Short stop.. for lunch

We were actually in dilemma whether to give Larnach Castle a visit since we were a bit out of time and we were supposed to head back to the city at Cadbury World before it closes at 5:30pm. The garden-only visit cost NZ$12.50 per person, and since we were already at the entrance, we just had to visit it.

New Zealand’s only castle, built 1871 by William Larnach, merchant baron and politician, for his beloved first wife Eliza. It took more than 200 workmen three years to build the Castle shell and master European craftsmen spent a further 12 years embellishing the interior. Larnach spared no expense on his dream home, which features the finest materials from around the world.

The castle

The visit was a quick one but still worth the amount that we paid. The gardens were beautifully landscaped, in fact one of the best landscaped gardens I’ve seen. It really complement the castle well. I think the amount of photos that we took already paid for itself.

Great time!

Great landscaping!

Still hoping that we could make it in time for Cadbury World, we left hurriedly and guess what? We made it! Without wasting time, we dashed into the shop and grabbed whatever chocolate on display. Okay, that was a bit exaggerated. We still took our time looking around for special chocolates that we couldn’t find back home.

All yer chocolates belong to me!

There was still plenty of time, so we headed to Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world. Drove up and walked down, with additional stunt show provided by the locals as well.

Steep!

We were already famished by then, so we headed back to city to start hunting for food. We wanted to splurge a bit as celebration since that day happened to be anniversary for the two lovebirds. We parked at one of the streets, and began walking north along George Street while scouting for food. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants which look promising but we wanted more options.

The bustling George Street

Little did we know that we have came to Knox Church which is located nearby, so why not take some photos while at it.

Knox Church

At the end of Knox Church looks a bit deserted, so we headed back and decided to dine at The Huntsman Steakhouse. It was a good choice as the food was great. I’d recommend this if you ever visit Dunedin.

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Day 3
Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park to Dunedin

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It was only 6am when I woke up. It was still dark outside. After cleaning and packing up my stuffs, I drew the curtain away in the room and..

*gasp!*

Wow! What a beautiful mountain!

It wasn’t Mount Cook but Mount Sefton is equally gorgeous. Ok maybe this is my first time seeing a snow-capped mountain.

Mount Sefton

It appeared for about 15 minutes before disappearing into thick clouds again.

It ain’t Mount Cook but this one ain’t too bad either..

It was a long journey on this particular day so we wasted no time in getting everything done.

Goodbye~!

We drove for an hour before stopping at Twizel for a quick gas refuel. The amazing thing about this is, we can refuel first before paying. I don’t think this can be implemented in our country ever. You get what I mean.

We managed to stop by a salmon farm on our way since it is located by the main road. We took the chance of feeding the salmon since we did not do it on the day before.

Salmon farm yo!

The weather was fantastic that day. Bright, blue skies followed by chilly weather. Perfect day.

Passing by Omarama, we stopped for a quick break and did some souvenir shopping. And we continued moving towards south before stopping again at Lake Benmore for photo opportunity. It was so picturesque, everything looks like a dream.

Lake Benmore, gorgeous beyond words…

More photo opportunity came at the right time as we needed more breaks from the long journey. This time, it was Lake Aviemore. Seriously, why every single lake in NZ is soooo beautiful?

At the dam overlooking Lake Aviemore

Moving towards the south, we finally hit Oamaru at about 1pm. We stopped at the nearest cafe and bought some fish and chips as takeaways.

Oamaru, the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is home to the world’s smallest penguins and can be seen at dusk at the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony. A collection historic Victorian architecture lines the streets of Oamaru.

Having our lunch at the park under the beautiful weather, we couldn’t ask for more. It’s just too bad we didn’t spend a night here as there are plenty of things to explore around the town especially the classic Victorian buildings and not forgetting the penguin watch. So, dear readers, remember to spend a night at Oamaru before heading to Dunedin.

Classic Oamaru

At the intersection of the road..

Since we were running tight on schedule, we had to cut short our visit. After getting all the compulsory photo-taking opportunities done, we hit the road again.

Nothing look more lovely than these classical buildings…

One more before we hit the road again…

One last stop before hitting our final destination of the day is Moeraki Boulders, located about 30 minutes drive from Oamaru.

The Moeraki Boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach on the wave cut Otago coast of New Zealand between Moeraki and Hampden. They occur scattered either as isolated or clusters of boulders within a stretch of beach where they have been protected in a scientific reserve. The erosion by wave action of mudstone, comprising local bedrock and landslides, frequently exposes embedded isolated boulders. These boulders are grey-colored septarian concretions, which have been exhumed from the mudstone enclosing them and concentrated on the beach by coastal erosion.

The weird boulders…

Look at the size of the boulders..

It was very windy as we strolled along the beach inspecting the giant pieces of fossil rocks. The shape and the size of each boulder amazed us. These things seriously looked out of place.

We couldn’t stand a second longer under the prevailing strong winds, so we bade goodbye to the amazing place and continued our journey to Dunedin.

It took more than an hour before we finally touched base with civilization again, Dunedin. It is the second largest city in South Island and is home to University of Otago, New Zealand’s first university.

After checking in at YHA Stafford Gables, we quickly cooked our dinner before heading out for a quick tour around the city.

YHA Stafford Gables, the entrance and the dining hall..

The kitchen and laundry area..

Lovely fireplace and the entrance to the hostel

Plenty of staircases..

It was eerie to walk around at night as most shops have closed and the streets looked quiet. However, we did stop at Dunedin Railway Station, the most photographed building in New Zealand and First Church before heading back for a good night’s sleep.

Dunedin Railway Station.. too bad we did not return to capture more photos..

So remember, if you are planning a similar drive like mine, stop for a night at Oamaru. Join the crowd and hunt for blue penguins and the rare yellow-eyed penguins. And please do not forget to stop by Fleur’s Place (http://www.fleursplace.com/) for an award-winning meal.

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Day 2
Tekapo to Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park

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We began the second day with yet another cloudy day. It began to drizzle when we checked out from the hostel. Undeterred, we took a small drive uphill to Mount John, located just about 10 minutes drive from Tekapo.

Thank you notes by people around the world..

Mount John University Observatory (MJUO), is New Zealand’s premier astronomical research observatory.[1] It is situated at 1,029 metres (3,376 ft) ASL atop Mount John at the northern end of the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island, and was established in 1965.

While it is famous for observatory, we were there actually to visit the beautiful cafe and also to get panoramic view of Lake Tekapo and its surrounding.

The coolest cafe on Earth

The cafe is strategically built atop Mount John, with plenty of outdoor seating for visitors to enjoy the breathtaking scenery while sipping a cuppa. I could sit there for hours if time permits.

The Astro Cafe… fancy some alfresco style?

Astro Cafe and the beautiful coffee art by the passionate people of NZ

We spent close to an hour enjoying at the cafe before heading out to capture a few photos. The rain has stopped for a while and we wasted no time in getting our photos taken.

Partial view of Lake Tekapo from Mount John

A panoramic view of Lake Tekapo (Click on the photo for larger version)

We left the beautiful place with a heavy heart, however I was getting anticipated about our next stop, which is just 30 minutes drive from Mount John Observatory.

Tekapo-Pukaki canal road

The cloudy skies wouldn’t budge, and it started to drizzle again when we reached our next destination, the Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon Farm.

Mt. Cook Alpine salmon are eco-sustainably farmed and raised in near perfect growing conditions, high in the Alps in the South Island of New Zealand, with plenty of space, clean fast flowing water and as little human intervention as possible.

Yes, a salmon farm! Who would have thought NZ is famous for its salmon too? Naivety in me thinks that salmon comes from cold northern countries like Norway. Anyway, the farm was closed for maintenance so we wouldn’t able to see live salmon swimming freely in the fresh, alpine water.

The farm

We “cured” our disappointment by buying and eating fresh sashimi cuts on the spot. They were sweet, however the cuts were not up to par. Nevertheless, it’s the freshest sashimi we could eat. What is there to complain anyway?

Yummy!!!

We bought some smoked salmons as well for dinner later that day. Moving on, we hit the road again inching towards our next stop, Lake Pukaki.

Lake Pukaki is the largest of three roughly parallel alpine lakes running north-south along the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin on New Zealand’s South Island. The glacial feed to the lakes gives them a distinctive blue colour, created by glacial flour, the extremely finely ground rock particles from the glaciers.

The turquoise color lake is what makes Lake Pukaki a must-visit place for every visitor. We did not manage to get the perfect view of the lake as it was raining at the north end of the lake but still the views are to die for! Stopping at the Lake Pukaki Visitor Centre, we quickly took some photos and had a brief visit at the visitor centre before rain cut short our visit.

Yessss, another lake!

Love the calm water!

Lake Pukaki Visitor Centre, overlooking the lake..

We continued our journey, heading towards our stop of the day, the Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park. On the way, we still managed to squeeze a tight 5 minutes stop at Peter’s Lookout, which overlooks the gorgeous Lake Pukaki from the west.

Peter’s Lookout, another spot to see the beauty of the lake

The drive to the national park was one of the best drives in NZ. It was stunning with jagged, rocky mountains soared to the skies on the left with Lake Pukaki stretches up north on the right.

45 minutes later and still feeling awestruck with the surroundings, we arrived at YHA Mount Cook. The sky cleared up a bit but still looked patchy with rain clouds gathering up again.

YHA Mount Cook, the reception and the kitchen (shown partially)

YHA Mount Cook, the lounge and the dining area

After checking in, we took our late lunch at nearby cafe, The Old Mountaineers Cafe, Bar and Restaurant. The food aren’t exactly cheap but they were good though. Food aside, you can enjoy a good view of Mount Cook from the cafe itself on a perfect day.

The cafe, cozy with great food!

There is a visitor centre next to the cafe, which we visited. Since we were running tight on schedule due to unexpected long stops earlier, we had hard time deciding our next activity; either a visit to Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre or take a stroll at one of many walking tracks at the national park. In the end, we decided to burn some carbs by taking a walk at what we called, the “cheating 1-hour return” walk.

We drove to the starting point of Hooker Valley track, and it started to drizzle again. We were in dilemma whether to continue the walk but since we already came here this far, we unanimously agreed to take the risk. Plus, based on an official brochure provided by the Department of Conservation (DOC), the walk is relatively easy and takes about 1-hour return.

We reached the first swing bridge in 20 minutes time. It was quite a leisurely walk on the gravel path. Underneath the swing bridge is the Hooker river where the source of water comes from Mueller Lake and flows towards south adjoining Tasman river. Thinking the second swing bridge would take about 10 minutes walk, we continued the walk. However, we were wrong as it took us a further 20 minutes before reaching it. By the time we got to the second swing bridge, we were completely drenched as the rain got heavier. We could have turn back but we were so determined that nothing could stop us.

The first swing bridge at Hooker Valley track

Hooker river

Mueller Lake, with Mt Cook completely hidden behind the thick clouds

There were few small climbs before reaching the second swing bridge. It wasn’t tough but the cold weather, the wet condition and our inadequate gears made the walk harder than what I have imagined. As for the second swing bridge, the river underneath gets its supply of water from Hooker Lake which flows into Mueller Lake. So you get the idea of where the original source of water comes from.

Wet but happy!

At the second swing bridge with tired looks

We immediately returned to where we started. The entire walk took us 2-hours, way off the mark described in the brochure, hence the moniker “cheating 1-hour return walk”.

Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park never cease to amaze people like me. I’m glad to have made this as one of the places to visit in South Island. If you are a hiking or a nature aficionado, this place offers more than that and you will definitely love every single moment of it.