25th Feb - Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook

We woke up this morning to bright sunshine after yesterday's grim weather - and Rick cooked an excellent breakfast of scrambled egg, bacon and mushrooms. The Peel Forest campsite was a superior one with power and washing machines - so we charged up all the technology and washed some clothes before hitting the road. We headed down to Lake Tekapo - where the water has a deep turquoise colour (something to do with soft granite...)

Then we headed for Mount Cook - New Zealand's highest peak. There is a DOC (Department of Conservation) campsite near the village at the foot of the mountain - and that is where we are now.


We arrived at about 4.30pm - so just had time to walk the four miles to Hooker Lake - which is fed by glaciers on the mountain and is the source for the Hooker River.

The lake has icebergs in it !

The walk is not straightforward - you need certain mountain goat capabilities as the path is rough and you have to pick your way up some steep climbs from boulder to boulder. It's worth the effort though - a magical place.