Week 32 - Bucket list hike to Mueller Hut

On Monday, the week started with scrambled eggs and relaxation. We spent a very laid-back day at our campsite by Lake Poaka.

We really pushed ourselves on Tuesday. It was time for a bucket list hike to Mueller Hut. Good thing we had saved our energy for this endeavor because the nearly 2000 steps to the first viewpoint were still the easiest part of the hike. It took us an hour for the steps. Afterwards, we climbed steeply over large rocks, slippery gravel, and even some snowfields, continuing uphill. Thankfully, the last part was a bit flatter, but we still had to traverse over rocks and snow to reach the hut.

Mueller Hut is located at 1816m and stands out from the landscape with its red color. So we enjoyed beautiful views over the surrounding landscape, the hut, and Aoraki / Mount Cook under a radiant blue sky.

The descent was just as challenging. However, we were fortunate to shorten a particularly rocky section. We used a snowfield and expertly slid down the slope on our backsides. A quick and fun method that several others here preferred as well.

For the night, we headed to the beautiful campsite by Lake Pukaki. We hoped to see the Aurora Australis (the Southern Hemisphere's counterpart to Northern Lights), as the internet said the chances were quite high. Unfortunately, we had no luck.

The next day, we left the region around Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo behind. We took care of the camper essentials (waste water, fresh water, shopping) and drove to Peel Forest Campground. There, we caught up on the sleep we missed from the previous night and took care of dinner.

On Thursday, we ventured deeper into the New Zealand hinterland to Mount Sunday. Here, we thought we could experience more solitude away from many tourists. To our surprise, there was much more going on than we had expected, mainly because this mountain (Edoras) is known from The Lord of the Rings. Neither of us have seen these films, so we hadn’t informed ourselves about it beforehand. But even without the reference to the films, the little hike up the mountain is worthwhile.

Afterwards, we set up camp by Lake Camp. A nice campsite right by the lake. We took a little stroll around the neighboring Lake Clearwater and let the day wind down.

After a cozy start to the next day, we set off directly from our campsite. The hiking trail led us through wide meadows and over small streams. After nearly two hours, we reached a small, run-down shelter by Lake Emma. There were many water birds to observe, and we enjoyed a nice view towards the mountains. The area seems very dry as there isn’t much growing here except for grasses and a few bushes. Franzi said it reminded her of the African savanna.

Back at the campsite, Julian jumped into the lake for a short cool-down.

The next day, we drove on to Mount Somers. We actually wanted to hike to the summit of Mount Somers. On the way up, our legs got heavier, and the clouds hung low on the mountain. So we decided to turn back and not torture ourselves all the way to the top.

When we went for breakfast at a small café in Staveley on Sunday morning, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey was playing there. Fitting for the 3rd Advent, but it really doesn’t feel like Christmas time to us. We are absolutely not in the Christmas spirit. This is certainly mainly due to the summer here, but also because in our van life we don’t really experience much of the Christmas decorations anyway. In the small towns we usually visit, there are some decorated shop windows, but you don’t see large Christmas trees or streets adorned with lights.

We don’t mind this, and our breakfast and coffee were excellent, even without any Christmas spirit.

So after being strengthened, we headed to Peak Hill. The hike to the summit provided us with stunning views over Lake Coleridge and the Rakaia River. Overall, it is definitely one of the most beautiful hikes in New Zealand in terms of views and is likely still one of the hidden gems without tourist crowds. The landscape is certainly comparable to the hyped Roys Peak.

Since we still had strength in our legs and the weather was just superb, we embarked on a second short hike. From our campsite right by the Rakaia Gorge, we followed along until we reached a small viewpoint. The campsite itself is fantastic. We are parked with our van on the cliffs and have a magnificent view of the river and the brightly blue water. What a way to end the week!