Mount Cook & Lake Tekapo

We were drawn to the beautiful coastal town of Omarou, just north of Moeraki, which is also known for the penguin colonies that invade the town every evening. Here we enjoyed a few really nice hours in the cozy village and replenished our supplies for the next few days as we wanted to drive into the less densely populated inland.

On our way to Mount Cook, we made a stop and stayed overnight in Omarama and visited the Clay Cliffs. Unfortunately, the weather changed the next morning and we had to deal with heavy rain showers for the first time. Unfortunately, there was no improvement in sight for the following days either. Nevertheless, we hoped to at least catch a glimpse of Mount Cook during our visit. Unfortunately, this hope was in vain and we had to be satisfied with the memory from the West Coast, where we had an incredibly sunny day and could admire the highest mountain in New Zealand at the Fox Glacier.

We still carried out our planned hikes and walked to Tasman Lake in light drizzle, where we saw some smaller icebergs from the Tasman Glacier. After that, we tackled the Hooker Valley Track. Unfortunately, the visibility was very limited, so we couldn't see the beautiful panorama we had expected, and therefore turned back after the 2nd swing bridge.

At this point, a tip for those looking for a campsite near Mount Cook: the DOC campsite at Hooker Valley Track is probably the best option. Unfortunately, we had booked at Glentanner Holiday Park, which did not score well in terms of amenities, location, or price. The Public Shelter right at the DOC offers at least the same comfort ;-)

From Mount Cook Village, we made our way to our next destination, Lake Tekapo. During our first stop in Lake Tekapo, we visited the famous Church of the Good Shepherd, which is pictured on many postcards. Unfortunately, this is also a tourist magnet and there are too many guests from the Far East here for our taste... ;-) Tip: Plan to spend a night in Lake Tekapo so that you can visit the church again in the evening and enjoy it in almost complete solitude. We had stayed at a nearby campground about 10 km outside. However, in the evening before visiting the church, we treated ourselves to the hot pools in Lake Tekapo. These are highly recommended and beautifully designed, much nicer than the Glacier Hot Pools at Franz Josef Glacier. So we were able to recover from the cold, rainy days in the pools at 36°, 38°, and 40° ;-)