The last adventure in New Zealand

We are going to Lake Tekapo and Mt. Cook, taking a Monday off to enjoy a long weekend. We spent the first night halfway on a free campground to have a shorter drive the next morning. When we arrive at the lake, we see some bunnies hopping around. Shortly afterwards, we visit the church on the edge of the lake. This church is a popular postcard motif with the starry sky in the background. During the day, the small church is rather unspectacular, and we go to the beach to have lunch.

Shortly after, ducks surround us, wanting to get something. But they realize that they don't get anything, only one remains persistently in front of us.

After we have digested, we climb the mountain that rises directly next to Lake Tekapo to get a view of the landscape.

When we reach the bottom, we head towards the campground at Lake Pukaki. There we see the sun set behind the Southern Alps and a wonderful starry sky. From the campsite, we have a wonderful view of Mt. Cook. We are even lucky and the clouds clear for a moment, so we can catch a glimpse of the majestic peak.

The next morning, we continue along Lake Punakaiki towards Mt. Cook. This is the highest mountain in New Zealand at 3724 m. When we arrive, there are still many ground clouds at the base of the mountain, but fortunately they gradually dissipate and even the sun slowly peeks over the mountains. Since we don't feel like an 8-hour hike to the halfway point, we decide to do the valley walk. A well-developed path leads us through the valley, over suspension bridges and past dozens of Asians who sometimes even carry 2 Nikons around their necks. The hiking trail ends at a large glacier lake where even an iceberg floats. It's a really beautiful sight that we get to see. For Claudi, one of the highlights of our trip to New Zealand.