Blue lakes and Mt Cook

13/3/2015

Mt Cook's peak

 Our route from Oamaru  to Mt Cook took us up the Waitaki Valley, and past the Takiroa Maori paintings. To be honest, they were very unimpressive when compared to the very much older, and more creative San/Bushman paintings of Southern Africa.

We also drove past an intriguing sign promising  to do all sorts of weird and wonderful  to one’s sheep!

The road passes the 3 big Hydro lakes (Waitaki, Avimore, and Benmore) on the way to Omaramu, from where we branched off to Twizel, the town built in 1968 to service the Lake Tekapo hydro- electric scheme. The town was intended to be abandoned in 1994, after the scheme was completed, but new tourism ventures, and lake activities has seen property boom, and the town blossoming!

We stopped there to buy a fresh fillet of salmon, and then drove along the edge of the brilliant blue Lake Pukaki. 

Fresh salmon.......camping with style

The incredibly vivid blue is caused by the “rock flour”, (sediment) created by the glacier grinding the rock,  giving the water a milky quality, which in turn refracts the sunlight into an almost unbelievable blue. Lake Tekapo is blue for the same reason.

At Mt Cook, our first challenge was to find a rock free area level, and big enough to erect the tent! 

It was quite something to make camp in the shadow of these snowcapped mountains, listening to the crack and roar of the many avalanches, as large chunks of ice break off from the outer edges.

AVALANCHE!

The following morning we did the 6km walk up the Hooker Valley, over 3 quite long suspension bridges, to the lake, and terminus of the Hooker Glacier.

 From there one has magnificent view of Mt Cook and the surrounding mountains.

The walk took about 4 ½ hours, including the lunch stop at the Lake, where we were surprised to see icebergs floating around. Quite why we were surprised I just I do not know, as they are caused by the leading edge of the glacier breaking off into the lake!

The Hooker Glacier terminus

One iceberg looked like a polarbear

Mt Cook Buttercup

Alpine snowdrops?

 By the time we got back to camp, the legs were moaning a bit, so we prepared and cooked supper early, and slept very well that night!

   Our early morning packing up routine got a bit exciting when a sudden squall made its appearance after I had removed all the tent pegs and guy ropes. Mary was still in the tent packing up the bedding. Her sudden yodeling alerted me to the fact that she was in danger of being blown away like tumbleweed!