We left the apartment at 7:30 AM, got back at 8:00 PM (or 2000 if you prefer) and had a simply wonderful day.
It took us a little over an hour to get to Mount Cook and I had my first experience with New Zealand one lane bridges. It is kind of scary to be traveling at 100 KM/h and realize that the bridge you are coming up on only has one lane. I had to do this ten times (five on the way up, five on the way down) and can’t say I ever really got used to it. However I lived to tell the tale (or write it) so I guess I did OK.
The first activity of the day was the Hooker Trail near Mount Cook. We were told to get there early (hence the 7:30 departure time) and even with leaving the early many of the parking places at the trailhead were already taken. The trail takes you over three suspension bridges, is a little over seven miles long and was pretty easy (which I definitely appreciated given yesterday’s hike). And it was stunning. Several amazing views of the mountain, a couple of rainbows, some truly amazing rocks, just amazing. It was totally worth waking up early for.
After the hike we went to the big hotel in Mount Cook where our second activity (a boat ride) was originating. We had the buffet lunch (good buffet but, well, still a buffet) with a beautiful view. We ate and relaxed playing crosscrib (a game that Max told us about and that I found an iPhone version of) and and enjoyed the view. Then at 2:30 it was time for the boat tour.
This was another of those multiple stops before you get to the tour. We had to take a bus to a trailhead, hike for about a mile and THEN we got on the boat that took us around the glacier created lake. It was awesome. Our tour guide was humorous, knowledgeable and make the experience a lot of fun. We boated right next to icebergs, got to hold a portion of one, learned that the glacier we were looking at would likely be gone in 50 years (not due to global warming but because the lake is causing it to melt and break off) and enjoyed the boat ride. Like the earlier hike I found the views to be stunning. Then a brief hike back to the bus, the bus to the hotel and then I drove us back to town.
Tomorrow we leave for Christschurch, our final destination before we return home. It’s hard to believe we have been here for close to three weeks. It has been an amazing trip and it’s not over with yet!
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