Aoraki Mt. Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak, serves as the backdrop for a number of breathtaking walks in the Canterbury region of the South Island. We’ll just stick to the must-do climbs surrounding Aoraki Mt. Cook as few of us travelers will be mountaineering there any time soon.
1. Governors Bush Walk
The quick circular walk ought to take less than 45 minutes. taking you up to a vantage point with views of the Southern Mountains through a beech grove. Look out for local birds like the kea, the alpine parrot, and the adorable fantail. You will return to the starting village through the route after the overlook.
2. Hooker Valley Track
The Hooker Valley Trail is one of the most well-liked hikes in the valley, beginning at the White Horse Hill camping spot. The three-hour route will lead you past the best alpine vistas, including the Hooker River and two swingbridges, one of which is among the most picturesque in the nation, before you arrive at the terminal lake for the Hooker Glacier. When is the ideal season to go on this hike, you inquire? Of course, November if you want those Mt. Cook lilies to be in bloom in your pictures!
3. Tasman Glacier View Track
The Tasman Glacier Lake, which is frozen in the winter, is best viewed in the summer when enormous icebergs break off and float on the lake. Take the quick Tasman Glacier View Trail from the Blue Lakes parking lot to get to the lake. Given that the track is only an hour back and forth, this is a short pit stop on your voyage.
4. Red Tarns Track
You’ll be accommodated if you like stairs! Your stamina will be put to the test for nearly two hours as you ascend steeply to the Red Tarn. A little lake covered in red pondweed that gives the water a stunning color may be found once you reach the summit. Spend some time admiring the view, which includes the entire valley opening up before your eyes with Aoraki/Mt Cook in the distance.
5. Mt John Summit Track
The route encircles the peak of Mt. John as it ascends from the base to the top, providing a unique, genuine 360-degree perspective of the surroundings. As expected, you can see Mt. Cook from there, but you can also see the entire Mackenzie Basin and the breathtaking Lake Tekapo. Spend 2 hours and 30 minutes on this hike; it will be worthwhile!
6. Cowans Hill Track
The Tekapo River, which is now largely dry, is followed by the track. The river originated at Lake Tekapo’s southern end and ran until joining the Pukaki River. The Cowans Hill Track will lead you through an open marsh with wind-beaten tussock grass and a dense pine cone forest, providing a rare and unusual contrast of landscapes.
7. Peninsula Walk
Take on the 1 hour 30 minute Peninsula Walk for a leisurely stroll with wonderful views of the Southern Alps, Lake Tekapo, and Motuariki Island, the largest island in the lake. The loop is as simple as it gets while still offering stunning views. If you are not exhausted, combine this climb with the previously stated Domain to Mt. John Lookout route because they complement one another.
8. Twizel Walkway
This 3-hour loop will take you around the small town of Twizel, encircling it and providing fantastic views of the town and its surroundings. It is another fairly simple hike. The trek includes sections through dense pine forests and typical New Zealand agriculture. That is a genuine South Island encounter.
9. Kettlehole Track
We don’t need a good excuse to go to Lake Pukaki; the Kettlehole Trail is merely another one! The Kettlehole Trail is a one-hour hike that leads through native New Zealand bush to a special kettlehole, a shallow body of water that was formed by retreating glaciers and is now filled with sediment. From the kettlehole, you can see Lake Pukaki, which is an incredibly blue body of water.
10. Fairlie River Walk
The one-and-a-half-hour return trek begins at the Opihi River and takes you through history. You can find remnants of the great flood of 1994, a significant historical event in the small community, by following the riverbed. Another site in Fairlie that you will pass by is the Fairlie Domain. Consider taking the Burkes Pass History Walk, which begins at St. Patrick Church, if you have enough time.
