Mount Cook – It's all about the coffee

Hooker Valley Track

The Hooker Valley Track was on my NZ bucket list, and was something I had to do. Had also paid a small fortune for a night at the Hermitage Hotel so another reason I absolutely wanted to do it today.

We got here a little later on Thursday than I’d anticipated and it was searingly hot and I was already sunburnt, so I thought it better to do in the morning. To get back in time to checkout and have breakfast I’d calculated I needed to start just before 6.

The only real trouble is that sunrise was at 6:20 so I’d be starting when it was dark. Overnight an air raid siren went off at 3am (don’t know why) and I dozed on an off, eventually deciding I’d leave the hotel at 5 to start the walk even earlier, with the only light coming from the moon. At least it was (or close to) a full moon.

So here I am, in the parking lot near the start of the track at 5:20 am. I’m looking for the start of the track with my iPhone as a torch and Google maps.

I’m also thinking I’m breaking a few trekking rules here, I’m in a wilderness area, I’m alone, it’s near pitch dark, and I have no first aid kit. Mentally justifying all this thinking it’s one of the most popular tracks in NZ, it will probably be packed with people in about an hour, its only 10km return, its flat and wide, what could possibly go wrong…..

The family will get a decent insurance payout if it does all go to cactus, so I continue along.

At least I’m carrying water. That’s one rule I’d never break. Would I be doing something like this on a track in Australia ? Absolutely HELL NO. New Zealand doesn’t have snakes so there is zero risk of accidentally stepping on one. No wolves or bears either.

After about 20 minutes the light started to appear and any fears I was having started to vanish. The worst that happened was a rabbit darted out in front of my feet less than a metre away in the dark. Scared the crap out of me, but no damage done.

Apart from not dying, I really did manage to luck in on this one. The weather was 100% perfect. It wasn’t cold, 8c (which is a great walking temp) and it was clear sky. That’s very rare in this area.

The walk is visually stunning in every direction. Lakes, remnants of glaciers, fast running water, amazing vegetation and rocks, three suspension bridges.

Not that I needed to, but I was wondering about the toilet facilities on the track. Surely a track this popular they can’t have people just all going behind a rock. Then as I rounded a corner about half way on the walk, question was answered. There was one there just off the track a little.

Not a flush toilet and not a long drop either. They have a drop over a holding tank, which they then helicopter out occasionally. Here is the article about it.

If you are visiting this part of NZ, you should consider this walk. There aren’t too many steps, the majority of the track is flat. At least go to the first suspension bridge.

I was back in the hotel by 8:30 and was able to make the breakfast. I did the walk in just under 3 hours.

Travel

Hermitage Coffee

At breakfast I ordered a coffee, this isn’t included in the package and was $7.50. That’s absolutely on the high side of coffee prices here in NZ, they average about $5 in Queenstown, but given this is a five star hotel in a wilderness area it’s to be expected. Compared to what I’m paying for the accommodation here overnight it’s insignificant.

The breakfast was buffet style, not too bad but nothing like the quality of the dinner we had last night.

I love the T-shirt of the guy at the next table. As they would say here in NZ, nice shirt Bro!

Travel

Hermitage Hotel Dinner

The accomodation package we have at the hotel includes a three course dinner and breakfast. Wine and coffee are an extra payment.

We started with a drink in the hotel lounge, I had a wonderful local Gin and we just sat for a while admiring the amazing view as what little cloud coverage remained vanished to reveal the mountain completely.

Dinner was spectacular. I honestly wasn’t expecting anything too great considering it’s the only real dining option in about a 100km radius. There are other accomodation options here in the village, but if you didn’t bring your own food, you are eating here or in the hotel buffet. Although the food is included in the package, you can eat a three course meal for $110 per person, and considering the amazing quality of the food it’s a bargain.

We both had the carrot and ginger soup to start, I then had the lamb and Sharon had the salmon. The cheesecake for dessert with three different apple toppings was also stunning.

All washed down with a great local Otago Pinot.

Travel

Road Trip to Mount Cook

We decided we would take the extra scenic route to Mount Cook via Wanaka and grab a late breakfast there.

The road trip is a feast for your eyes and in some ways a challenge for your nerves. You do have to be careful and ensure you are looking at the road and not losing concentration as NZ roads do need your 110% attention.

Whilst they have beautiful views, the roads are not great. There are plenty of “one way at a time” bridges, almost all of them without traffic lights, just a giveaway / yield sign, sometimes with very little warning just before the bridge starts, and they are on roads with a 100kph limit.

Overtaking / passing lanes are almost unheard of (at least in the areas we have been driving) and lots of winding roads with hairpin turns on the sides of ravines. The road between Queenstown and Cromwell is particularly shocking given the volume of traffic it handles.

This likely sounds harsh, but driving here feels like what driving at home in New South Wales would be like if all the road improvements of the last 40 years never happened. Partly an unfortunate situation of difficult terrain, lower population and smaller economy I would assume.

Like Australia, New Zealand drives on the left. Not an issue for me, as thats my normal. However with lots of tourists from Europe and the US/Canada, left driving combined with roads with little traffic in some sections and lookouts everywhere it can be a deadly combination. Lots of history of drivers exiting a lookout onto the wrong side of the road and crashing head on with a car coming round the next bend. Arrows are painted on the roads everywhere to remind people, and all rental cars have stickers “Drive on left” in them.

On the way North to Mount Cook you will go through Lindis Pass, which according to the interwebs is the second highest “State Road” road (National HIghway) in NZ, and the highest in the South Island. At the peak there is a lookout you can climb. I only went part of the way up.

Turning off the State Highway to Mount Cook, the road views turn even more spectacular, and there are lots more one way bridges. About 10km from the turnoff you go past a small Lavender farm, and for $5 a person you can walk through the fields and sit on some strategically placed chairs for pics.

This sounds silly but for $10, this is one of the best things we have done this holiday. The colours and the aroma from the flowers is intense.