Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park lies at the very heart of New Zealand's South Island (Te Waipounamu). As the name suggests, it is home to Aoraki / Mount Cook—the towering monarch of the Southern Alps and New Zealand's highest peak. The national park is alpine in the truest sense, boasting over 140 peaks above 2,000 metres and 72 named glaciers that blanket 40% of its landmass.
Aoraki / Mount Cook is the undisputed star attraction. Despite standing at a lofty 3,724 metres, hikers can get remarkably close to its giant face thanks to the unique network of glacial valleys and rivers radiating from the main divide. There is no finer way to experience it than the Hooker Valley Track, widely regarded as one of the best short walks in New Zealand, if not the world.
The trail sets off from the spacious trailhead at White Horse Hill Campground, which also serves as the launching pad for other iconic routes like the Mueller Hut Track, Sealy Tarns, and Kea Point.
Having stayed overnight at the campground, we were primed for an early start without the headache of hunting for a parking spot. After pulling in under dreary grey skies the evening before, a quick peek out of our campervan window just after sunrise confirmed our highest hopes for the day ahead. |
| Lake Pukaki on the drive to Aoraki/Mount Cook – the mountain is hidden among the clouds |
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| The Huddleston Glacier on Mount Sefton, hidden within the clouds |
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| Morning sun on Mount Sefton |
Greeted by crisp, clear skies, we hastily packed up and set off along the Hooker Valley Track. The trail offers fleeting glimpses of Aoraki / Mount Cook early on before the high shoulder of Mount Wakefield blocks the view. With the summit completely cloud-free, we pushed ahead, passing the Alpine Memorial to reach the first of three swing bridges over the rush of the Hooker River. Just above the Lower Hooker Suspension Bridge lies the Mueller Lake Lookout, opening up sweeping views across the grey, glacial waters of Mueller Lake. |
| An overnight dump of snow would make things look even more impressive |
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| The Tasman River valley |
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| The Hooker Valley – the shoulder of Aoraki/Mount Cook can just be seen |
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| The first swing bridge over Hooker River |
This expansive terminal lake is fed by the Mueller Glacier, which drains the eastern flanks of Mount Sefton, Mount Thompson, and Mount Isabel, absorbing the Frind and Huddleston Glaciers along the way. By dating lichen on the surrounding moraines, scientists estimate the glacier reached its maximum mass in the 1720s. It has been in retreat ever since—Mueller Lake itself only began forming in the 1970s, with researchers recording a dramatic 2.5-kilometre retreat between 2000 and the present day. Tragically, it’s a story echoed right across New Zealand’s alpine regions. |
| Mount Sefton and Mueller Lake |
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| Mount Sefton and the Tuckett and Huddleston Glaciers |
As it was early, the low sun made taking photos a little tricky thanks to the stark contrast between the bright snow and shadowy valley; however, I can have no complaints about the weather. Once across the first bridge, we continued along the track as it follows the shores of Mueller Lake.
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| Crossing the first bridge over Hooker River |
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| Hooker River |
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| Mueller Lake and Mount Sefton |
The second suspension bridge (Hooker Bluff Bridge) crosses Hooker River, where the river is forced through a gap between the slopes of Mount Wakefield and the old terminal moraine of the Hooker Glacier, with Mount Sefton dominating the view ahead. You'll often see this view used in guides for the Hooker Valley Track. Before long, the magnificent Aoraki/Mount Cook comes into view.
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| Mueller Lake and the Sealy Range |
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| The second bridge |
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| Crossing the second bridge |
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| The Hooker River, where it carves a path through the moraine |
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| Once across the second bridge, Aoraki/Mount Cook comes into view |
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| Aoraki/Mount Cook |
A small toilet block sits beside the trail just past Mueller Lake—a sensible pit stop if you plan to linger at Hooker Lake. From here, the track steps onto a wide wooden boardwalk, tracing the river through the broad expanse of the valley. After crossing the Upper Hooker Bridge (the third and final swing bridge of the walk), the trail passes a quiet tarn before a brief climb opens up the shores of Hooker Lake. |
| Hooker River |
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| The Tewaewae Glacier below The Footstool |
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| Aoraki/Mount Cook |
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| The boardwalk along the Hooker Valley |
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| Mount Thomson and the peaks above Mueller Lake |
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| Mount Sefton and The Footstool |
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| The last crossing of the Hooker River |
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| Sara crossing the last swing bridge |
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| Hooker River |
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| Hooker Lake and Aoraki/Mount Cook |
Cresting the rise, we were rewarded with a sensational view of Aoraki/Mount Cook soaring directly above the far end of the lake. We’d struck absolute gold with the weather—the park receives up to 10,000 mm of annual rainfall, and the main peak remains shrouded in cloud for more than 200 days a year.
No such issues today.
From our vantage point at Hooker Lake, the summit of Aoraki/Mount Cook sat just 10 km away—and nearly 3 km higher than where we stood. |
| Hooker Lake as the sun continues to rise |
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| The Aroarokaehe Range above Hooker Lake |
Following the 1998 Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act, many significant landmarks across New Zealand officially bear dual names—combining their traditional Māori name with their European counterpart. Out of respect for this cultural heritage, I’ve used dual naming (such as Aoraki/Mount Cook) throughout this write-up. |
| Aoraki/Mount Cook |
In Māori legend, Aoraki was a young boy who, along with his three brothers, were the sons of Rakinui, the Sky Father. On their voyage around Papatūānuku, the Earth Mother, their canoe became stranded on a reef and tilted. Aoraki and his brothers climbed onto the top side of their canoe. However, the south wind froze them and turned them to stone. Their canoe became the Te Waka o Aoraki, the South Island, and their prow, the Marlborough Sounds. Aoraki, the tallest, became the highest peak, and his brothers created the Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, the Southern Alps.
Under the 1998 Ngāi Tahu Settlement, this peak became one of the first major landmarks where the Māori name officially precedes the English name: Aoraki/Mount Cook. |
| Hooker Lake – the colour comes from the immense quantities of glacial 'flour' – fine sediments washed down from the Hooker Glacier |
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| Eugenie Glacier |
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| The southern end of Hooker Lake |
Aoraki/Mount Cook is geologically active thanks to its location on the Alpine Fault that runs up the spine of South Island. Continued uplift increases its height by up to 7 mm each year; however, the mountain is subjected to immense erosive forces as it juts into the Roaring Forties, the powerful westerly winds that blow around the 45°S latitude. The Southern Alps are the first obstacle these winds encounter after leaving South America.
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| Mt Hicks and the top of the Hooker Glacier |
As a result, the peak of Aoraki / Mount Cook has suffered notable collapses; one in 1991 where 10 m of the peak fell and a further 30 m were lost due to the continued erosion of the exposed ice cap.
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| The windswept summit of Aoraki/Mount Cook – Low Peak (3,593 m) in the foreground at the top of Hillary Ridge and High Peak (3,724 m) at the back |
As we had no plans for the day, we spent a good amount of time watching the unfolding scene as the sun rose above the line of mountains that ring Hooker Lake. You'll find venturing away from the lookout platform will reward you with a quiet spot to soak up the views, and we were lucky to witness one of the icebergs rolling over in the lake once the sun had started to melt them.
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| The moraine at the end of Hooker Lake |
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| Nazomi, Hillary Ridge and Aoraki / Mount Cook |
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| The face of the Hooker Glacier |
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| The shores of Hooker Lake show where the glacier once stood |
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| Iceberg in Hooker Lake |
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| Cadogan Peak, Eugenie Glacier and Eugenie Stream |
Eventually, we set off to explore a little more of Hooker Lake, following the rocky shoreline south to the Hooker River. We got some of the most impressive views of Aoraki / Mount Cook from here, framed by the icebergs in the lake.
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| Hooker Lake |
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| Aoraki / Mount Cook |
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| Hooker Lake |
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| Icebergs in Hooker Lake |
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| Cadogan Peak |
As it approached midday, we finally managed to tear ourselves away from the lake and start making tracks back towards the campground. Having been able to revel in the views around Hooker Lake, we now had ample time to stop by the alpine tarn, Mueller Lake Lookout and Alpine Memorial on the way back.
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| The shores of Hooker Lake |
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| Hooker Valley looking towards the old glacial terminal moraine |
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| The alpine tarn |
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| The third suspension bridge |
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| Stocking Stream |
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| Hooker River and Aoraki / Mount Cook |
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| The second swing bridge |
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| Tasman River valley |
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| Mueller Lake and Mount Sefton |
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| Mount Sefton |
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| The Sealy Range |
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| Hooker River |
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| Mueller Lake |
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| The first swing bridge |
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| The Alpine Memorial |
The Alpine Memorial is dedicated "to the memory of mountaineers and guides lost to the hills". Aoraki / Mount Cook is New Zealand's deadliest peak, having claimed over 80 lives in the 20th century. It is a technically challenging mountain with the first known ascent in 1894. Sir Edmund Hillary first climbed the mountain in 1948 before going on to becoming the first climber to summit Mount Everest with Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
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| The Alpine Memorial |
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| Aoraki / Mount Cook as seen from the memorial |
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| The memorial has a commanding view |
By the time we returned to the campground, the car park and adjoining roads were full of cars and visitors taking advantage of the stunning weather. While you may think our adventure in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park ends here, you'd be wrong. The adjacent valley is home to the Tasman Glacier, which sports a lookout atop the old terminal moraine. It takes around 5 minutes to drive to the car park where a 90 m climb to the lookout beckons. Truth be told, the climb to Tasman Glacier lookout is more taxing than anything on the Hooker Valley Track, which is very straightforward.
The views from the lookout are sensational. |
| Tasman Lake |
Tasman Glacier / Huapapa is the largest of New Zealand's glaciers, stretching for 23km from Hochstetter Dome to Tasman Lake. It is currently 4 km wide and over 600 m thick, though it has been shrinking rapidly since the 1990s. Many people miss the glacier, as it is not the pristine white sheet of ice people expect to find – the lower few kilometres are covered in a layer of grey rock debris that somewhat camouflages the glacier.
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| The immense Tasman Glacier / Huapapa |
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| Tasman Lake |
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| Tasman River |
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| A boat trip onto the lake is a popular tourist attraction |
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| The Tasman River flowing towards Lake Pukaki |
The view is dominated by Novara Peak (part of the Malte Brun Range), while the very tip of Aoraki/Mount Cook can be seen peaking above Ball Ridge. Along the length of Tasman Lake is the Liebig Range, home to mountains such as the Acolyte and Nun's Veil.
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| Middle Peak (3,717m) and High Peak (3,724m) on Aoraki / Mount Cook |
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| Minarets (3,031 m / 3,040 m) and the De La Beche Ridge dominate the lake |
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| Tasman Lake |
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| Tasman River |
After an epic morning exploring the Hooker Valley and Tasman Glacier, we finally set off in the direction of our next overnight destination in Tekapo, taking us along State Highway 80 – Mount Cook Road. The road follows the luminous blue Lake Pukaki, which is fed by water from the Tasman and Hooker Glaciers and has some amazing views of the lake and Aoraki/Mount Cook. Somehow the mountain looks bigger from here than it does from Hooker Lake – amazing what a bit of perspective can do.
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| Mount Low and Aoraki/Mount Cook |
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| The Gamack Range over Lake Pukaki |
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| Lake Pukaki |
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| Aoraki/Mount Cook from Peter's Lookout |
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| Lake Pukaki |
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| Lake Pukaki |
During our month in New Zealand, this was one of the most enjoyable days of the entire trip, especially as the weather had looked very unfavourable at one point. If you get to visit Aoraki/Mount Cook, try your best to find a clear day, as the scenery is nothing short of jaw-dropping. February is one of the driest months, but you may also be rewarded with dry spells through the winter. The Hooker Valley Track is rightly regarded as one of the world's best short hikes.
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| The sun sets on a remarkable day |
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