Day 38 Queenstown to Mt Cook National Park

Day 38 Queenstown to Mt Cook National Park

Another lovely breakfast overlooking the lake and we packed up for the drive to Mt Cook National Park.  We had a great view of Mt Cook from the West Coast, but today we are approaching from the southeast….where the base camp for the climb to the summit is located.

Instead of lupins, the road out of Queenstown is lined with flax, ‘Pampas’ grass, yellow-flowering gorse and the white flowers of menuca….which bees use to make the special honey that sells for £25 a jar…We crossed the Shotover River – where the Queenstown jetboats go – and drove up to the world’s first ever bungy.  One member of our group did this bungy yesterday….way too scary for me – and he said he had a headache all day from bouncing upside down.  We watched one petrified young lady make the jump – she did not look like she wanted to do it, forgot to dive head first and was yanked upside down, screaming the whole time…..no, thanks….

We drove through the Gibston Valley wine region – if I’d been driving, we would have shopped at the very inviting ‘Winery and Cheesery’, though perhaps it was a bit early… There were also cherry orchards, sheep and cattle ranches….It is impossible to name all the different shades of green….but as we then began to follow the Kawarau Gorge, the vegetation became scrub and we entered the historic goldmining area….Again, if I’d been driving, I would have stopped to look at the buildings and equipment, including a ‘flying fox’ just abandoned when the gold ran out.

We passed through Cromwell with its huge fruit sculpture – and ‘Wooing Tree’ where the goldminers would take their women to propose – and the tiny newtown of Tarras – built as a temporary town when the Lake Dunstan hydroelectric scheme was built. (The old town is at the bottom of the lake.) and now a major centre for merino wool…particularly the Icebreaker brand of clothing.

We drove over the Lindis Pass and had a quick stop in Omarama….unfortunately missing the rodeo, which took place yesterday…..We passed another lake formed by a hydroelectric scheme that has been designed as a competition rowing lake.  (This is why New Zealand rowers win so many medals…) and finally stopped for lunch at a garden café in Twizels. 

After lunch, we drove the last bit to Mt Cook National Park and began with an hour-long hike up to the Blue Tarns (They are actually green…) with floating icebergs at a glacier terminal.  We then did another hike – this one 3 hours - up the Hooker Valley….The walk was much more gentle than our recent walks except that the wind was about 40mph, blowing us off the track, and there were three high suspension bridges over the river on the way to the terminal lake and another glacier.  This was one of my favourite walks of the trip….much less ‘up’ and some great views…another rare plant for our collection, too – the Mt Cook lily only grows in this one valley…it has leaves like lily pads and a daisy-like flower.

A much-needed shower in our alpine lodge hotel and off we went to dinner at Sir Edmund Hillary’s favourite mountaineering bar and restaurant.  The décor was historical mountaineer…(I’m sure my dad had skis like those…) but the food was good…and there were views of Mt Cook and surrounding peaks out the double story floor to ceiling window.

With all that walking and a good meal, we collapsed into bed and fell almost immediately to sleep.