The New Zealand Adventure Part 7: Aoraki Mt. Cook & the Mackenzie District

Mt. Cook over lake Pukaki

Mt. Cook was the final major stop on our tour of the South Island. The area is kind of interesting in that it has some strikingly gorgeous sights, and some that are . . . well, strikingly ugly.

Mt. Cook is New Zealand’s tallest mountain. The Maori name is Aoraki which means “cloud piercer,” and it’s easy to see how it got its name.

Mt. Cook has been a longtime destination for mountain climbers. In the Mt. Cook village you’ll find the Sir Edmund Hilary Alpine Center, a gorgeous museum and educational center dedicated to the area and the history of mountain climbing. Entrance is free and absolutely worth a visit.

Plus, it ‘s a good place to pick up maps and information about area and the trailheads to several treks are right nearby.

The ugly part came in at the Tasman Glacier head. This is just my opinion of course, but this is not the prettiest place in the South Island; that’s not to say it isn’t still really interesting and impacting. My understanding is that the construction site appearance of the lake basin the glacier flows into is due to the fact that the glacier has done a little back and forth action – it advanced, retreated, advanced again, and is now once again in retreat. The result is that it has turned the terrain to rubble.

On top of the mountains of rocks, the glacial silt makes the water on this lake look dusty grey. (It's possible that in different light the water might look different, but that day it was murky.)

The place like it could have been the location for Mordor – it wasn’t . . . but it looks like it could have been. (Actually, prettier fields not too far away were the locations for Gondor.)

Just a little ways down the road, the glacial flour in some of the other lakes nearby created a completely different effect. At Lakes Ohau, Tekapo, and Pukaki light plays off the silt in this magical way that creates an intense turquoise blue color. It looks pretty otherworldly.

In between Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki we stopped at Mount Cook Salmon Farm, which is hidden just off the main road. According to their website, the farm is eco friendly and sustainable. We got there right at 5:00, so we didn’t get to tour the place much, but we did get to see a bit and feed the fish.

The pens were crowded with salmon, but they looked beautiful and the water was clean and that crisp aqua blue.

Most importantly, the salmon was delicious! We ordered a plate of sashimi and were served a heaping plate. The fish was firm and absolutely luscious.

Filled with tasty salmon sashimi, it was time to head out of the Mackenzie District and head back to Christchurch to complete our South Island loop.

Here's my slideshow:

and a link to the rest of Greg's.

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