Hooked on Hooker Valley

Just south of the majestic Aoraki/Mount Cook is a glacial lake - 'Hooker Lake'. 

The track to Hooker Lake starts from 'White Horse Hill' camping ground. It's a DOC camp (no dogs allowed) and is in the Mt Cook National Park - only a stones throw from Mt Cook village. 
Obviously because of the dogs, we couldn't stay at the camp, so I set my alarm for 5am to get to the start of the 'Hooker Valley Track' nice and early for sunrise.
The first stop was along 'Mount Cook Road' on State Highway 80 - on the right is 'Peter's Lookout', it's a popular place to take a photo with Aoraki/Mount Cook in the background. Unfortunately the summit was covered in cloud while I was there.

It was a beautiful time to drive towards the mountain, the early morning sun cast a golden glow over the icy blue lake (Lake Pukaki) on one side and snow tussock on the other.

I arrived at Mount Cook Village before 7 o'clock so thought I'd have a quick look around. I found the school - Aoraki / Mount Cook School. It's the only school in New Zealand inside a National Park. The school has 9 children and one teacher and all children speak English as their second language.

It didn't take long to view the entire village. All the buildings and facilities operate on concessions and leases from the government. It's not possible to own property in Mount Cook village but because of the year-round running of hotels and motels, the village has a population of around 250.

Not far from the village, was the carpark beside the 'White Horse Hill' camping ground. I parked the car and enjoyed the company of several friendly rabbits. I noticed our motorhome friends, Neville & Barabra's campervan parked up - but it was too early to knock on their door to say hi.

Close to the beginning of the 5.5km long track is the Alpine memorial - a tribute to over 200 climbers that have lost their lives on the peaks around Mt Cook.

After I'd paid my respects, I wandered back to the main track and noticed others already ahead of me. A guy passed by who was returning from his walk - and I thought I'd had an early start!

Looking behind me, in the distance I could just see the 'The Hermitage' - an international style hotel in the Mount Cook Village. 

After about 15 minutes I came to the first of the three suspension bridges. To the left was the milky grey coloured, Mueller Lake.

Although the sun hadn't risen enough to fill the valley, the day felt warm - warm enough to wear only a t-shirt. The wind picked up and in the distance I saw swirls of dust being blown off the side of the mountain.

It was an easy walking track and well maintained. Enough space for passing, which was just as well with the amount of people walking it.

The second suspension bridge seemed higher than the first. The roaring water was raging underneath as it made it's way into Mueller Lake.

From the second swing bridge the vegetation changed to more open tussock and a wider valley floor. I was thrilled when I came across the Mount Cook lily. Well it's not actually a lily ... it's a buttercup - the world's largest buttercup. It can grow over a metre tall and has leaves larger than an adult's hand. The leaves are shaped like a cup and often hold water after rain.

The scenery was stunning - I was tempted to take photos every few steps (and basically that's exactly what I did!).

A long boardwalk led to the last of the suspension bridges, which crossed the source of the Hooker River.

A sign indicated, an alpine tarn to the right. And less than a hundred metres, the tarn appeared. Or what was left of it. There was very little water in it, which suggested even in this alpine zone there had been little rainfall.

Back onto the main track and just over a small rocky incline was Hooker Lake. Complete with icebergs and milky glacial water.

I followed a short path down to the lake's edge, I was keen to touch the water. Yip - it was chilly!

I found a flat rock at the edge of the lake to sit, while I admired the scenery. Although some of the icebergs seemed as though they'd melt at any second, after feeling the water, I knew they wouldn't. I read somewhere the lake's temperature is usually lower than 2degrees.

Hooker Lake only began forming in the late 1970s when the Hooker Glacier started retreating. In 1990 its length was 1.2 kilometres and then in 2013 it measured 2.3 kilometres. The lake is expected to grow in length by another 4 kilometres as the Hooker Glacier retreats further up the valley. 

And guess how deep it is? 136 metres! Wow, that's deep ... I can only imagine how cold it is near the bottom.

I sat for awhile, taking it all in. Thinking of the many mountaineers who had lost their lives on the mountains and wondering what it was that attracted them to such a risky challenge. 

I was hoping the clouds would part so I could see Aoraki/ Mount Cook's summit (3724m) but that didn't happen. Aoraki meaning 'Cloud Piercer' didn't live up to its name that day.

A group of 20 or more boys arrived and started having competitions to hit the icebergs with rocks (typical teenage boys). They were from St Bede's College enjoying an end of year camp.

I decided to head back before the temperature got any warmer, we'd had a few scorching hot days and I wasn't keen to walk back in the midday heat. By this time the sun was filling the valley so the light was better for photos.

The glacial waters of Hooker River are a blueish/grey colour because of the glacial rock flour draining into it from Hooker Lake.

I kept looking over my shoulder, hoping Mt Cook's peak would become cloud free. Last night's weather forecast had predicted rain for the West Coast, so I guess the clouds were the result of that.

I admire how alpine plants can survive in such harsh conditions - they have to cope with extreme cold, windy and dry conditions. Often growing in infertile soil or shattered rock with huge changes in temperature.

Most of N.Z's alpine flora have white or yellow flowers because they're pollinated by flies, moths and beetles, which can't detect different colours.

An alpine hebe.

Golden speargrass (golden spaniard)

Mountain daisy (Clemisia)

On the walk back it was a challenge to get a photo without anybody in it - I was surprised by the amount of people walking the track. I passed two groups of 20+ people, escorted by an alpine guide, heading to the lake.

As I was almost at the carpark there was another short path that lead to 'Freda's Rock'. This special rock is the place Freda du Fair stood for the photo below.

Freda du Fair is a legend, a pioneer of mountaineering in New Zealand and Australia. In 1906, Freda traveled from Australia with her father for an International Exhibition in Christchurch and was captivated by photos and pictures of the Southern Alps. When it was time to head home to Australia - Freda headed for the mountains instead. And four years later in December 1910, she became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Cook (with two guides, Peter and Alec Graham).

This was the same rock that Freda posed against for the photo above.

Near the carpark was a plaque on the site the first 'Hermitage' was constructed in 1884, to accomodate travellers and tourists. In 1911 a new hotel began to be built where today's Hermitage sits. Then two years later, in 1913 before the new hotel was completed a rare flood raced down the Mueller Glacier, bursting through the moraine wall and destroying the original Hermitage.

All up, the walk took about three and a half hours, plus an extra half an hour taking photos and stopping to stand in awe of the magnificent Hooker Valley landscape.