Mount Cook National Park

We had one more stop to make before reaching Mt. Cook National Park and that was at Moeraki, where we visited the Penguin Hospital (we finally saw a Yellow-Eyed Penguin even if it did have a limp!) and the Moeraki Boulders.

The drive approaching Mount Cook was awesome. As the huge mountain loomed closer we had some great views of it with Lake Pukaki in the foreground.

The DOC campsite was basic but in idyllic surroundings - not a bad place to pitch your tent for the night! We were up early in the morning to do the popular three hour walk through the Hooker Valley to Hooker Lake at the base of Mount Cook. We had perfect clear weather and the place to ourselves. The highest peak in NZ looked absolutely stunning with the morning sunlight illuminating the snow.

In the afternoon we stopped off at the Mount John Observatory which overlooked the beautifully turquoise Lake Tekapo - not a bad place for a coffee! We then stopped briefly for a few touristy photos at the Church of the Good Shepherd before making the long journey to Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula.