New Zealand's South Island is indeed stunning
I had various worries before departure, but it turned out to be way beyond expectations.
Below are the South Island regions ranked by their level of amazement:
Mt Cook P1-P6
- When the weather is good, it's incredibly photogenic. I recommend the Tasman glacier River 25min trail – a round trip of about 45 minutes. The path is easy and not tiring. At the end, you'll see the glacier lake (P1). Additionally, there's a small hill at the top that's great for climbing and taking pictures (P3).
- I recommend the 45min helicopter journey! The duration is just right, and you can stop on the snow mountain for 15min. The snow is knee-deep, so be sure to wear waterproof shoes! Saw a lot of pure ice bricks, and the whole world was very peaceful (P6).
We flew at 17:30, which is a time when the sunlight isn't blinding, so the photos won't have harsh top light.
Pukaki P7
I thought since I was already staying in Tekapo, and Pukaki is also a lake, there wouldn't be much difference. But only after seeing it did I realize that Pukaki is the real showstopper. It's on the way from Tekapo to Mount Cook, and after a few hairpin turns, it suddenly comes into view, shining brightly! The wild grass by the lake also feels very atmospheric. If the wind is calmer, this place would definitely be a world-class spot for wedding photos.
Tekapo P8-9
- The lake scenery is indeed a bit less impressive compared to Pukaki, and it's relatively smaller. The famous Church of the Good Shepherd is also quite mini in size. As a base for Mount Cook, it's a great choice. There are lots of homestays along the lake, most with large windows facing the lake view, and the prices are very affordable.
- Actually, one of the highlights of Tekapo is stargazing. We happened to be there during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is when the moon is the biggest and brightest of the year, so the stars were slightly less impressive. The Milky Way was faint. However, you can tell that without the moon, the stars here would be stunning. Remember to avoid stargazing around the 15th day of the lunar calendar! The new moon period is the best.
Wanaka P10-11
We stopped by on the way to Queenstown, and a quick visit was enough. The town is very relaxed, with a great atmosphere, and a high proportion of local residents (unlike Tekapo, which has more tourists). But there aren't many unique features, and the lone tree can hardly be considered an attraction. I suggest having a Patagonia ice cream and just strolling around the park. If you're short on time, there's no need to stay.
The weather in Mount Cook is very good, but at that time, I booked a snow plane. The helicopter return activity was cancelled due to the poor weather on the mountain. It was a pity for two consecutive days. I drove from the Tweizer base to the airport under the snow mountain to ask and wait. By the way, I took the shortest walking route and the scenery was not bad.
Go to Mount Cook National Park, 22 of the 27 mountains in New Zealand that are more than 3,050 meters high, are in Mount Cook National Park. Among the more spectacular is Mount Cook, which is 3,755 meters high and is called by Maori people "Oracchi", meaning "Mount Cloud."
Mount Cook National Park is the most important natural landscape in New Zealand, the area is very large, it is recommended that you spend a week to visit, there are endless snowy mountains, magical cradle mountains, and a variety of alpine lakes. It is like a place where the gods live, it is really super beautiful.
The scenery is beautiful and the humanistic landscape is beautiful. We are on the 11th tour of New Zealand's North and South Island on November 30. The enemy tour guide is very professional, answer all questions, and enthusiastically serve every tourist, eat and sleep, introduce attractions, and serve in place.
The magnificent snow mountain, it is said that it takes 1.5 hours from the beginning to the end. It is not finished. The scenery is beautiful and the snow mountain is in front of you. Accommodation is on the mountain, but there are no supermarkets around, restaurants on the mountain are limited, and some are very expensive. If you book a hotel with a kitchen, it is strongly recommended to buy it yourself. We booked a hotel, many tourists bring things up the mountain.
The experience is very good, secreted super dopamine, super happy!
Mount Cook, Oceania's highest peak, snowy year-round. The slightly rainy helicopter flew over the Tasman glacier and failed to do so. He chose Kea Point to hike through the stone road and jungle, and the trail ends at Mueller Glacier Lake, which also sees the glacier up close. Living in the Hermitage Hotel, as low-key as the name "hermit", will be shocked by the magnificent beauty of Mount Cook in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Mount Cook National Park is about 60 minutes drive from Shepherd's Church, all the way west, turn right at the T-junction at the source of Lake Pukaki, and then walk all the way along the blue Pukaki Lake in the silver beech forest, this area is a world heritage area in southwest New Zealand. Composed of Westland National Park, Yaspering Mountain National Park, and Fjord National Park, the end of the road is the Cook National Park Camp, the beauty of the road is like a large scene. There are five best short trails, the Governor’s Jungle Trail, the Bowen Jungle Trail, the Glencoe Trail, the Antelope Cape Trail, and the Hooke Valley Trail, all of which are from the Cook Hill village and have beautiful and pleasant views. The most popular in the park is the Hook Valley Trail. First, the Hook Valley Trail is long compared to the other four trails. It takes about 3 to 4 hours to travel, which is more challenging. Second, the strange stone on the way, the meadow is dense, and the background of the three suspension bridges as a background for taking pictures is also the fun of this trip. 1. The starting point of the trail is next to the Baima Mountain Campground. The view is wide. Originally this place was a villa hotel. In 1913, it was destroyed by a mountain flood. Now you can see some relics. In 1957, the rebuilt hotel was relocated 2 kilometers away from the plain area. Looking around, it was full of shrubs and jungles. Through the "Luohan Song Arch", that is, the 9 km of the Hook Valley trail walk, the trail road is flat, rugged and complicated alpine meadows are also paved with wooden roads, summer season, the mountains are full of daisies, firefly grass and lily-like alpine hair, beautiful. The trail has a memorial to the victims of the first mountaineering accident. It is near the former site of the Heights of the Hook Valley Trail. The inscription records that three climbers died in an avalanche in 1914, when only one body was found, but 12 years later, due to glacier melting, The second body was found at the bottom of HochstetterLcefall, 2,000 meters below the place where the team was buried at the time, which shows how fast the glacier is moving. The more you go to the mountain, the temperature is getting lower and lower. There are also gravel landslides on the mountainside. The traces of the meadow vegetation are vaguely visible. Finally, you can reach the lake. There is an observation deck halfway up the mountain. The wooden seats are simple. The next step is the shore of Lake Hook. The glacier cross section, the ice blue fault, The blue light was shining. There was also a boulder attraction on the trail, with a photo showing her as the world's first woman to successfully climb Mount Cook, and after she climbed the boulder, Freda left her in a short skirt and a trekking pole.