Mt. Cook, South Island, New Zealand

November 2015

Mount Cook or Aoraki in Māori, is New Zealand’s highest peak and lies in the middle of the Southern Alps, a mountain range that stretches along the western side of the south island. It’s a part of a national park by the same name and lies amidst glaciers a plenty that trickle down to form Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo. The area is vast, the hikes and trails are numerous, the lakes are a color blue you have to see to understand, and its beauty is at one time purely unique and at the other perfectly fitting with the rest of New Zealand. We visited the area twice. The first was in August on our way south towards Dunedin, but, as it was brief, we decided to return. What really solidified our return leg, however, were the lupins. Despite being considered a weed, they line the roadways and river banks in early summer and welcome your entry to the region like a purple carpet spread for royalty. Come in late November when they’re in full bloom. 

As was mentioned, there are a seemingly endless number of things to do in the area—all of course outdoor related. If you take a drive along Lake Pukaki up into Mt. Cook National Park you’ll find hikes and trails of varying length and splendor. There are natural hot baths at Lake Tekapo as well as The Church of the Good Shepherd—a stone chapel built in 1935 and still an active place of worship. It is often represented as the icon of the area and photographed as such. Additionally the area is a registered ‘dark sky preserve.’ Which means its an amazing spot for stargazing: an easy enough thing to do with your tent nearby.

We never had a clear intention for either one of our trips other than to simply take in each moment we could, go for a bit of a hike where we could find it, and see lots of lupins. But one unexpected moment came when driving at dusk from Lake Tekapo to Pukaki where we were to settle in for the night. After summiting a small hill and driving around a bend, the setting sun broke through the clouds enough to give yet another moment of divine intervention showing some of this earth's greatest qualities. There are some moments in your life where something stops your movements and handicaps your body leaving only emotion running from your heart to your toes to head. They tend to last in the mind.