What a glorious few days we’ve had in the National Park. I’d hoped for snow when we were planning our trip and oh boy did we get it! As we drove along SH80 from Glentanner to Aoraki, the landscape and thickness of snow changed quickly. I noticed Aoraki Mt. Cook School on the way in to the village and remarked to Don that I bet there was no closing for snow days like back at home! We had booked into the White Horse Hill DoC campsite for our time here and so when we arrived we checked in at the DoC Visitor Centre to see what the situation was with the campground. Unfortunately/fortunately due to the inclement weather conditions, they were planning to close the Hooker Valley road which goes to the camp until possibly Tuesday. As we’d booked, they said we could hunker down at the public shelter. And so we did. For three days, Aoraki stood shrouded in low cloud. For two of those days, we mostly hung out at The Hermitage in the Sir Edmund Hillary Cafe. Well, who doesn’t like a venison pie and a coffee while waiting for cloud to lift! There is a magnificent statue to Sir Edmund on the balcony of the cafe of him gazing out at Aoraki Mt. Cook.

We went for a few walks: Bowen Walk, Governors Bush Walk, Kea Point and Don walked out as far as he could on the Hooker Valley track – it was closed after the first swing bridge. We had a fabulous meal in the restaurant at the Hermitage one evening, enjoying a very lovely glass of red wine by a roaring fire. What a magical place this National Park is – and we’ve only seen a tiny fraction of it.

These photos cannot possibly do this area and the mountain justice but they reflect our time in the village…