Mt. Cook / NZ

Also in February, means in summer, I went after my walk to the Observatory at Lake Tekapo to Mt. Cook. It is not far to go though no rush. On your trip you drive past Lake Pukaki.

Lake Pukaki

This view is so amazing, that I had to stop several times to enjoy and take lots of photos. With a clear, blue sky you can look across the lake to snowy Mount Cook. Just so incredible.
As everywhere you have several chances to stop next to the road to goggle and photograph.

The road goes alongside the Lake and when you are looking for a campsite you have to turn right before you get into the town.

My fantastic Juicy van

It's a DOC (Department of Conservation) campsite (which are most of the time more basic than those camp parks). At the time of my trips all of them cost 10 NZD / person. You have to drop it into a box, best you carry change with you. 
There is a kitchen, showers and toilets. Later in the day a ranger checks if you have paid, if you didn't have change, no problem it was even possible to pay with Credit Card.

The view from the campsite is also great. Bring warm clothes, it was verryyyyy cold in the evening and night, especially if you are in a tent or a van without power like me.

There are a few walks you can do. I hoped I had done the one directly to Mt. Cook, which I heard is quite hard, but great. I had followed the crowd along the Hooker Valley Walk. It's a nice walk. It's mentioned with 1h35 (one-way). You have to go the same way both directions and it leads you in the direction of Mt. Cook, but as mentioned I would say, everybody is going this way. 

It's straight, though no uphill.

 

To the right you can see the glacier ending (the dirty part)

I only cooled off my feet :-)

At the end of the walk you can bath in the lake with parts of the glacier floating around, you get it it's pretty cold :-)

Mt Cook in the sunset