Lake Pukaki, the biggest turquoise blue lake we have ever seen, covered the lower part of the long, wide valley on the way to Mt. Cook.

The drive was lovely, as we drank in the colors. Also on the way to Mt. Cook, we stopped at a place called “Clay Cliffs”, which could be a sister to our own Bryce Canyon National Park!

In Bryce Canyon, the layers of clay are horizontal, while here they are at an angle. And, not all the “hoodoo”s have caps on them, implying to us that they might not last as long as the Bryce Canyon formations.

Another difference is not much greenery can be found in Bryce Canyon!

Mt. Cook itself was in clouds when we got to the end of the valley, so we went for a hike in one of the adjacent glacial valleys. See the blue in the ice, similar to the color of the lake?

And, the stepstone lines will become waterfalls as the glaciers retreat.

The kids found a monument on a side track, and I took a photo from the main track. Some things never change! On another walk on the same day, we viewed glacier accompanied by a glacial lake with floating icebergs.

And of course, on the way back down the trail, we found a small side trail through the thorny bushes that led to a smaller series of lakes less discovered. It was mostly a well groomed trail, but sometimes it turned into a sharp glacial rock field with no warning.

Worth it to see this jade green lake though!

That night we had a lovely dinner near our cabin, trying in vain to see the mountain that the village was named for. Where are you Mt Cook? Why is there so much fog?

*****Written By Clare and Laura*****

 

• New Zealand 2016-17