Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park
Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park was hands down my favourite place we visited while road tripping around New Zealand for 3 weeks in winter. Here’s everything you need to know before you go and the walks you must do!
Things to know
The drive into the park is spectacular and completely takes your breath away. There’s a famous photo where the road is in a straight line to Mt Cook. We kept thinking we’d found it but there is a sign post at the exact spot. It’s on the left hand side of the road and there’s a big shoulder for you to park on.
There are limited to no facilities in the National Park. Before you go, top up on food and petrol, fill your water tanks and empty your waste.
Stargazing. Mt Cook National Park is just outside the Lake Tekapo Dark Sky Reserve so there is zero light pollution making for incredible star gazing. On a clear night, wake up and go outside around midnight. You’ll see the incredible stars, the Milky Way in all its glory and countless shooting stars.
White Horse Hill Campground
We spent 2 nights at White Horse Hill Campground which was essentially freedom camping - there’s no running water and only pit toilets. The location is perfect as you’re camping at the start of all the main walking tracks and surrounded by glaciers and snow-capped mountains.
White Horse Hill Campground is a Department of Conservation (DOC) campground and you'll have to book. You can book online or pay in person via a honesty system, but keep in mind it may be booked out in peak periods. 26 December – 8 February it’s $18 per adult per night; from 9 February – 25 December it’s $15 per adult per night. We were there in August and there were maybe 5 cars in the 60 spot campground. During winter, the facilities are limited even further, with the communal kitchen and toilets closed.
Hooker Valley Track - 10km walk, 3 hour return
The Hooker Valley Track is arguably the most famous walk in Mount Cook as it’s accessible for everyone and offers amazing views. The 10km hike is pathed the entire way and has 3 suspension bridges over the river. You’ll follow the river to Hooker Lake, scattered with Icebergs from behind the glacier. You’ll also have breathtaking, uninterrupted views of Mount Cook. The walk starts from White Horse Hill Campground – follow the crowds.
Sealy Tarns - 2.5 hour return
Sealy Tarns was my favourite walk of the trip, but it was HARD. Rightly dubbed the ‘stairway to heaven’ you’ll climb 2,200 steps up the side of the mountain while taking in the most insane views of the Hooker Valley.
The track is signposted and begins from the left side of White Horse Hill Campground. Unfortunately we didn’t make it to the freshwater lake as snow and ice covered the track and we didn’t have the correct equipment. We still managed to hike to the view point which took us about 2 hours to walk to and only 30 minutes to get down….
Tasman Glacier - 2.7km, 1 hour return
Tasman Glacier walk is much quieter than Hooker Valley, but just as accessible with a well-marked path that starts from the carpark. It does involve more stairs to get to the view point (which turned my legs to jelly after Sealy Tarns). When you get to the view point you’ll see New Zealand’s longest glacier. It’s really interesting (and depressing) reading about the glacier and how big it used to be.
