The drive to Mount Cook was really impressive…. the closer we got to the mountain range the more amazing it all looked. Lots of snow capped mountains and we had brilliant weather, the sky was nearly completely perfect blue!
As we approached Mount Cook we had a perfect view – the weather literally couldn’t have been any better! We were seriously lucky with this as it’s quite normal to hang around there for several days to wait for the weather to clear up – if you have that sort of time!! We were tempted by the helicopter tour that took you round and included a snow landing in the snow after hearing rave reviews – but cost so much…. We set up camp, and then incase the weather turned drove to the tasmin glacier – a long drive down a dirt track and then a ‘short’ walk! It was a good walk – but the wind had seriously picked up! By the time we got to the top I had to hang on for dear life!! We got absolutely battered by the wind and got back down to the car as fast as possible!!
The next day we woke up and it was blowing gales..… The sky was grey, the cloud was very low, mount cook was now nowhere to be seen, and we stood and looked at our tent wondering it it could survive the wind!! When buying the tent we’d been very concerned with the price, the weight, and admittedly how it looked haha neither of us had once thought to ask how it would stand bad weather conditions!! Far far too windy to do the several hour walk we had planned we popped to reception and had a look at the weather – none of the helicopters were flying, it was only due to get worse for the rest of today, but tomorrow should ease up. We decided to make the most of our time that day by doing the million and one little things that needed doing that we never had time for (i.e. LOTS of washing, and planning where we should go next!) and saved the walk for early the next morning. Still early we met a Dutch couple who asked us how expensive our tent was, assuming it was a top notch one to be withstanding the wind!! We quickly informed them that it was very cheap – and had no special qualities to withstand the gales! We helped them pick a sheltered spot and they said they’d blame us if their tent got blown away! We spent a lot of the day and evening with them, occasionally popping out to check the tent was still there! Frequently buckled inside and out and so we re hammered the pegs back in a couple of times to hopefully keep it stuck there!! By nighttime the wind had unforeseeably dropped! Excellent news! So it was just another freezing cold night in the tent!
We awoke the next to grey skies – but no gales or rain. We said bye to our new friends that we’d probably see later on the same walk (we didn’t do it with them as they spent the first 3 weeks in NZ cycling around! So gathered there fitness level would just embarrass us!!) We packed up and drove off to the starting point of our walk. It had started to rain, but that was no deterrent! That was what all the stuff we’d bought in Christchurch was for so were happy to get our moneys worth! I was geared up in my super fast drying trousers turn shorts! (James called them my boy shorts!) Big boots and rainmac securely gathered around face! And james kitted out in his big mac and comfy walking boots! The walk was absolutely fantastic, we had so much fun, despite the weather and it was great – just like the walks in the lakes, rain shine, it was all character building!! Anyway we were amazingly in high spirits – this really was amazing seeing as the further we walked, the rain got heavier and heavier and heavier and the wind got stronger and stronger!! The walk was amazing though, fantastic views along the valley (would of been incredible in sun!!) Crossed a couple of scary bridges and were soon on the home straight to the glacier. We stopped in a little hut – literally!! And had some mince pies and shelter hehe before heading back out into it for the worst bit – along which we met the Dutch couple running back away from the rain and wind! The last bit was in torrential rain with mighty wind blowing your soaked trousers against you! My trousers that had originally been drying at the same rate as getting wet were no match to the rain now! We arrived at the Glacier and could barely stand! The wind was unbelievably strong and 99% of the Glacier was under cloud – that or you couldn’t see it through the rain! We hid behind a HUGE rock (yay amazing shelter!) and popped out to get tiny glimpses. That was the best we were going to get so we proceeded to almost run all the way back! Back within sight of the car it was blue skies and lovely weather! Ah well we had a great time nevertheless!!
Changed into dry clothing in the car we headed onto Omaru……
The pictures you’ve already probably seen are here!
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