Track notes:
- Easy
- 10km
- 3hr return
With glistening snow-capped peaks and glaciers backdropped by rugged mountains, Aoraki/Mount Cook is one of four national parks in the internationally recognised UNESCO World Heritage site, Te Wāhipounamu. Covering approximately 10 per cent of New Zealand’s land mass (2.6 million hectares), it’s a landscape that has been formed over millions of years.
Reaching 3,724m at its peak, Aoraki is the highest mountain in the country and a well-recognised silhouette that’s part of the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana.
While mountaineers have been making the journey to the apex since 1894, there is a variety of hikes to choose from to enjoy impressive views of the mountain and other surrounding summits including Mount Sefton.
Waking at the White Horse Hill Campground operated by the Department of Conservation, the Hooker Valley Track is the easiest day hike to venture up close to glacial waters and enjoy panoramic views across the untouched landscape.
A short walk past the Alpine Memorial and Freda’s Rock, the first swing bridge of the track crosses the Hooker River and doubles as a great viewing point of Mueller Glacier.
After the second, larger swing bridge, the landscape opens with the gravelled track meandering through tussock and native flora. Depending on the time of year you visit, different wildflowers will be in bloom including celmisia and the kōpukupuku/Mount Cook buttercup – the world’s largest buttercup flower.
Along the way, there are a few picnic tables to stop by. Take a moment to pause and soak in the view, but it won’t be too long until you reach the third swing bridge followed by the end of the track at Hooker Lake.
Here you can look out towards Aoraki and the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana and walk down to the lake, which is a milky grey colour due to the glacially eroded sediment in the water – a contrast to the blue sky on a clear day. Typically, about 3ºC, the water has icebergs floating along the surface that have separated from Hooker Glacier.
After taking in the scenery, return via the same track which looks down over the valley and across to the Sealy Range.
Before finishing the track, make sure you stop off at Freda’s Rock – a boulder dedicated to Freda Du Faur, the first known female mountaineer to ascend Aoraki.
The Mount Cook Alpine Memorial is also nearby, found at the end of a short track that branches off from the main route. A cairn constructed of mountain stones; it is fronted with two mountaineer icepicks. Many small plaques line the base of the memorial with the names of those who have perished on Aoraki and the surrounding mountains – a reminder of how rugged, unpredictable and dangerous the landscape can be, particularly if the weather turns.
The Hooker Valley Track will be an unforgettable way to experience this beautiful alpine environment, with early morning or late afternoon the best time to enjoy the scenery without the crowds.
