There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of walks in New Zealand from multi day adventures to small strolls. One walk that stands out amongst the crowd for me personally and should be on every avid walkers list of must dos, Hooker Valley Track. This 3-4 hour return journey takes you through some of the most spectacular alpine scenery you've ever seen. Surrounded by wall to wall snow capped mountains, across long suspension bridges over raging rivers and through vast open valley floors. This half day mission is a must do.
WHERE IS THE TRACK LOCATED AND HOW TO GET THERE
Luckily for us Hooker Valley Track is extremely popular and thus means every step has been taken by D.O.C (Department of Conservation) to make it super accessible.
Click ok this for an instant Sat Nav link to the walk (Just add in your location and you're set to go).
The main route to access Hooker Valley Track is, travel along state highway 8 from either a southern or northern direction, and look out for the turn off onto Highway 80. We stayed the night at Lake Tekapo and it only took us 1 hour 10 mins. Follow Highway 80 all the way (it's only 57km in length), you literally can't get lost as it's one giant road following the shore line of Lake Pukaki. The drive alone is breath taking so make sure to take your time and keep your eyes peeled for the numerous scenic lookout points along the route for a chance to pull over and take some photos. Check out some of my photos that you'll experience yourself.
Once you complete the 57km stretch of road the signs will lead you to the trailhead (It's a large carpark with toilet facilities available. This is the start of the track).
TRACK INFO
Distance: Approximately 10km (There and back via the same track).
Estimated time needed: 3-4 Hours depending on how many photos you take and how long you spend at the lake.
Difficulty: Very Easy - The vast majority of the track is relatively flat, with the exception of a few small inclines and steps. BEWARE OF ICY CONDITIONS THOUGH!!!
Elevation Gain: Approximately 100m.
What to bring:
SUMMER
Hat
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Back pack
Snacks
Water (2L+)
Cool/loose Clothing
Boots or Trainers
Camera
Bug Repellant
WINTER
Beanie
Gloves
Warm Clothing
Snacks
Water (2L+)
Coffee or Tea in thermos
BOOTS (Very Icy)
Camera
Back Pack
THE TRACK ITSELF
As you pull into the carpark, turn the engine off and step out you are overwhelmed with a sense of scale. You feel like an ant standing amongst giants. The surrounding mountains are a sight to behold, If you do this walk in winter you have the pleasure of witnessing just how alpine this area is, fresh mountainous air, clear skies and snow capped mountains as far as the eye can see.
Once you get over the initial shock of how beautiful this area is its time to set off. Before you do its advisable to use the flushable toilets on offer, there are a couple of spots along the route for those emergency bathroom stops but they can be a tad unpleasant to use (Little hack - Bring a roll of toilet paper in your bag, as sometimes the toilets along the route run out).
Ready, set, lets go!!
You've started along the easy to follow gravel track and no longer than 3 minutes in you're at the first 2 must visit spots, Freda's Rock and The Alpine Memorial
FREDAS ROCK
Emmeline Freda Du Faur was an Australian mountaineer, who was credited as the first woman to climb New Zealand's tallest mountain, Mt Cook completing the climb on 3rd December 1910. She was a leading amateur climber of her day. She was the first female high mountaineer known to be active in New Zealand, although she never lived there. The rock at the tracks entrance was where the famous photo was taken.
THE ALPINE MEMORIAL
The Alpine memorial atop a small incline is a beautifully constructed monument dedicated to all those who have lost their lives in the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. It's worth spending a bit of time before you start your walk reading some of the many plaques plastered on its side.
Only a few minutes later from the monument you are greeted by a mind-blowing sight! The official lookout point over Muller Lake. There you can read the information sign explaining the history about the topography and how this area was formed.
This is where the walk into the valley begins and the true reason why this walk is so highly regarded. The Hooker valley track is comprised of a 5km mostly gravel path that gently meanders its way through the Valley. Along the route are 3 key marker to track your progress, the 3 famous suspension bridges. These bridges allow you to cross the raging, mineral rich, glacial fed milky waters below.
The sections of track between these 3 waypoints are very similar, however the deeper you get into the valley floor the more space you seem to get. The track was designed to keep walkers as central to the valley as possible, this is due to the high avalanche risk in the colder months. I have been to Hooker valley on 4 different occasions, once in summer and 3 times in winter. On all three of the winter trips I have heard and witnessed high altitude avalanches. The sound resembles a large explosion echoing through the valley followed by the sound and sight of large volumes of collected snow and ice cascading down the mountain side. Yet again...you feel very small in such powerful displays of nature all around you.
Below are a collection of photos clearly showing the track and what to expect, the track is very easy to navigate and traverse. It's very well maintained year round making for a very pleasant experience, meaning you can spend more time taking in the scenes rather than where your next foot step is going. However that being said!!..Winter brings a whole different beast, while the skies are clear and the snow makes for an incredible experience. The newly formed ice under foot makes it VERY treacherous under foot. You must wear grippy hiking boots. I've seen too many people on this track spend hours, literally blocking the way for others trying not slip over. Although this is a very simple walk, don't underestimate how slippery it gets, come prepared!!
After approximately one hour and a half into the walk, depending on your walking speed you will be merely 5 minutes from the signature piece to this walk, Hooker Lake and the famed Hooker Glacier in the distance.
One final climb over the last hill and you are met with stupendous views! This time of the year it's covered in a thick layer of ice. The lake itself is beautiful, surrounded on all sides by thousands of meters worth of mountain ranges. There is a lookout with benches for you to rest and take in the views, or you can follow an easy to navigate side path off to the left down to the shoreline. Here you can get amongst the icebergs while skimming stones across the surface. In the distance you can see Hooker Glacier, unfortunately just like most glaciers around the world, its in retreat. With increasing world temperatures, the glacier retreats by approximately 50m (160ft) per year. so get in quick to see it!!
This was another photo I took in spring time, to show the comparison of how much it freezes from season to season.
After soaking in the views of this natural masterpiece, you simply pack your stuff back up and head back on the track, the same way you came.
This walk is very simple to do for the whole family, probably best to do it in the warmer months if you are going to take small children as they may find the icy paths difficult. Get out there and tick this must do track off your list.
HOOKER VALLEY TRACK✔
Thank You for reading
Aaron