OUR WEEKEND

 I just got back to Christchurch after a 4 hour drive from Aoraki Mount Cook.

We stayed 2 nights at The Hermitage Hotel which I'm happy to say is still functioning well. It was scheduled to close down, maybe for ever in 2020 when COVID impacted so many businesses but a NZ company bought it, saved everyone's jobs and is keeping it going unlike the fate that has befallen The Chateau at National Park.

View from the bedroom.

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View from the bedroom balcony

The views were, as you'd expect, stunning. Mountains and particularly Aoraki Mount Cook have majesty and a palpable presence. We lucked out with the weather with Friday and Saturday being brilliant - blue skies, sunshine and no wind. The 'adventure staff' commented on how unusual this was for the time of year. This meant that after a pleasant wander around the village on Friday afternoon, a glass of wine in the bar and dinner, we had ideal conditions for the late evening stargazing trip we took. Now I like the night sky and have been using my telescope watching the stars and planets for years up in Whangarei but the night sky at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is exceptional. The professional guides gave a running commentary on the constellations and the telescopes they had were way more powerful than the one I've been using (recently sold). I learnt more in a couple of hours than I have in a lifetime.

On Saturday morning we took the Tasman glacier/Lake Tasman tour. A bus ride and a decent hike took us to the jet boats on the glacier lake. Again, the professional commentary from the guide/driver was very educational and great fun. She manoeuvred the boat within touching distance of floating icebergs (big chunks that have calved off the glacier wall at the head of the lake). We were able to see and touch these and hold huge and heavy ice chunks that were as clear and shiny as glass crystal. Zooming along in the boat was exhilarating and we'd come to a sudden stop near the icebergs and the driver would have to inch forward using a prod to discover the underwater (greater %) of the ice so as not to sink the boat. The glacial water is impenetrable and varies from 60 metres to over 200 metres deep. Did I mention cold? It was '3-layers' cold but, as I said we lucked out with the weather as it was blue sky, sunny with no wind so, pleasant. The backdrop of the various mountains including Aoraki/Cook and Sefton beyond the glacier was breathtaking. She took us as close to the glacier wall towering above us as safety would allow given that 'calving' is unpredictable. The huge, hundreds of tonnes 'bergs' that we'd been inspecting had apparently only fallen off within hours to a day at most. Having them fall on a boat or near it causing metres high waves is too dangerous.

After this expedition (several hours) we had lunch and then went for a 3 hour hike including the walk to Kea Point. This track took us closer to Aoraki/Cook and the head of the Muller glacier just below Mount Sefton. Here's a pic or two:

Mount Sefton

Muller Glacier

My knee being rested after the walk.

Sunday (today) was our return home day and we didn't mind that the mountains were obscured by cloud with a threat of rain and gale-force winds. It had snowed overnight so there was greater snow covering. We headed back to Christchurch after a hearty breakfast.

Now - this adventure sounds expensive and I admit that it wasn't bargain basement cheap but in our country we have the ability to get to places like this in a few hours and generally within a holiday spending budget. The expeditions were very professionally run and ridiculously cheap when compared to similar excursions overseas. I purchased a two night luxury accommodation package that included dinners and breakfasts for way less than the 'off-the-rack' price. The rental car (4WD/AWD) I booked for 5 days only cost $400. We did this as The Old Girl's 70th birthday celebration (her birthday was in January).

How was your weekend?