February 27, 2024

Tekapo to Mount Cook Village

Lake Tekapo early in the morning. The fog is stilll hiding the mountains. This duck has been sitting outside our camper waiting and hoping for a treat.

Today we cannot see Aoraki (Mt. Cook). It is hiding in the clouds. A couple of hours later, we are able to see to top of Aoraki.

On our way to Mount Cook Village, we stop at an information stand where they are selling fresh water king salmon. (Dillen remembered this spot and recommended that we stop). Everything looks delicious and I buy sashimi, smoked salmon and two pieces of fresh salmon for tonight's dinner. I eat the sashimi right away and even Peter tries a piece and actually likes it!!! It is delicious.

Our next stop is a lavender farm. I am disappointed because we missed the harvesting of the lavender by only three weeks. I would have loved to see the blooming lavender fields.

We continue our drive along Lake Pukaki and arrive in Mount Cook Village. We ask permission to park our camper overnight at the youth hostel and make a stop at the visitor center.

We hike to the Tasman River and Tasman Lake. They are both fed by the longest glacier in New Zealand, the Tasman Glacier. We even see a handful of icebergs swimming in the lake.

Now we are sitting in the gravel parking lot at the Youth Hostel and we have great unlimited internet.