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We spent 40 minutes paddling around the ice bergs, taking it
all in. Barny even run a class III rapid on a river releasing from
Hooker Lake. Before long, the sun started to cast shadows so
we packed up, hiked out and checked into Aoraki Court Motel.
Accommodation wise, we wanted a touch of luxury to return to
after our daily activities and after reading reviews we narrowed
the options down to the Hermitage Hotel or Aoraki Court
Motel. The Aoraki Court Motel had better reviews and was
better value so we chose that. In doing so we sacrificed views
of Mount Cook for views of Mount Sefton and it was worth
it. The views were exceptional - it felt like we were the only
dwelling in the valley plus we had a bigger room, a full-sized
spa tub and our own kitchen so we could cook - winning!
That evening we planned to do a sunset paddle on Tasman
Lake so we set off at 3pm. After a 30-minute hike we arrived to
crystal clear reflections and WAY more icebergs than we ever
imaged to see in one body of water in New Zealand. We had
heard there had recently been a major glacial carving off of the
Tasman terminal face and they had all floated down to the putin
end of the lake. Well, they were right! We spotted a couple
of bigger bergs around 1km up the lake so we decided we
would venture a little further out than what we did at Hooker.
It was definitely cold at that time of the day and a layer of
ice started to freeze on my pack-raft which was un-nerving
however it didn’t lose any inflation (we spent time blowing
them up whilst they were in the water to ensure they were at
full capacity in the cold environment before paddling off). I was
thankful that the water running down my paddle froze before it
reached my hands as we floated towards our goal.
We worked hard to reach the destination and after 15 minutes
we arrived. These ice bergs made the ones on Hooker look
like popsicles. It was an incredible experience being out there
on sunset. Complete silence, stillness and peace eludes
you yet you know that in any moment that could change
because of the incredibly unstable environment we are in.
The odd crack could be heard and although you would deem
an iceberg to be not-living, somehow there was life. We are
sitting almost in the middle of the lake and as my toes start to
go numb - I call it, time to head back to shore.
I’m excited to get back to Mount Cook. It is a special place
and I hope that every Kiwi and person that visits New Zealand
gets to experience what we did. I deem it impossible to make
memories at Mount Cook you will forget. I recommend adding
the new dimension of an ultra-light pack-raft to experience
all the area has to offer from the water-level perspective
as well as on land. Waiver; do not attempt this with a $99
rubber ducky from The Warehouse! If you’re thinking about
purchasing a pack-raft I highly recommend the Kokopelli
Rogue R-Deck from Pack-raft New Zealand. I love mine and
take it on most hiking adventures – it allows me to explore
alpine lakes, cross rivers that would otherwise be dangerous
on foot, float down chill rivers (after hiking up) – although
some of their pack-rafts are rated up to class IV whitewater if
that’s more your thing! They even make for a great sleeping
mattress!
Adventure is endless in New Zealand when you integrate a
pack-raft into your kit.
Above: Barny couldn't resist the urge to paddle a couple of rapids flowing out of Hooker lake.
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