Tasman Valley Hike at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

22 March 2025

After completing the Hooker Valley hike in the morning, we had time for a short afternoon hike at Tasman Valley before leaving Mount Cook National Park for Lake Tekapo. There are a few hiking trails at Tasman Valley and I opted to do the hike to Tasman River.

The walk begins from the Tasman Glacier Car Park (Google Maps location here) at the end of the Tasman Valley Road. The road is off State Highway 80, just outside Aoraki Mount Cook Village. We drove along the scenic Tasman Valley Road for about 7 km to the car park. 

At the car park, there are bathrooms and a shelter where we had our picnic lunch. By the time we finished our lunch, it was 1.30 PM. From the shelter, there is a single trailhead that starts as the Tasman Glacier View Track.

About 200 metres later, the track splits at a fork with the left fork leading to Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier View and the right fork leading to Tasman Lake jetty and Tasman River.

We took the right fork leading to Tasman Lake Jetty and Tasman River. The trails are well-maintained gravel trails that are easy to follow.

Hiking at this time of day was not so pleasant. Although the views of the Tasman Valley with spectacular lenticular clouds above were awesome, we were reeling from the warm weather.   

On the Tasman Valley track.

Tasman Valley

After about 800 metres along the track, we reached another junction. The left trail leads to Tasman Lake Jetty. This jetty is where the people taking the boat and kayak tours on Tasman Lake enter the water. We met some folks who had completed their tour and walking back to the car park.

We took the trail on the right fork that leads to the source of the Tasman River, where the water from the lake drains into the river.

On the trail towards Tasman River viewpoint. The trail is on open terrain and there is no shade from the hot afternoon sun.

After about 20 minutes into the hike, we arrived at the end of the official trail. We could scramble up the edge of a moraine in front of us or scramble down over large boulders to the water’s edge.

We walked up the slope of the moraine to get a better view of the lake. We could see Mount Cook at the far side of the lake.

Walking up the moraine at the end of the Tasman River trail.

On top of the moraine by the shore of Tasman Lake.

We could see some people gathered around the Tasman Lake Jetty a short distance away.  My son and I were tempted to do a hike on top of the moraine to get to the jetty but decided it was not worth the effort and risk since the moraine is mostly rocks and loose gravel.

The top of the moraine forms a leading line pointing towards Mount Cook at the far side of the lake.

View of Tasman Lake and some ice-bergs that had broken off from the Tasman Glacier.

The source of the Tasman River. I had read that this is a good place for photography in the early morning when the water in the lake is still and reflects Mount Cook on the surface.

There seems to be a trail down to the edge of the Tasman Lake and Tasman River but it would require scrambling over some large boulders. We decided not to risk our lives and limbs.

Tasman River flowing along the Tasman Valley.

View of the section of the trail near the end. The trail is mostly on open terrain with no shade.

After a short rest and soaking in the views, we made the short but arduous walk back to the car park under the hot afternoon sun. With more time and energy, we may have tried hiking the other trails to the Blue Lake and Tasman Glacier Viewpoint. The weather was just too warm for more hikes. We decided to say goodbye to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park and continue on our road trip towards Lake Tekapo.

Overall, I did not enjoy this hike as compared to the more scenic Hooker Valley hike. Maybe it would have been better if we had done the hike in cooler climate, and perhaps hike to the Tasman Glacier Viewpoint and Blue Lake (i.e. take the left fork at the first junction) instead of Tasman Lake Jetty and Tasman River.

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Hooker Valley Hike at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

22 March 2025

As usual, I woke up about 30 minutes before sunrise hoping to shoot some photos of the sun rays painting the mountain golden. From the balcony of my room in the Hermitage Hotel, I had good views of Mount Sefton, Hooker Valley and Mount Cook in the distant.  

Sunrise from the balcony of my room in Hermitage Hotel located in Mount Cook Village. Mount Sefton was nicely illuminated by the golden rays but disappointingly, Mount Cook was not.

Our plan for the morning was to do the Hooker Valley hike again. The Hooker Valley Track is known for its iconic suspension bridges. In fact, there are three along the trail before hikers arrived at Hooker Lake, the end point.

We had hiked a portion of this trail during sunset the day before (see this post) but only up to the 2nd suspension bridge. This hike was so fantastic that we are doing it again but at different time of the day. This morning, we will complete the entire 10 km return hike.

The hike on a mostly flat track through Hooker Valley to Hooker Lake provides incredible views of the Southern Alps, glacial streams and the majestic Aoraki (Mount Cook).

After a simple breakfast of instant noodles, we checked out from our hotel and drove to the trail head located at White Horse Hill campground/carpark. Just as we were approaching the car park, we realised that we had forgotten to return the keys to the hotel.     

We were fortunate to discover our mistake early. It would have been disastrous if we had discovered our mistake a few hours into the hike. Thankfully, Hermitage Hotel was only a few minutes drive away and we sorted that out quickly.

Starting The Hike                    

We arrived at the White Horse Hill campground/carpark at about 8 AM and we had no problem finding a parking space. Once again, we were blessed with very good weather and it was much cooler to do the hike in the early morning.

Start of our Hooker Valley hike in the morning.

Mueller Lake Lookout

It was a nice and easy 1 km walk to the Mueller Lake Lookout located just before the first suspension bridge. The cool and fresh morning air made this hike more enjoyable as compared to our first hike.

Mueller Lake Lookout provides an excellent vantage point overlooking Mueller Lake and the first suspension bridge. Looking back, we could also see the path we took to this point.  

View of the path we took to Mueller Lake and the Tasman Valley in the back.

Mueller Lake and Mount Sefton. The lake is in the shadows as the sun as still low in the sky.

First Suspension Bridge along the Hooker Valley track as viewed from Mueller Lake Lookout.                                                       

First Swing Bridge along the Hooker Valley Track                                   

We made our way down to the first swing bridge. We stopped at the middle of the bridge to enjoy the views and also shoot photos of the Hooker River below.             

Crossing the first swing bridge.

 Like before, it was thrilling to walk on the planks of the slightly bouncy and swinging bridge with views of the river below.

Despite my fear of heights and morbid thoughts of my phone dropping into the river below, we stopped along the bridge to snap photos of the stunning views.                                         

Nice views from the middle of the bridge.  

View of Hooker River and Mount Sefton from the middle of the first suspension bridge.        

After crossing the first bridge, the path followed the shore of the Mueller Lake to the second bridge. Once again, we enjoyed views of Mount Sefton, Mueller Lake and the moraine on the opposite shore. The second suspension bridge is located about 1.3 km from the first swing bridge.     

View of Hermitage Hotel in the distance.

Mueller Lake and Mount Sefton bathed in the morning sun.

Second Swing Bridge

Second Swing Bridge along the Hooker Valley track.

After crossing the second bridge, the path followed the Hooker River. Once again, I stopped to shoot a few photos of the water gushing over the large boulders.

Long exposure photos of water gushing over the large boulders in the Hooker River.

Section of trail next to the Hooker River after the second swing bridge.

Mount Cook soon appears. Mount Cook in the morning light was not as impressive compared to the Mount Cook painted golden by the setting.

Mount Cook in the morning light.

This was where we turned back during our first hike. Proceeding along the valley, we soon come to wooden boardwalk heading towards Mount Cook.

Hooker Valley Track Boardwalk

The landscape at this part of the trail is a photographer’s delight and is one of the highlights of hiking the Hooker Valley Track.

Hooker Valley Track boardwalk.

The boardwalk provides a beautiful leading line towards the mountains and Mount Cook in particular.

Third Swing Bridge on Hooker Valley Track

The boardwalk continued to the third swing bridge. We saw the sun peeking from behind the mountain as we approached the bridge.

Third Suspension Bridge over the Hooker River.

We were just in time to see the third swing bridge illuminated by the rising sun as we crossed it. 

View of the river from the middle of the third suspension bridge.

As we approached Hooker Lake, we could see glacier on the mountain top and waterfall from the melting glacier tumbling down the cliff.

Glacier covered mountains.

Waterfall cascading down the cliff in Hooker Valley.

Hooker Valley Track’s Alpine Tarn

Shortly after crossing the third bridge, we spotted a sign pointing to a track that leads to a small alpine tarn located on the right side of the track. 

The short detour led us to a small body of water that was not very impressive at first look. I bashed through some thickets to get to the opposite side of the tarn to snap photos of Mount Cook reflected from the still surface of this small body of water. The photo opportunity is worth the short detour.  

Hooker Valley Track’s alpine tarn with Mount Cook reflected off the surface. 

On the trail towards Hooker Lake. The lake is just round the corner.

Hooker Lake

From the tarn, we continued for another 700 metres to arrive at the end of the trail at Hooker Lake, which offers a brilliant view of Aoraki / Mount Cook.

Mount Cook at Hooker Lake.

There is a large picnic table where we sat to enjoy a break with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and the glacial lake blow.

View of Hooker Lake.

      

Glacier covered mountains around Hooker Lake.

Hooker Lake was formed by the recent retreat of the Hooker Glacier. Some small ice-bergs that had broken off from the glacier could still be seen floating on the lake even though it was early autumn.  The water must be freezing cold even with the hot sun but we spotted some guys taking a dip.

Sign warning about the hazards in the lake.

A track led down to the shore of the lake. It is worthwhile to spend some time to relax by the lake and explore its rocky shores.

It was fun to spot floating ice-bergs that looked like a swan, dorsal fin of a shark or even the head of a person.

Exploring the rocky shore of Hooker Lake.  

Spot the ice-berg that looked like a swan in the background.

This iceberg looks like a Queen’s head.

Hooker Lake marks the end of the Hooker Valley Trail. After some time to rest and relax by the shores of the lake, we made our way back to the White Horse Campground.

Overall, this hike is one of the best hikes we did in New Zealand, in terms of easiness and yet offering the most beautiful landscape.

News update:

The second suspension bridge on the Hooker Valley Track is permanently closed due to riverbank erosion and safety concerns. A new suspension bridge is being built, with an expected opening in Autumn 2026. The track remains open to the first swing bridge.

More information can be found at the Department of Conservation website.

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Hooker Valley hike at sunset and star gazing in Mount Cook Village

21 March 2025

The Hooker Valley Track, a 10km return hike in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, was top in my “must-do” list for this road trip in NZ’s South Island.

The hike on a mostly flat track through Hooker Valley to Hooker Lake provides incredible views of the Southern Alps, glacial streams and the majestic Aoraki (Mount Cook). Aoraki/ Mount Cook (3,724 metres) is the highest mountain in New Zealand.

View of glacier streams and Mount Cook along the Hooker Valley trail.

After a long drive from Queenstown to Mount Cook Village, we checked into the Hermitage Hotel and proceeded to do the hike before sunset. I wanted to do this hike during the golden hour just before sunset as the light during this time is best for photography.

The start of the trail is at White Horse Hill campground/carpark located at the end of Hooker Valley Rd off State Highway 80). We could see the White Horse Hill campground/carpark from the balcony of our hotel room. It is actually only a few minutes drive to get there from the hotel.

The trail will cross three scenic suspension bridges with views of Mueller Lake, Mount Sefton and Mount Cook visible on most parts of the hike. The track ends at Hooker Lake, with views of Mount Cook on clear days. This is an out-and-back trail, meaning we will hike the same path to return to the trailhead. The hike would take approximately 3 to 4 hours to complete.

Starting The Hike

We arrived at White Horse Hill car park at 5.20 PM and managed to find parking space since most day-trippers had already left. The trailhead was easy to find. We just followed the signs past the parking area.

Start of the Hooker Valley track as seen from the car park.

The weather was actually very good with clear blue sky on this autumn day. However, I found it warmer than expected.

The first part of the trail was relatively uninteresting, other then the Alpine Memorial dedicated to the alpinists who lost their lives.

Mueller Lake Lookout and the First Suspension Bridge

After about 1 km of brisk walking under the hot sun, we came to Mueller Lake Lookout located just before the first suspension bridge. This location provides an excellent vantage point overlooking Mueller Lake and the first suspension bridge. To my disappointment, the sun was behind Mount Sefton and the light was a little too harsh for good photography. Nevertheless, the views were gorgeous.

View of Mueller Lake and Mount Sefton from the lookout point.

View of the first suspension bridge from the lookout point.

We made our way down to the suspension bridge. From there on, the hike and views just got better and better.

Walking towards the first suspension bridge that spans across Hooker River. 

The bridge can take a load of up to 20 people. At this time of day, there was not many hikers and we had the bridge to ourselves. This made it easier for us to snap photos from the middle of the bridge without it bouncing about.

View of Hooker River and sun setting behind Mount Sefton from the middle of the first suspension bridge.

   Our shadows cast on gray waters of the Hooker River.

After crossing the first bridge, the path followed the shore of the Mueller Lake to the second bridge. We had constant view of Mount Sefton, Mueller Lake and the moraine on the opposite shore.

Sun setting behind Mount Sefton.

With the sun behind the mountain, the valley became cooler and more comfortable for hiking. After another 1.3 km, we arrived at the second suspension bridge.

Second Suspension Bridge

First view of the Second Suspension Bridge. 

Crossing the Hooker River for the second time via the Second Suspension Bridge.

Snapping photos of Hooker River from the middle of the bridge.

This section of the river is more turbulent, with impressive rapids and large boulders.

Glacial water gushing over large boulders in the middle of Hooker River.

View of the moraine and Mount Sefton.

Shortly after crossing the second bridge, the path turns away from the Mueller Lake and continues north towards the third and final swing bridge.

View of Mount Cook

That was when we had the first view of Mount Cook along the trail.

Mount Cook at the end of Hooker Valley.

We followed the path that runs along the Hooker River.

I stopped to take some long exposure photos of the glacial waters gushing over the large boulders while my wife and son went ahead without me.

      

We met up again a few hundred metres further down the trail to get this epic view of Mount Cook, painted gold by the warm rays of the setting sun, and Hooker River in the foreground.

Mount Cook, painted gold by the warm rays of the setting sun, and Hooker River in the foreground.

This was the furthest that we went on this hike.

Instead of continuing on to the Third Suspension Bridge and Hooker Lake, we decided to turn back as planned. This was because my son had arranged to meet up with some friends from Singapore who are working and staying in the Aoraki Court Hotel after dinner.

Note: We had plan to do the same hike, all the way to Hooker Lake the next morning!

View of the hiking trail and Mount Sefton while walking back towards the second bridge.

Back on the second suspension bridge.

Crossing the first suspension bridge.

We went back to Mueller Lake Lookout Point again for photos. The lighting (after the sun had set behind Mount Sefton) was much better compared to earlier.

Back at Mueller Lake Lookout.

View of Mueller Lake and Mount Sefton.

View of First Suspension Bridge.

The walk back was quiet and peaceful and we had the whole trail almost to ourselves.

We returned to White Horse Hill Campground at 7.45 PM. Most of the cars and day-trippers were gone. What was left were campervans.

White Horse Hill Campground almost full of campervans.

Dinner at the Chamois Bar & Grill

There are not many dining options at Mount Cook Village. Since we could not make it in time to enjoy the expensive and lavish buffet dinner at the Hermitage Hotel, we went to Chamois Bar & Grill instead. This is the only pub/bar that is opened till late and is conveniently located at the Mt Cook Lodge. It is owned and operated by Hermitage.

Chamois Bar & Grill has plenty of seats so even though this place was busy with many people, we managed to get a table. The place serves pub style meals with no table service. We ordered and collected own food from the serving point.

Whilst the food was slightly pricey (as expected due to remote location and almost a monopoly status), it was quite good and generous. We ordered a large lamb pizza and fish and chips to share.

Lamb pizza. Braised Lumina lamb, garlic potatoes, rosemary, black olive, mozzarella, red onion & minted yoghurt for NZ$31.

Fish & Chips. Speights beer battered dory fish & chips with garden slaw, fresh lemon & chunky tartare sauce for NZ$34.

Overall, the dinner at Chamois Bar & Grill was satisfying. After dinner, my wife and I dropped my son off at the Aoraki Court Motel to meet his friends for drinks before driving back to Hermitage Hotel in total darkness. Being a part of the International Dark Sky Reserve, there are no street lamps in Mount Cook Village.

Stargazing in Mount Cook National Park

Mount Cook Village is known for its stunning night sky. Later in the night, my son’s friends offered to drive all of us to a dark, dark place for stargazing.

They picked us from Hermitage Hotel and drove to a secluded place, away from the light pollution from the buildings in Mount Cook Village. We brought along our red headlamps and tripods for astrophotography.

As we alighted from the car, parked by the side of a pitch dark road, we saw a flash of blue, green light from a shooting star. It was a split second of intense bright light, followed by darkness. This bright streak of light was caused by a meteoroid burning up as it enters Earth's atmosphere. This was a rare experience for me as most of time we would miss seeing meteors in the bright lights from the city.

The night sky at Mount Cook’s dark sky reserve on this clear, moonless night was stunningly breathtaking. This was better than the night sky we saw at Te Anau.

The following photos did not do justice to what we experienced. We saw millions of stars and even the Milky Way galaxy.

Photo of the night sky using 30-second long exposure with our smartphones mounted on tripod.

Milky Way galaxy.

Mount Sefton and the night sky.

 

News update:

The second suspension bridge on the Hooker Valley Track is permanently closed due to riverbank erosion and safety concerns. A new suspension bridge is being built, with an expected opening in Autumn 2026. The track remains open to the first swing bridge.

More information can be found at the Department of Conservation website.

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