New Zealand - Aoraki / Mount Cook & the Hooker Valley walk

On the east side of the Alps, we ventured to Mt Cook. There we went on a 4 hour walk through a place called Hooker Valley. This was definitely one of the highlights of our entire trip. We didn't actually get to see Mt Cook, but it hardly mattered, everything else is so beautiful. At the end of the walk is a glacier landing in a glacial lake with little icebergs. Oliver did well with the pack, but it was a challenge changing his diaper in the snow!

New Zealand - Lake Tekapo, Queenstown, Twizel & Wanaka

From Akaroa, we headed SW across the South Island towards the southern Alps. First stop was Lake Tekapo. We tried to get all the way to Mt Cook but a thick snowfall/sleet suggested that we stop and stay along the lake. It was Oliver's first serious winter weather. From there we went on to Mt Cook, but that'll be another post. From there we passed through a place called Twizel which is a town built to support the construction of a hydroelectric plant. When the plant was finished, all the townspeople decided to stay. It's kind of a strange place (hyper-planned but temporary). Next stop was Wanaka, yet another winter sports and adventuring base. We loved the pass out of Wanaka and the local vineyard. It has to be the most picturesque winery on the planet, a gentle green slope next to a placid lake and massive mountains in the distance.

New Zealand - flight over, Christchurch & Akaroa

After tourning up the coast to Sydney, back through Canberra and a very short stint in Melbourne, we flew to New Zealand for 2 and half weeks. Oliver is a champion traveller now.

First stop Christchurch, then East to Akaroa - city about a volcano. They had a cool lighthouse there. The government had planned to just push it off the cliff into the sea so a group of guys bought from the government for a dollar, then relocated it to just outside of town. Just sawed it into three sections with a chainsaw and hauled it to its new home. Amazing.








Oliver is a champion traveller now. He can even sleep with his feet in the air.