Hiking Around Mount Cook

I hiked the Hunter Valley Trail at the base of Mount Tasman (which is behind me in the first picture above) and Mount Cook (the second photo above). The Maori name for Mount Cook is Aoraki, which means Cloud Piercer. It is 3,754 meters tall, but on the day I visited it, there was not a cloud in the sky.

The day was absolutely gorgeous - sunny and hot. I got to see my first glacier which, to be honest, was a bit dirty as it was covred with a layer of sooty soil. But I treasured the day all the more knowing that it almost did not happen.