Hooker Valley
Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, South Island, New Zealand
2023
The Story Behind
Hooker Valley is accessible via the Hooker Valley Track, which is one of the most popular and scenic walking tracks in New Zealand.
It is a mostly flat track that offers beautiful views of the surrounding Southern Alps. The track begins at the campgrounds at White Horse Hill and ends at Hooker Lake.
This picture was taken in the valley between the second and third swing bridges, not too far from the bank of the Hooker River. What the picture does not tell you is that I actually took this picture of the valley during my return trip (from Hooker Lake) to the campgrounds, when the weather had cleared up, and visibility improved considerably.
Just prior from when the picture of the valley was taken, I had actually waited a good two hours by Hooker Lake for the sky to clear, but to no avail, like a stubborn child refusing to crawl out of bed, Aoraki remained hidden behind a veil of clouds.
It drizzled ever so slightly in the morning, and the mountain peaks were enveloped in low clouds when we had set off towards Hooker Lake much earlier in the day, so I suppose it was a matter of managing my own expectations.
Getting There
We stayed at Twizel which is about an hour’s drive away from Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. My sister and I got up early and left our cottage just before 5am.
The drive up Mount Cook road was incredibly scenic and we were tempted to pull up by the roadside to soak in the views as the first rays of the day leaked out from over the horizon, but we were determined to reach White Horse Hill early, since the crowds usually arrive a bit later in the morning, and as you can image, it can get quite hard to find a spot to park the car.
From White Horse Hill, the walk is approximately 5 kilometres (a 10 kilometre round trip) from the campgrounds, and you will need to cross three swing bridges (like the one pictured below) on your way to Hooker Lake.
The walk will take you past Mueller Lake, just after crossing the first of three swing bridges. There is even a lookout point that gives you a good view of the lake and Mount Sefton.
Things to See and Do
During our walk to Hooker Lake, we made several stops to photograph the valley and surrounding peaks. I will let the pictures below speak for themselves!
Not long after crossing the second swing bridge, the path will lead on to a boardwalk that runs close to the bank of the Hooker River. You can hop off the board walk and onto some large rocks to get closer to the river. Obviously, the rocks can get slippery (and especially so during the wetter months), so do be extra careful!
Further Reading
You can check out my other blog post where I go into greater detail on my itinerary and photo plan. I have also included photos from my other series; The Mobile Eye, where you can find more pictures that I took with my phone.
About Picture Stories
Picture Stories is a series dedicated to visual-driven short-form documentary and storytelling where I share and recount my travel and photographic experiences – one picture at a time. If the world is my canvas, then the lens is my brush.