Adventure Magazine Issue 227

"The worst thing about tramping is
what you have to wear; thermals and
boots, layers on layers, gloves you
have to take off for every photo and
the ugliest woolly hats. I can tell you,
no matter how hard you try, you can't
make that shit look good."
Glentanner Campground in Aoraki, Mt Cook, was our first
destination and we broke up the 304km drive by taking
the scenic route past Rakaia Gorge where we stopped to
explore. The powdered hilltops rising into the clouds made
for a picturesque view that our cameras struggled to capture.
My reluctance was slowly fading as I was more distracted
by the beauty around us. Our day ended at Glentanner
Campground, a site surrounded by Aoraki’s picturesque
mountains and lakes. It sounds cliched but it was as if we
bathed in the beauty of Aoraki, while sitting around the fire
playing board games. The day was long and tiring so the
warmth of the fire and being surrounded by my friends and
family was a great reward, at this point I should mention
Fireballs, which can put a warm glow on any ‘reluctancy’. It is
a beverage we picked up in Canada on a previous trip, where
it is super cheap (not so much here). It is a mixture of whiskey
and cinnamon and the perfect finish to a perfect day.
Aoraki, as impressive as its views are alone, is most known
for its walking tracks through Mt Cook and the surrounding
areas. As I said before, I am not much of an adventurer,
I am a terrible swimmer and can hardly ride a bike, so to
wake up at 6am for a tramp was not my idea of a fun time.
In all honesty, from the comfort of my campervan, Aoraki, at
a glance, was looking fine to me. It looked majestic in the
morning sun, and I was toasty warm on my second cup of hot
chocolate. I am more of a looker than a doer, but my family
and friends are not. We (meaning they) decided we were
walking the Hooker Trail, 3+ hours of it.
The worst thing about tramping is what you have to wear;
thermals and boots, layers on layers, gloves you have to take
off for every photo and the ugliest woolly hats. I can tell you,
no matter how hard you try, you cannot make that shit look
good. I added some new nail polish and my favourite rings but
still looked like one of the kids from the Sound of Music.
Our walk began around 10am (getting that many people
ready takes a while) and luckily, we were blessed with some
of the bluest skies and calm days of 2021. As we ventured
out, we were greeted with waterfalls, glaciers, and the
haunting sounds of avalanches from the mountains around
us. The 3 hours turned into 5 as we stopped to take photos,
play in the rivers, climb little hills, and skim rocks across the
frozen lakes. Around every corner there was something new
and interesting to look at; day two and I am just a little less
reluctant, on a scale of one to ten I’m now about a six.
The day came to an end, and we drove back to Tekapo where
we soaked in the hot pools under clear black star filled skies
that Tekapo is renowned for, a great end to a genuinely great
day.
Day three; involved a slightly slower start (possibly the
Fireballs) as we made our way south towards Omarama
Clay Cliffs. As we drove, we passed Tasman Lake where we
stopped and tasted some of the freshly caught salmon and
looked back at the views over the lake towards Aoraki Mt
Cook, for the first time I felt a reluctance to leave.
We drove through wind and fog and freezing landscapes
which seemed like scenes from Narnia with snow covered
trees and thick blinding fog. Thankfully, my best friend was
driving so I got the chance to really take in and soak up the
views. Once we regained vision after getting through the fog,
we made our way towards the Clay Cliffs. The cliffs towered
over us as we walked through what looked like a part of
Bryce Canyon (minus the snakes) in America, which I had
reluctantly been to before. It catches you off guard, especially
for someone who has travelled a lot, how much New Zealand
has so many snippets of other places. If you were to see a
photo of the Clay Cliffs you would think it was somewhere
straight out of Colorado.
Top row: Skimming stones at Rakaia Gorge / The flight to Christchurch / It's always better with a mate, Cian Emery and Teva
showing a little man love, Rakaia Gorge
Middle: The whole squad (minus one) on the first of three swing bridges on the Hooker Valley Track, Aoraki, Mt Cook
Bottom: Rakaia Gorge / Jarrah and Julian / The whole squad at Aoraki, Mt Cook
Our campervan convoy, on the road with the whole crew
82//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#227 ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ 83