Aoraki.........

Or Mount Cook to you!

That was the destination for the day. We had been scuppered with our helicopter flight when we had been on the west coast and today would be our only opportunity to try it again, but from the east coast, however the weather when we woke up did not look good.

As we drove closer to Mount Cook National Park the mountain ranges closed in around us, and we passed a number of the hydro electric power stations / dams that provide a large percentage of New Zealand's electricity needs.

As we neared Mount Cook village it seemed that the cloud cover was trying to lift, and the summit kept popping out of the top, and then disappearing. The helicopter centre told us to check in with them after another two hours so we kept our fingers and toes crossed!

We headed into the village which is situated around the Hermitage Hotel (bought recently by the Japanese!) and the visitors centre, but there was not much time to loiter and we headed over to the Hookers Valley to trek to the terminal lake that was below one of the many glaciers.  

Then it was back to the helicopter site. They said the weather was good enough to fly but not to land on the glacier, so 7 of us opted to fly anyway! 

The views were obviously spectacular. The Southern Alps, including Mt Cook, Mt Tasman and Mt Sefton, looking over the range past the Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers that we had visited earlier and down to the Tasman Sea.

It was quite difficult to take photos through the windows but in a way that was quite a relief. No photo would convey the majesty of the landscape and you could just sit there, taking it all in and let it wash over you. 

It was quite difficult to come back to earth after all that but we still had some amazing sights to see. Lake Tekapo is the bluest lake I have ever seen!

Then we headed up to Mt John. There is the University Observatory at the top and it has been designated a dark skies area for star gazing.

Loved the sign in the cafe!

After another quick stop at the Church of the Good Shepherd, and a statue to collie dogs we finally left the mountains and headed through the Cantebury Plains. There were lupins along the grass verges, purples, pinks and oranges. Apparently they are another thing that are not native, and they are trying to kill them off. A "Lupin Appreciation Society" was promptly formed by most of the bus!