Drove north up the Eastern flank of the Alps to Lake Pukaki. Decided to drive up to Mount Cook village for the night. Mount Cook (or Aoraki in Maori) is the highest mountain in New Zealnd at 3754m (Ben Nevis is 1344m. Just to compare.) As usual it was hidden from view by clouds rolling in from the West Coast. But I wasn't really expecting to see it. I was just drawn by the idea of a pint in The Hermitage hotel and a sauna in the YHA.
The village is also host to the Edmund Hillary mountaineering school. New Zealand's most famous son features here in bronze, but also on the $5 note and very much in the hearts and minds of Kiwis right now since his death in January this year.
Nearby the Tasman glacier spills into this berg infested lake.
