New Zealand is an Antipodean land which attracts lovers of vast spaces and wild nature. Though it is mostly mountainous, the country has a diverse range of landscapes and environments: icy summits, plains with mirror-like lakes, wild coastline licked by the Pacific waters... The nature here is absolutely majestic. And fortunately ecology takes pride of place here.

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In the heart of the New Zealand Alps, the Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park is a must for hiking fans. 

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At 3,724 meters high, Aoraki/Mount Cook (the former being its Maori name), is the highest peak in the country and dominates New Zealand's Alps. Around it are 27 other summits of over 3,000 meters that form the Southern Alps. A landscape waiting to be discovered by foot. Based at a DOC campsite, the starting point of several trails with amazing views, I was ideally placed to explore the Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. I spent four days winding my way along its tracks. I highly recommend the trail along Hooker Valley. It's easy to do and leads to the glacial Hooker Lake, with amazing mountian views all along the way. I equally enjoyed the Sealy Tarn Track - harder to do but just as magnificent. Be warned that the ascent is a tough one! The end point isn't as breathtaking but the climb is beautiful - as is often the case in New Zealand. For me, it's the same every time; I know I'm going to suffer. But it's a great way to tighten those legs muscles and work the lungs! And, of course, the amazing views compensate for the pain - panoramic vistas across glaciers, mountain peaks and Aoraki / Mount Cook.

My <a href="/new-zealand/">adventures in New Zealand</a> led me to visit Mount Cook twice, and the mountain isn't always easy to see. In fact, each time, the giant mountain was camouflaged by fog, only partially visible depending on the thickness of the fog. Organized hiking trips that depart from Mount Cook Village, provide viewpoints over Aoraki (the Maori name for Mount Cook). The walk from the Hooker Valley guided me to the glacier of the same name, with a view over the Southern Alps in the background (if the weather allows you to see anything, that is - which was sadly not the case for me!) Upon returning to the village, I would suggest that you visit the little museum and information center, which showcases the development of high-altitude climbing equipment, as well as giving the history of the first attempts at climbing the mountain. When leaving the village, I took the route toward the Tasman Glacier, where other hiking trips start. There too, the panoramic view over the mountain range and the valley is exceptional, and it is possible to view the opposite face of Mount Cook. The journey between Twizel and Mount Cook Village takes you along the shores of Lake Pukaki, which is well worth a stop to experience the changing blue hues of the water as the weather changes.

The highest peak in the country, Mount Cook dominates the Southern Alps in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, a UNESCO Heritage Site.

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