Craggy peaks shrouded in clouds, a lake of the most vivid aquamarine contrasted with bright straw-yellow foliage, ethereal, transparent, whisper-thin rainbows in the biggest, brightest sky. We have always had a love of the mountains. Their majesty, their mystery, their ability to put life into perspective and remind us that we are but a tiny part of this immense planet. But living in a beachside town in Australia we really don’t get to see mountains very often. So visiting New Zealand, which is just a three hour flight away, and is blessed with some incredible mountain vistas, is a real treat.

We have travelled to New Zealand, and the Queenstown area in particular, a number of times for my husband’s Mile 27 Trail Running Camps and it is always a complete joy to explore this area with lovely people. Of course part of the fun is the time either side of the camp when we get to do a little exploring of our own. On previous trips we have visited Milford Sound and surrounds, the areas around Queenstown, Arrowtown and Wanaka. This time we decided to arrive a little early and head to Mount Cook. The photos I had seen of this area were stunning so I was very excited to see the scenery for myself.

Hiking the Tasman Valley
The best way to experience the true majesty of the area is to lace up your hiking books, strap on your backpack and hit the trails. And the great thing about this area if you are travelling with little ones is that the epic mountain vistas are so easily accessible via safe, moderate paths. The most famous hike in the area is the Hooker Valley Track, which I will cover in a separate post, but we were lucky enough to have two full days to explore so on our first day we discovered the Tasman Valley, which is parallel to the Hooker valley and lies just on the other side of the Mt Cook range. The drive there alone is worth it for the breathtaking scenery. It’s all wide expanses, big skies and contrasting colours. My photographer’s heart was in heaven!

Tasman Valley Lookout
When we arrived at the park it was raining so we sat it out in the shelter whilst our little miss entertained the other hikers doing the same thing. When it eventually cleared we followed the stairs for around 30 minutes to reach the Tasman Valley Lookout. And wow, what a lookout. We spotted some little ‘ice block bergs’ (as Layla liked to call them), a jet boat, loads of pretty little flowers hiding in the rocks and lofty peaks topped with an icing-sugar dusting of snow.

The blue lakes
We then retreated back down to the start of the path and took another path down to the shoreline of the lake for a closer look at the icebergs.

Arriving
We arrived in Queenstown and hired a car to drive the 300km to Mt Cook. The usual route is via Wanaka, Lindis Pass and Lake Pukapi which is around 300km and takes about four hours without stops. And as most routes in New Zealand the views are stunning!

Where to stay
As seems to be the way things go since we have become parents, this trip was also booked very last minute so for the three nights we stayed in the area, we had three different places to stay. At least I can say I have done the research on the options for you! Staying close to the mountain there is not much around in the way of shops etc (in fact there is really nothing around!) so your accommodation will also be where you eat, although the motel rooms did have a small kitchenette if you bring groceries with you. There is a lovely cafe called the Sir Edmund Hillary Cafe & Bar in the Hermitage Hotel which has amazing views where we spent a lot of time watching the clouds roll in and out, spotting rainbows and generally in awe of mother nature.

The Hermitage Hotel
We were lucky enough to have one night at the beautiful, luxurious Hermitage Hotel and enjoy a ‘romantic’ dinner for three (with our toddler) at the Alpine Restaurant as the date happened to be Valentine’s Day! I would definitely recommend splurging to stay here if your budget allows.

Mt Cook Lodge
We spent the other two nights in the Mt Cook Lodge in both one of the motel rooms (which were very dated when we stayed, but look like they have had a fab refresh recently) and in one of the lodge rooms. The great thing about all this accommodation is that even the budget options have great views and are very close to the wonderful walks in the area. The motel rooms have kitchenettes and we found a little kitchen area behind the restaurant in the main building where you could use their cutlery and crockery, toaster, kettle etc if you had groceries with you (very handy when travelling with a toddler!). The Chamois Bar and Grill serves pub-style meals with a view.