Day 32.
Really a nice morning where I can see Mount Cook in the distance from the camp site. It’s the tallest mountain in New Zealand at 3700m. I do a bit restocking in Twizel, since I have booked a hut as part of the trek to ‘Mullers Hut’, and there are not many opportunities for supplies in Mt. Cook valley. The road to Mt. Cook is really nice and I continue to get closer to the mountains and white peaks while I drive next to the light-turquoise lake. I start at the tourist information and they can inform that the Mullers Hut is not accessible due to snow without ice axes and crampoons, and that they do not recommend to do this trek. Coming from Denmark, the skills with such equipment is non-existent. It’s first tomorrow I’m supposed to stay at the hut, but with the weather forecast the lady is almost certain that it will be the same conclusion tomorrow. Instead, while the weather is still decent, she recommends to do the Sealy Point hike (it’s anyways halfway up the same route to Mullers Hut), then the Kea viewpoint, followed by the Tasman trek and finally Hooker Valley trek if the weather allows. I do the trek to Sealy Point – up a lot of stairs, but the path is fine and in a bit more than 1 hour I have reached the 600 altitude meters. Quite a coincidence, but at the Sealy Point I meet the two friends from Check Republic, who I had some chats with in the Kepler track huts. There is a nice view to the valley, surrounding mountains, glaciers, lake – but the weather is already becoming worse so Mount Cook is covered in clouds. It has also slowly started to rain, so I equip the shell jacket. After Sealy Point I go the nearby Kea viewpoint – I had a much better view higher up, but then I have been here. I return to the camper since the weather is simply to grey and rainy, so I would not see much from the remaining two treks. It’s raining the rest of the day and night, also with thunder and lightning – quite cozy, and happy that I followed the tourist information lady’s recommendation of not crossing the creek, since the road will most likely be flooded tomorrow morning.
