After wanting to kill myself after the first hike I did with my friend Liz in New Zealand, I was extremely skeptical about doing a second.
But, she assured me this track would be much easier. Mostly flat, she promised, and with some even more epic views than the Rocky Mountain Track.
I tentatively said yes for two reasons. One: because the hike would get us within view of Mount Cook, New Zealand's tallest mountain. And two: because there was a glacial lake with icebergs involved. Icebergs!!
The hike was the Hooker Valley Track — one of the most popular short hikes in New Zealand (some might say the best half-day hike in the country). The 5-kilometer track takes 3-4 hours to complete, and is so easy it's considered a “walking track” — meaning perfect for a hiking pansy like me. It also comes complete with some epic mountain views. And I am never one to turn down epic mountain views.
We kept an eye on the weather, and decided to make the trip to Mount Cook on a day that was predicted to be perfectly clear and warm. Our goal was to start the walk around 10 a.m. so that we would have different light for different parts of the track (and hopefully hit a time that would give us sun on Mount Cook).
Getting to Mount Cook from Wanaka by 10 a.m. shouldn't have been a problem. But when you factored in coffee breaks and far too many stops to photograph lupins along the way, we didn't even get to Aoraki village until noon. Add in lunch and some more coffee, and we didn't hit the trail until about 1 p.m.
But it ended up working out perfectly. Most of the morning hikers were already headed back to the village by then, and the light was absolutely perfect for photographing the as-advertised epic mountain views.
If you're looking for an easy hike in New Zealand, Mount Cook is actually a great place to look. There are quite a few trails in the area that don't require mountaineering experience and only take a couple of hours to complete. And… did I mention the views?
Neither Liz nor I had done the Hooker Valley Track before, so we didn't really know what to expect. What we found was an easy, mostly-flat gravel trail that is one of the nicest and most well-kept tracks that I've seen in all of New Zealand. Probably due to the fact that this walk is so popular.
The first portion of the hike has you crossing a few big swing bridges over the Hooker River — they're a bit bouncy (which is fun) and make for some great photo ops.
The second half sees you entering the Hooker Valley, and gives you some fantastic views of Mount Cook. The landscape changes slightly along the way, which is great for someone like me who hates seeing the same old thing for hours on end.
We were lucky to be walking the Hooker Valley Track on a PERFECT day. It was sunny but not too hot. And, since it was springtime, there were plenty of Mount Cook buttercups blooming, yet still lots of snow on Mount Cook.
And have I mentioned the epic mountain views?
The Hooker Valley Track ends at the Hooker Glacier lake, where you can usually find some icebergs from the Hooker Glacier floating with Mount Cook looming impressively in the background. Liz and I headed down to the “beach” for a rest and to snap plenty of photos (but no, no hooker photos — even though we thought about it).
As we headed back to the village nearly an hour later, I admitted to Liz that I had actually LIKED this hike. My only battle wound was a sunburn on my arms (I stupidly didn't put sunscreen on them, even though I KNOW that New Zealand basically has no ozone layer), and there had been no wheezing lungs, sweating kneecaps, or pleas for death on the trail.
I'll definitely call that a success.
While the Hooker Valley Track certainly didn't convert me into a hiker, it IS a hike I'll always remember.
New Zealand, you never fail to impress!
What you need for this hike
Even though the Hooker Valley track is nice and flat, it IS 2.5 kilometers to the lake and 2.5 kilometers back. It will take at least a couple of hours, so you want to make sure to be prepared. I recommend bringing:
- Good walking shoes – You don't necessarily need hiking boots for this track, but I would still recommend comfortable shoes that you can walk on gravel for a couple hours in. I love my Merrell Moab waterproof boots.
- Sunscreen – There's virtually no ozone layer over New Zealand, meaning you'll get burnt fast.
- Layers – Mountain weather can always be a bit fickle, so it's never a bad idea to wear layers. I'm not opposed to a pair of convertible hiking pants for a walk like this.
- Water – Make sure to bring water! Even if it's not hot, you'll still need to drink after walking for a few hours. I like my CamelBak Chute reusable water bottle. Many people will also bring a picnic snack to have at the end of the trail, in sight of Mount Cook.
Is this a trail you would want to hike in New Zealand?
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
[…] Standing at 12,218 feet, Mount Cook is New Zealand’s tallest mountain. On clear days, you can see the mountain from miles away across Lake Pukaki. But it’s worth driving to Aoraki/Mount Cook viallage to see the mountain up close, too. If you have time, consider one of the walking tracks in the area — my favorite is the Hooker Valley Track. […]
Ooh, another NZ hike to add to my list!
This one is definitely a must!
Fantastic photos Amanda. ‘Makes me want to leave and come over right now! And I would you know, but I’ve had enough of snow so it’s time for the early blooms that I saw previously. The photos are really lovely though. Well done!
Haha, well, not to fear – it was quite warm on this hike, even though there was still snow on the mountains. Perfect weather!
Hi there!
Nice blog with loats of beutiful pictures! Looks like New Zealand is really beautiful, the views are just fantastic and increadible. Look at these mountains! I always wanted to go there but its a bit difficult and expensive to travel from where I live – Spain. Nowever I still hope one day I will visit both: New Zealand and Australia 🙂
Thanks
Kris
NZ is expensive to travel to from just about everywhere! But I promise that it’s worth it. I hope you make it there someday!
Those mountains are just flawless. Looks like one incredible hike – glad you took a chance on hiking round two 🙂
Definitely an incredible place – and we really lucked out with the weather, too!
Wow! This looks fantastic and so wonderful to see you and Liz hanging out. We didn’t do this track while in New Zealand, but I wish we did. It looks gorgeous!
It’s a good one, for sure – I’m so glad I let Liz talk me into it!
I like the fact that the trail is not that steep. Although that bridge can be quite scary, the place looks good especially since the trail is exposed to nature all around.
The trail isn’t steep at all! Which was great news for someone like me who doesn’t really love hiking!
This trek is incredible looking! I wish I had taken the opportunity to do more treks while in NZ, I was going to do the Tongariro Crossing but the conditions were too bad, so we did the circuit at the bottom of it. Loving that last photo too!
I’ve been to NZ 4 times now (including living there for a while) and I STILL haven’t done the Tongariro Crossing! Mostly because I’ve mostly visited in fall/winter when the conditions wouldn’t have been good. Next time, next time…
Wow. Those photographs make me think I need to go back to New Zealand just for this walk. So beautiful!
Any reason is a good reason to go back to New Zealand. 😉
I totally have New Zealand envy right now!
Totally understandable!
The Hooker Valley track is a spectacular, very manageable hike for hikers of all levels. I did this hike a few years ago as well as the Tongariro Crossing and the Milford Track. NZ has so much to offer for hikers and it’s one of the best places in the world to go trekking. I was so inspired by my experiences in NZ that I went trekking in the Annapurna region of the Himalayas not to long ago! Great post. Your photos take me down memory lane.
The Tongariro Crossing is definitely on my list, even though I know it’s a more challenging hike. If any place could turn me into a hiker, it would be New Zealand!
Love the Hooker Valley trail, I don’t think there’s another hike in NZ that you get so much reward for so little effort. It’s such a fantastic surprise 🙂
I totally agree! Just about anyone can handle it, and the views (especially on a nice day) are just spectacular!
Just focus on the view and the hikes get easier. It wouldn’t matter what hike I was doing its hiking in New Zeland. Enough said.
You clearly don’t know how much I despise hiking. 😉 But yes, generally hiking in New Zealand will guarantee you some amazing views!
When I saw hiking in the title of the post, I was thinking “doesn’t Amanda hate hiking?!” haha…The trail looks beautiful and definitely worth the effort!
Hahaha, well, “hiking” sounded better than “walking.” 😉 But yes, this was my kind of hiking trail for sure!
I have a love/hate relationship with hiking — especially if the hikes are hard. But Hooker Valley sounds like my kind of hike. Plus it’s called Hooker Valley! How can you not hike that!
Oh I usually despise hiking. But this was more of a scenic walk, so I actually loved it! (The warm weather and blue skies definitely helped, though…)