Aoraki, the cloud piercer

The highlight of New Zealand for some is Mt Cook. Having been unable to book anywhere closeby E&K set off for Wanaka on 28th hoping at least to get a look at the mountain. Stopped in Queenstown for lunch where the holiday season hit them. People everywhere eating ice creams or sitting at cafes. It's a popular place, which is why they didn't stop. Wanaka was easy to find a room in. Arrived at the youth hostel and checked in to a double room, en suite, just over budget. The view from the panomara windows in the communal sitting rooms was over the lake with snow tipped mountains behind. Here it was holiday season too. The traffic was incredible, the heat just hits you and there's people everywhere. They spent an amusing first day stolling along the lakeside. The New Zealander takes his boat with him on holiday. Drives down to the lake edge, reverses expertley into the lake, drops the boat off, parks the car with trailer, enjoys a morning on the lake then pulls the boat out and drives back to the campsite for lunch. There were only two casualties that day, a lady who slipped, and a lad who had no buisness being out in a canoe, he hadn't sobered up from the night before. Next day was climbing. E took the high road and K took the low and they managed to meet up according to plan. The beauty of the countryside goes without saying. Managed to find a room in the hostel at Twizel, about 60 km from Mt Cook, for new years eve. Set off about 9 thinking that the journey would be hairpin bends up and down mountains. The journey was easy. This is McKensie country, there are big wide plains and it hardly ever rains, so the vegetation is not at all like the rest of the country. Went over Lindis Pass at 734m no bother . The hostel was closed so they pushed on to Mt Cook, E willing to spend the rest of her holiday money on a scenic flight, but K was surprisingly negative. After feeding him, (it usually helps) he was the same so they bout a walking map and set off up the Hooker valley, where good views of Mt Cook can be seen on clear days. this was a clear day. After 90 min walking they came to the beginning of the glacier which was thick. Not sure how many tens of metres. The water was an icy creamy grey colour with boulders of snow in it. Mt Cook or Aoraki which is the Mauri name was shrouded in cloud but it moved from time to time giving the turists time to get that photo. On the way back they witnessed an avalanche. Awesome as they say here. Back at the hostel they were informed that the kitchen was closed because otherwise the kids would trash it. It was the worst night of the year and they would be standing guard all night protecting their property. E got a bit sour about this, if they had to stand guard why couldn't people cook their food. In the end they let them in and they boiled their new potatoes and drank som wine with a guy from Switzerland. Took a cup of boiling water over to the room and decided to call off the cheese and wine. The festive spirit was dampened.  E sent off about 12 texts and received 5 which did not wake her up. Leaving early the next morning they heard that there had been a fight about 9 then everything had been quiet.  Beatiful warm day at Twizel but they were moving on to the west coast so back to Wanaka then up highway 6 to a tiny place called Haast. Haast is just a shop and three motels.