On
DAY 4 we left Queenstown for Christchuch. We could have
taken a bus straight to Christchurch but instead we opted
to take the detour via Mt. Cook.
An all
day trip, but the scenery made it go quickly. We traveled
along side Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki. I believe it was
Lake Tekapo which was an unusual color of clear
turquoise. With the backdrop of the NZ Alps, it was just
breathtaking! This area reminded me very much like the
eastern part of California - along HWY. 395 towards
Mammoth. All you needed to do is add a Joshua Tree here
and there and we would be back home. I guess that is not
surprising, since the altitude and temperatures are
probably very similar.
Mt Cook
which the Maori named, Aorangi (the cloud piercer) is
Australasia's highest mountain (3755m or 12320ft) and Mt.
Tasman and Mt. Sefton the 2 neighboring mountains come in
at 2nd and 3rd respectively. The recent movie Vertical
Limit, about an ill fated Everest attempt, was filmed on
Mt. Cook.
