Day 20: Hooker Valley → Lake Tekapo
2026-11-21 · Aoraki/Mount Cook Village → Lake Tekapo
65 mi · 104 km · 1h 38m @40mph
The Hooker Valley Track at 7am straight from camp — three swing bridges to an iceberg lake beneath Aoraki before the buses arrive. Optional glacier kayaking on Mueller Lake or the Tasman Glacier icebergs, then across to Tekapo for the hot pools, the Church of the Good Shepherd at sunset and a Dark Sky Project stargazing tour.
Stops
- Hooker Valley Track~09:14walkFlat 10 km return over three swing bridges to a glacier lake beneath Aoraki/Mount Cook — high reward, low effort.
- Mueller Glacier Lake Kayaking~10:28cruiseGuided kayaking among small icebergs on the glacier-fed Mueller Lake beneath Aoraki/Mt Cook.
- Tasman Glacier~11:42viewpointNew Zealand's longest glacier, descending from the Southern Alps within Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park and feeding a milky terminal lake studded with floating icebergs.
- Church of the Good Shepherd~12:55sightIconic little stone church on the turquoise shore of Lake Tekapo; lupins in late Nov and exceptional dark-sky stargazing.
- Tekapo Springs~14:09sightHot pools and winter ice beside Lake Tekapo, a relaxing end to a Mackenzie day.
- Dark Sky Project~15:23sightAstronomy tours in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, from Tekapo to Mt John summit.
Tonight: Lake Tekapo
No place picked for this night yet.
In Lake Tekapo base plan
- Lakes Edge Holiday Park holiday-park
Lakefront sites under the Dark Sky Reserve — stargazing from your door. Walk to the Church of the Good Shepherd.