Unmissable Hooker Valley Track - South Island New Zealand

Hooker Valley Track, Aoraki Mount Cook National Park (Te Wahipounamu) is one of the highlight point of our road trip along South Island New Zealand. It's uncommon that we break down the differences between two parts of the same country, but New Zealand is one of only a few countries whose parts are so clearly divided. Personally, I prefer traveling around the South Island than the North, it is larger and generally considered more beautiful. New Zealand's South Island has gorgeous coastline, but it is best known for many mountains, national parks and Fjords that define its inland.

Back to Mount Cook National Park, our road trip was a nearly 2 week trip, so both me and my travel partner @trangbaby took turns driving. Our long drive made us tired, but at the time came to see the snowy mountain peaks that hadn't yet melted, we were both thrilled. Where we live before on the North Island of New Zealand, the weather was much warmer, so there was little chance to see snow.

Hooker Valley Track is probably the most popular hike in Mount Cook National Park! It is also one of the easiest tracks in the Mount Cook National Park at about 10 kms return (2-3 hours). As it is flat, all levels of fitness would be able to complete the trail. It's easy to achieve and you will get to see all the views of Mueller Lake, Mueller Glacier, Hooker Lake, and Mount Cook. For that reason, There were so many international tourists come to visit this place. It is an unmissable walk in New Zealand's South Island, therefore I highly recommend it.

Our first impression was that the parking lot looked busy, with lots of tourists strolling along the trails in beautiful dresses. The track has been described as “a walk in the park”, so it is not necessary to prepare hiking gear or too much food and water. We just brought a little snack and filled a full bottle of water at the White Horse Hill Campground, the start of the trail with information, directions and toilets.

Hooker Valley Track Map

As our research before the trip, the track has been upgraded with new boardwalks, and the two swing bridges re-built compared to a few years ago. In moderate winds, it was really chilly to cross the first swing bridge in the morning. The Hooker Valley Wooden Boardwalk made the hike easier but also protects the grasslands.

The trail ends at a beautiful lake where we took a seat and have a simple snack. The view of Mueller Lake was breathtaking. Due to ground sediments suspended by nearby glaciers, Mueller Lake has a milky, blue-gray color, which is quite unusual for any lake. Some icebergs that haven't yet melted are floating on the surface of the lake, sometimes colliding with rocks and making the sound.

It was a fantastic experience. I have done a few hikes in NZ and the Hooker Valley Track is considered one of the best. The plus point is it's an easy track which the kid can even complete and it offers a lot of things in one track - fun swing bridges, gorgeous valleys, rivers, lake and breath-taking views of Mount Cook. This track is an absolute must when visiting Mount Cook National Park.