Twizel and Aoraki Mount Cook National Park

Today we headed towards Aoraki Mount Cook in the campervan. We stopped on the side of the road where we could get some clear photographs of the mountain.

The mountain is looking beautiful and I am so happy that it is not covered by clouds today. We travel on further into Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.

The next photo of the mountain includes Lake Pukaki. The colour of this lake is a tourquoise blue green and I feel that my photos did not catch the true beauty of the colour. Sadly.

I loved this next photo with the sun shining on the lake.

There was a beautiful wild rambling rose at this stop.

The next stop was closer to Aoraki Mount Cook and when I looked at Maps it showed that Lake Pukaki had ended and become a braided river … I will post the screen shots that I took of this. At this next stop we got out the chairs and had a morning tea stop … it was lovely sitting and looking at the views all around us.

Aoraki Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand.

The photo above was taken on my daughters phone and more accurately shows the true colour of the lake.

On the way back we stopped at the other end of Lake Pukaki, where it is dammed and also where it changes to become the Twizel Canal. The water was glistening here and looked quite magical.

We drove beside the canal on our way back to Twizel.

The colour of the lakes and canals is due to fine silt particles in the water. This is also sometimes called glacial flour and it floats in the water, not settling to the bottom. The water is such a pretty colour.

I could not resist adding just one more photo of this very pretty canal.

After travelling along the canal we came across Lake Ruataniwha and I wanted to stop and take some photos. The colours of the lake with autumn turning trees was something that I just had to get a better look at. As it was Easter long weekend there were many people there enjoying water sports on the lake but I tried to avoid them in my photos.

I was intrigued by this lakes name so I looked it up. I found that it is an artificial lake formed for the hydro electricity scheme in the late 70’s and early 80’s. In Māori Rua means two and a taniwha is a supernatural water spirit or type of monster. So my initial thoughts were that there are two monsters in the lake. But on researching the name I found that it was named after a nearby farm from which land had been purchased to build the hydro scheme. Ruataniwha had been a Māori chief from the 12th century.

I loved the plantings around the lake … they were so New Zealand and so beautiful. Such a perfect contrast to the water colour.

There were also more of the wild roses here … covered in rosehips and still the odd flower.

I was so happy to have visited this lovely lake.

I will end the day here but will just add that within minutes of us leaving the Aoraki National Park there was the first of two fatal car accidents. Multiple fatalities and the road was closed for the rest of the day. We were lucky … please respect the roads in New Zealand … there are way too many accidents.

We got to go back to where we were staying and have probably the yummiest roast lamb dinner that I can remember having. The roasted kumara and pumpkin were wonderful … as were the corguettes and cabbage. Thank you for a great stay.

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