The highest mountain in the country, the 3,724m high Aoraki / Mt Cook is a spectacular place to visit in winter. The views start from the drive toward Mt Cook Village.

The village is home to the historic Hermitage Hotel, a substantial DOC visitor centre, and views of a broody Mt Sefton.

I drove along Tasman Valley Road for a short walk. The path was just about manageable though much easier with microspikes and hiking poles, as much of the snow had turned to ice.

To the left of the track is the small blue lake, now a frozen lake.

The climb rewarded with epic views of the Tasman Glacier and Tasman Lake, which has expanded in recent years as climate change has caused the glacier to retreat significantly.

In the distance was Aoraki / Mt Cook, which is shrouded in cloud 70% of the time, so I got lucky with the weather.

There were also good views back along the valley.

I headed onto the White Horse Campground, start for the relatively straightforward (though also ice covered) Kea Point Track.

This is Hooker Valley, home to an excellent day walk, which unfortunately was closed when I visited in mid-June 2025 as some of the bridges were being fixed / replaced.

Kea Point offered some of the best views of Aoraki / Mt Cook.

Few views from the return to the car park.

Final photos from lookouts by Lake Pukaki looking toward Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park.