Our lessons from yesterday: even if you’re going for what you might think is a short walk put on sunscreen. Karine and I both got sunburned because we went for what we tought would be a short hike that ended up in two hours of walking around!
Spending the day around Mount Cook (with plenty of sunscreen this time) allowed us to see what’s described as common phenomena. As the day progress clouds get trapped around the summit of Mount Cook as well as that of surrounding mountains. They eventually pull out toward the end of the day (as the sun sets). The earlier you get up the likelier you’ll see the mountains with little or no clouds (assuming it’s not pouring rain that day :-))
Walking towards the summit really gives what your eye sees as different and unique points of view every couple of meters. However, upon reviewing all the pictures of these unique points of view we realized that they are all very much the same. We had fun and that’s what counts :-) There was some magic in walking up the valley and experiencing the “reveal” of Mt Cook’s glory.
The rest of the afternoon was spent reading and relaxing on the deck of the hotel. Basking in a very warm sun (didn’t forget the sunscreen this time either) with a couple of flat whites felt wonderful. It allowed both of us to catch up on reading and enjoying summer (of which few days remain).
Next stop: Dunedin! (oh, and don’t try to pronounce it, you’ll get it wrong and all the locals will correct you, as we’ve discovered).