This morning’s weather forecast was true to its word. There was no rain beating on the roof of the van, so the journey to the ablutions was a dry one and there was no lost property in the showers. It was looking as though it was going to be a normal day. Following the theme from yesterday regarding the abject poverty of the area, the campervan next door but one looks as though it must belong to the Clampits (Old TV programme for those old enough to remember) as it appears to be home made. Also the facilities here are not quite as good as some of the other sites we have stayed at, particularly the outside toilets. The handle is there to stop you getting your fingernails broken, when lifting the seat. - Very considerate.
Last night we had looked at the weather forecast for Mount Cook for the next couple of days and it had shown sunshine for today, but rain and high winds for the next couple of days, so we decided to go to Mount Cook today instead of tomorrow. That being the case, we were up reasonably early and completed breakfast in time for a morning Skype call to the girls, who were both at Clare’s, With the call completed, we were soon on our way. Unfortunately we have booked our next nights campsite at Omarama, which means we have to pass through it and return after visiting Mount Cook. As we headed out of Oamaru the sun was blazing down and it looked as though it was going to be a scorcher. Travelling alongside Lakes Avimore and Benmore we passed by a couple of hydro electric power stations and small dams. Just about one and a half hours later we reached Omarama and carried on rather than stopping. Onwards to Twizel , then as we reached Lake Pukaki the cloud came in and was probably no more than a couple of hundred feet above us. It was completely blocking the surrounding mountains and we could barely see the other side of the lake. Our change of plan looked as though it may have back fired on us, but all we could do is carry on. As we were approaching the end of the lake, the cloud was still very thick and there was no sign of Mount Cook, which should be clearly visible by now. Then, just as we approached the village, the cloud just disappeared to reveal Mount Cook and the Hooker Glacier in all their resplendent glory. The sun was blazing out of a clear blue sky and our plan had worked.
We started with coffee and cake at the cafe before looking around the Sir Edmund Hilary Alpine Centre and watching a fantastic 3D film about the mountain. The view of Mount Cook probably doesn’t get much better than this, so the camera was working overtime. We walked through the village admiring the view from different angles before heading back to the van for a very late lunch. The sun was still blazing down, but a blanket of cloud was just starting to roll over the end of the Hooker Glacier, rather like a table cloth sliding down the edge of a table.
After lunch we headed away from Mount Cook and back alongside Lake Pukaki. The view in the rear view mirror necessitated stopping a number of times for photographs, as it was just stunning. The return journey along the lake could not have been different from the one we took a few hours earlier. This time all the mountains were crystal clear and the lake was flat calm. Complete contrast to this morning’s mist and low cloud.
As is normal, the return trip to Omarama seemed quick and we were soon at the camp site. With the sun still shining, we got the table and chairs out of the van and sat down to tea and a dunk. With the sun still out at 7.30 it was time to start cooking. This evening’s meal was to be a cheap one – medallions of venison again. Barbequing this evening was good fun as I shared it with a couple of NZ cattle farmers, with a great sense of humour.
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