Picture yourself driving 60 kilometres (40 miles) along the side of a turquoise lake, while snowcapped peaks ahead of you grow steadily larger.
Traffic is sparse, and you drive at your leisure, stopping frequently to enjoy the lovely weather and try (failing miserably) to capture the beauty on your camera.
Yes, it is real.
You are on your way from Twizel to Mount Cook.
The Alpine town of Twizel – actually a village (population – 1,020) – is a great base for exploring Mount Cook National Park and the Mackenzie basin in New Zealand’s South Island. It is a popular place for people interested in hiking, mountain climbing, biking and fishing. There are many options for accommodation (motels and Airbnbs) and food (groceries, cafes and restaurants).
If time permits, do visit Poppies café in Benmore Place, and enjoy the awesome sunset reflections at Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel.
We visited Twizel in March (fall season in New Zealand), avoiding the very busy summer season. It was one of the bases during our 3-week drive through the South Island. The weather was just perfect – between 6-19 degrees Centigrade.
You just cannot miss seeing Mount Cook National Park – for trails, hikes, climbs and views.
Tasman Glacier hike and the Blue Lakes hike
Both hikes start near Mount Cook (local name – Aoraki), the highest mountain in New Zealand.
Mount Cook is about an hour’s drive from Twizel, on state highway 80. Yes, this is the drive, with Lake Pukaki next to you and Mt Cook looming ahead.
This road leads you to the National Park. Take the turnoff to Tasman Lake and then towards Mt Cook Village. Drive another 10 minutes on the Tasman Valley Road to reach the Tasman Walking Track Car Park, a huge parking lot.
There are two main tracks that start here – Tasman Glacier track that includes the Blue Lakes track, and the River walk. You will need several hours, and a fair amount of effort, to do both the Tasman glacier hike and the river walk comfortably.
The glacier hike starts with a sloping path, which gets you to the stairs. There are about 350 steps on uneven, rocky stones. There are spaces in between to take breaks if needed.
En route there is a diversion with signboards for a side hike to the Blue Lake, which could take about 10-15 minutes. Very strangely, the blue lake is actually green! Here’s why –
In the 1800s when the Blue Lakes were named, they were fed by the turquoise glacial meltwater filtering through the moraine (rock sediment and debris deposited by a glacier).
Today, Tasman glacier has shrunk quite a bit and water no longer flows from the glacier to the blue lakes. The warm rainwater now feeds the blue lakes and this water supports green algae making the water look green!!
The stairs eventually lead you to the viewpoint at the top, from where you can see awesome views of the Tasman Glacier and cloudy blue waters. Depending on the season you can see floating glacier pieces or bigger slabs.
The Tasman Glacier is the largest glacier in NZ. Unfortunately, it has been shrinking steadily over the years from the 1990s onwards due to climate change, and it is predicted that by the end of this century it might be totally gone.
Tasman River Walk
When you get back to the car park after hiking to the Tasman glacier and the blue lake, there is an option for another walk – Tasman River Walk.
The walk is about 1.7 mile (to and fro) and is a popular easy route for hiking.
The best thing about this walk is that you will reach the point where the Tasman River meets the Tasman Lake. The views here are truly dramatic – milky blue lake surrounded by Southern Alps with breath-taking reflections. If you are lucky, you might get to see icebergs. It is a must-see!
Hooker Valley Track
Close to Mount Cook Village, there is another popular hike of about 6.8 miles. Hooker Valley Track is of moderate difficulty and takes an average of 2 and half hours.
The route itself is almost flat with little slopes and crosses three swing bridges.
The views are spectacular especially over the Mueller Glacier and Hooker Lake.
Lake Pukaki
As mentioned earlier, the turquoise Lake Pukaki will be on your right hand side for almost 45 minutes while driving from Twizel to Mount Cook. The color of the lake is truly unbelievable, and the images look like you have photoshopped!
Every now and then, you will want to stop and take pictures at one of the many lookouts and viewpoints on this route.
Lake Tekapo
Lake Tekapo is another scenic lake reached by turning right when you reach Lake Pukaki. A small town next to the lake is also named Tekapo.
Lake Tekapo is a UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve. That means you can go stargazing here, especially near Tekapo Springs. Also, if you are lucky, you might spot the Southern Lights.
The road running from Lake Tekapo to Mount Cook (via Lake Pukaki) is paved and single lane all the way and is suitable for 2WD cars and motorhomes.
Salmon Fishing & Salmon Farm
In Twizel, the local rivers, lakes and canals are excellent for salmon fishing.
Twizel also has a boutique salmon farm called High Country Salmon, owned by a New Zealand family. It floats on the glacial waters in the Mackenzie District. The café menu includes yummy dishes like sushi, burgers, grilled teriyaki salmon and hot pies.
We had a great 4 days in this beautiful part of New Zealand. At the end of our trip, we drove through some awesome mountain roads passing the breathtaking Lindis Pass and the picturesque Lake Hawea and Wanaka to reach Makarora – another scenic village to explore more hills and waterfalls.
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Twizel and New Zealand look like an absolute dream! We have had New Zealand on our bucket list and this confirms that we must visit!
The scenes are spectacular. Excellent photography . need to visit newzealand soon
I have wanted to visit the South Island, but haven’t had a chance yet. Twizel looks like a wonderful base for hiking.
I’ve been to New Zealand a few times and explored that area a little bit. I intend to go back and so this will be a good guide for more in-depth visit.
The view of Mt. Cook from the road is so amazing, as if you can touch it from the car. I will stop at every lookout and take pictures like you, too. Lol. The hike seems tough, but with views like those along the way, I think I can handle it. And what’s better than having salmon everyday in your plate!
Twizel looks like a great base indeed to start the exploration of Mount Cook. It would be nice to visit when it was not busy season and plan enough time to enjoy Poppies café in Benmore Palace too. A day exploring the Tasman Glacier and the Blue Lakes track would definitely be on our plan. Although it is good to know in advance that the glacier and lakes are much smaller these days. A good reason to not just quickly pass by the turquoise Lake Pukak. When we finally get our New Zealand trip planned it sounds like 4 days here would be perfect.
You caught my attention with the dramatic feature photo! I have been to New Zealand once and admired the landscape of the Alps albeit only for a few days. Now I see how fascinating and beautiful the place is. Tasman Lake will be on my list especially if its possible to see icebergs there.
Your journey from Twizel to Mount Cook sounds like an absolute dream! I could vividly picture the breathtaking landscapes as you described the turquoise Lake Pukaki, snowcapped peaks, and the charming village of Twizel. Your detailed account of the Tasman Glacier hike, Blue Lake, and the dramatic views from the Tasman River Walk made me feel like I was right there, taking in the awe-inspiring beauty. The mention of Lake Tekapo as a UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve and the opportunity for stargazing added another layer of magic to your adventure. And the salmon fishing and farm in Twizel, not to mention the delicious offerings at High Country Salmon, make it a perfect destination for nature lovers and food enthusiasts alike. Thank you!
Hiking in Mount Cook National Park looks so dreamy! I would love to go there for an entire month and just explore the nature. How interesting that the Blue Lakes are not blue anymore due to the shrinking of the glacier and the algae in the rain water. Hooker Valley Track looks incredible, I can almost imagine the feeling of walking in that valley, having the view of high mountains on all sides.
So beautiful! Would love to have the chance to visit it some day.
I only stopped at Lake Pukaki and Tekapo on my way to Mount Cook, but due to time constraints (airline issues), I didn’t get to explore more of Twizel or see the green lake. Wish I had! I will have to revisit, for sure.
New Zealand is so beautiful and I long to go there. Twizel looks such a wonderful destination. The hikes would be amazing, the Tasman Glacier Hike and the Blue Lakes Hike. The Tasman River Walk would be so interesting and visiting the Lakes Pukaki & Tekapo as well. Beautiful destination.
We did not make it to the South Island during our first visit to New Zealand. But we want to go back for a 1 month trip in the south. Hiking in the Mount Cook area would be very high on the list of things to do. Interesting that Lake Tekapo is a UNESCO Dark Sky reserve. I have never heard about these until recently, when I was researching a trip to UK. There is one at Kielder forrest in Northern England too.
Aaah this bring back such happy memories! We didn’t stay in Twizel, but I can see it would make a great base for exploring this fabulous area. 😀 We did the hikes you mentioned too and loved all of them! There was one more (up to Mueller Hut) which blew me away. You have reminded me that we should go back to Kiwiland!!
Lake Tekapo is my favourite part of this region. The views on Hooker Valley Track are classic.
Wow, the scenery is breathtaking! If only the flights weren’t so long from the US!
Wow! This is amazing. The view is just breathtaking and it’s definitely worth the hike. We’d love to have the opportunity to visit.
Would you know if these hikes are okay for beginners?
Yes Clarice. If you are fit, these hikes are definitely okay.
Beautiful place and the photos are stunning! Hope I can also visit New Zealand some day.
I didn’t Twizel on my first visit to NZ so I’ll have to make sure I do on my next trip. Love the story about the blue lakes turning green 🙂
Tasman glacier hike looks incredible! The scenery is out of this world! Thank for sharing and i’m adding Tasmania to my bucket list now 🙂
New Zealand never ceases to amaze me. These trails look amazing!