coroneljan.: Day 39: Lake Tekapo - Dunedin: Mt Cook + Moeraki Boulders

Today was set to be a crazy day. A lot to see with a goal to be in Dunedin to check in.

In the morning I drove to Mt Cook/Aoraki, the highest mountain in New Zealand. I went on the Sealy Tarns track, which was a 3 hour trip (I took 4). It was 90% climbing stairs. Imagine climbing uneven steps for 1.5 hours. The views from the top were definitely worth it though. On a clear day with few clouds, the view is amazing. I tried to continue all the way to the hut at the top but the longer i took to climb meant more time coming back down. That and most of the people heading to the hut were people prepared to stay there overnight. The descent was a bit easier but still just as tiring... after doing a few hikes already I realized the climbing part is not as taxing to the knees as the downhill.

After making it down I changed my sweaty clothes to move on towards Dunedin with a few stops on the way.I passed by some rock paintings and the Moeraki boulders.

The Moeraki boulders are 55 million year old round rock formations exposed on the beach. It was very odd to see such large round rocks on the beach. So educational!

After the boulders I drove to Dunedin and checked in my hostel. It seemed pretty empty. I got my own room since all the other beds werent taken. It was great having my own room but at the same time it made it difficult to meet new people... luckily the korean couple I volunteered with were in town so we went for drinks!

My baby fr the month with Lake Pukaki and Mt Cook in the background. (Lake Pukaki might be the far shot used for Laketown in the Hobbit but Im not 100% sure on that)