Hooker Valley Track
If you want alpine grandeur without a gruelling ascent, this is the intelligent choice. It is a relatively flat, 10-kilometre return walk in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park that delivers high rewards for moderate effort. The path leads over three suspension bridges and winds along the Hooker River, ending at a glacier lake often dotted with floating icebergs. The sheer scale of the Southern Alps here puts everything into perspective. It is a popular route, so we recommend an early morning start to beat the crowds and enjoy the silence of the valley.