My kid just turned two, so I thought we should celebrate with a walk. We drove to Mt Cook Village on a beautiful sunny day. I had my front pack with the kid and a big backpack carrying all the necessary gear. The hut is hopelessly sold out many months ahead, and I’m always more keen to camp anyway, so apart from the usual gear, I also carried a tent. We started the track in the late morning. It was scorching hot, and to my surprise, Elliot was more than happy to walk about half of the way. Along the way, we had some good stops at bridges from which many rocks were thrown into the river.
The Hooker Hut track starts with a marker on the Hooker Track. There is no sign, only a vague marker that can easily be missed by those who aren’t looking for it. Shortly after the turn-off, we reached the hut. It’s quite an incredible sanctuary, providing beautiful views of some of the most iconic New Zealand mountains. I was also surprised by how quiet it was compared to the main track. The hut was already occupied by some kids, which I always welcome. While I was pitching the tent, Elliot was entertained by a couple of older girls who thought he was very cute. Of course, he was— he’s my kid (dad joke, ignore me).
Elliot passed out pretty early as the walk, the heat, and running around the tent exhausted him. After a beautiful night with zillions of stars, I packed up, and off we went back where we came from. A stop by the river was necessary, during which Elliot transported about 6 tons of rock from material the shore to the river. Lovely walk, I can’t recommend it highly enough. This could be one of the most accessible and beautiful walks for kids in New Zealand.
Stats: 5 km, 1 h 45 min, 150 m ascent
Participants: Michal Klajban, Elliot
Tramped on 27-28th December 2022.
Photos
Map
Max elevation: 884 m
Min elevation: 765 m
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