Tramping the Hooker Valley

Hearing the words “tramp” and “hooker” in a title could suggest the wrong image of my day. Quite the contrary, Kiwis use the word “tramping” to mean “hiking.” And the Hooker Valley is the valley leading up to Hooker Glacier with spectacular views of Mt. Cook.

The mountain towered above, slightly shrouded in clouds. I snapped away pictures in awe of the mountain’s height. Continuing my 3-hour hike, I walked over two swing bridges, which cross the Hooker River, to suddenly see an even taller mountain. What was the monstrosity before me now?

Apparently I had mistaken Mt. Sefton for Mt. Cook. Mt. Cook dwarfs Mt. Sefton by a few thousand feet, reaching 3755 meters and being the tallest peak in Australasia. Munching on my trail lunch of canned tomato basil tuna (New Zealand and Australia have every flavor imaginable of canned tuna!) and an apple, I sat aside Hooker Lake watching a Japanese hiker skip rocks toward mini icebergs. Mt. Cook loomed overhead with its formidable ice- and snow-capped peaks. Around me countless other mountains jutted into the air. Of the 27 mountains in New Zealand over 3050 meters, 22 are in Mt. Cook National Park.

After walking back into Mt. Cook Village, I met Pat and Maureen for “ice blocks,” a.k.a. ice cream treats. Pat and Maureen happen to be the most amazing 73-year-olds who can walk me into the ground without seeming winded. Pat’s calf muscles are so massive that they look like implants. Needless to say, I aspire for their health later in life.

That wasn’t the day’s capstone though. To cool off from my hike, I took a swim in the glacier-fed Lake Pukaki. Well, a swim is a huge exaggeration. It was more of a running dive into the 40-degrees-Fahrenheit water with an immediate retreat to my towel.

That wasn’t the day’s capstone either though. Sitting on my cabin’s porch, I had an unobstructed view of Mt. Cook and its neighboring peaks as the trees parted perfectly. Nothing better than having some distance to truly appreciate what I had just experienced up close.

Pictured: Top: Mt. Cook up close during my tramp. Bottom: Mt. Cook from afar on my porch at Glentanner Park.

Hotel SO’s stellar location offsets shoebox-sized rooms

Advertised as ergonomically designed, Hotel SO fails to mention that its modern rooms might also give you claustrophobia.

During our weeklong stint in Christchurch, I’m staying at the newly-opened Hotel SO in central Christchurch. The techno music blaring in the lobby welcomes international visitors of all ages, avoiding language discrimination with its wordless beat.

My room exudes all that is hip: a flat-screen TV, mood lighting, and sleek built-in cabinets. Other hip features aren’t exactly to my liking. Take the raised, built-in bed for example. It feels like a ship’s bed with walls on three sides and an annoying blue nightlight underneath (although I know some people would like the light). I can’t imagine sleeping with another person in the bed. Whoever was against the wall would literally have to climb over the other person to reach the bathroom during the night.

Speaking of the bathroom, I refer to it as “the bubble.” Three steps away from my bed, the bubble contains a compact bathroom surrounded by rounded, frosted glass doors—not private from the room in the least. The sink, toilet, and shower are mere inches apart. You can utilize everything in the bathroom within an arm’s length.

I guess that I should consider myself lucky though. Why? I have a window! Many rooms have the same layout as mine but have a mirror instead of a window to deceptively enlarge the space.

Hotel SO’s location certainly counterbalances the squished rooms though. Two parks, delicious restaurants (highly recommend the chicken masala at Little India where I ate last night), trendy shops and bars, and numerous museums surround the hotel within a 10-minute walk. With all that awaits my exploration in Christchurch, I don’t plan on spending much time in the hotel anyway.

Pictured: My Hotel SO room. Notice how I had to pile all my bags against the door to take clean pictures.