By Mike Huber
I was in the tiny town of Omarama, New Zealand, having coffee and trying to wake up enough to plan the day. I was under an hour and a half away from the Hooker Trail, which I learned just a day or so ago was not too far off my original route. The Hooker Trail was one of those that I kept seeing and hearing about in any conversation about the North Island. I normally avoid touristy places as much as possible. One of my many travel mantras is “If I run into another American I have failed.” That’s because most Americans stay on the beaten path and rarely venture off. The venturing off seems to be my happy place.
As I finished my coffee and began to put my gear back on for the ride to the Hooker Trail, I fueled up since it New Zealand was pretty devoid of towns for the next couple hundred miles, which is perfect for riding. I was expecting Mount Cook would be similar to the other areas of New Zealand and was preparing to view a miniature copy of say, Mt. Hood. The previous day (although incredible and diverse) was like a 70% replica of the western United States with a sprinkling of British Columbia thrown in. Yes, I am extremely spoiled in my perspectives of motorcycle roads. I understand this.
It didn’t take long after leaving the coffee shop before low level clouds consumed me and the road. I had just gone through a similar area and noticed when I gained some elevation it cleared up. I remained optimistic as I strained to see anything in front of me. The attempt to hike the Hooker Trail surely would be in vain if it continued to stay this way, as I have heard it often does up in the s, outhern Alps of New Zealand.
Fortunately, this wasn’t the case. Once I hit Lake Pukaki, I had obtained enough elevation to where the clouds were below me. Lake Pukaki than came into full view and it was stunning. The neon green water contrasted with the brown mountains surrounding the lake, and it became all I could see. The colors were so overwhelmingly bright I had to pull over several times not only to take the views in but allow my eyes to adjust from the drab cloudbank that had me engulfed over the previous hour.
After another 30 minutes of riding along this other-worldly lake I could see Mount Cook was getting close and I was excited to finally hike the Hooker Trail. As I entered the parking lot around noon, I noticed how crowded it was. There was hardly any parking (at least for cars). I found a perfect spot for Massie right up front next to the trail head and swapped out my riding outfit for hiking gear.
This was it: The Hooker Trail. It wasn’t too long, only around 6 miles round trip. Once I began hiking I understood why I had kept hearing about it in my travels and when reading random blogs and posts. It was super-crowded. The hike was beautiful. Around each corner was a new view of either glacial lakes or views of Mount Cook towering above. The trail ended at a glacial lake with a beach that was perfect for a quick swim. It was mid-afternoon and it was warming up quite nicely.
Massie she was parked right where I had left her and ready to blast out our final few hours to the hostel on the edge of Lake Tekapo. The trip had taken me through what felt like a whirlwind of geographical features. There’s no question that that the roads, people, and environment in New Zealand are a dream for anyone (especially a motorcyclist). As I cracked open a cold Kea IPA on the lakeshore a sense of satisfaction came over me. I could now add New Zealand to the growing list of countries I where have motorcycled. The memories of this trip will help me pass the time while on the long flight to my next destination. Cheers New Zealand!
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