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<\/a><\/p>\nMt. Cook, at 3,755 meters, is the highest peak in Australasia. Back in the day, Edmund Hillary cut his teeth on Mt. Cook before moving on to tackle Everest<\/p>\n
This being the busiest month in New Zealand, I assumed the roads would be packed. I guess this is as crowded as it gets here<\/p>\n It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Mt. Cook that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve come here to see, but I cannot stop looking off to my right at Lake Pukaki<\/p>\n The color is absolutely ridiculous<\/p>\n A later reading of Lonely Planet told me that the color comes from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153rock-flour\u00e2\u20ac\u009d sediment left behind when a stony-bottomed glacier moved across the land surface here. As the glacier melted to form the lake, the sediment ended up being suspended in the water, which gives it the milky appearance. On a sunny day, the sediment also refracts the sunlight to create the amazing turquoise color.<\/p>\n Further down the road, as one good thing comes to an end<\/p>\n Another looms large ahead<\/p>\n Mt. Cook Village is situated in a little valley with quite the panorama; mountains, glaciers, vegetation, barren terrain, and one well placed hotel<\/p>\n In the background sticking out is Mt. Cook<\/p>\n You can walk a few kilometers past here on designated paths, but beyond that, mountaineers only. One of those walks you can take is along here<\/p>\n I hear it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s popular with single guys.<\/p>\n Only one way in and out of Mt. Cook Village, and on the way out, the road is just as empty and the lake looks even bluer<\/p>\n Are you kidding me?<\/p>\n With the added bonus of my iPod and iTrip broadcasting music all day on 87.9 FM, it was hard not to smile a lot yesterday<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n