7-9 April 2025

Monday 7 April 2025

Departed today for the long drive to Twizel, which is almost at the foot of Mt Cook. It was built in the 1960’s to house construction workers for one of the three hydro dams on the Hopkins / Pukaki Rivers and associated large lakes. Very stunning country.

We are in another little one room cottage with ensuite, 200m from the town centre. Given the proximity to the lakes, there is a lot of water/fishing based recreation here in the season.

After checking in and donning thermal undies, we walked in the sprinkling rain to the pub for a look around and a beer. Then, back home for meatballs and rice. It rained all night with the sound on the tin roof letting us know Autumn is really here. This morning, there was snow on the mountains. Fell overnight and it’s not that far away, either.

 Tuesday 8 April 2025

Around mid-day the rain stopped and the sun came out, making a nice photo opportunity of the snowy hills. A walk around the little village square for a coffee and a look into the amazing hardware shop. This had all manner of survival, tramping, hunting and fishing gear as well as some hardware, toys, games, kitchenware and paints and plants.

Flashy then wanted to have a look at a bar called Razza. It turned out to be like our Rissole. You know, rissole equals RSL and the Razza is the RSA. Same place. Different country. A half pint of the local ale was refreshing. I still can’t get over the fact that the Kiwis wear shorts in 0C-2C degree weather. Shorts and a bucket hat. You’d think it is a caricature until you see it everywhere.

Fancying a curry for dinner, we headed at 7.00 pm to the local Indian. It was packed with a waiting line halfway out the door. We think the skinny bloke put us down as a yes for a table at 7.30 pm, so off to the pub for a drink. There were no tables there either. It seems that the people hereabouts dine early. As the early pub patrons began to leave, we snaffled a table and had a drink. Back to a packed Indian restaurant at 7.36 pm and our little table just becoming vacant. We did enjoy a very good meal of spicy goat curry, vegetable curry, garlic naan and steamed rice. The bottle of Church Road Chardonnay was likewise pretty good.

 Wednesday 9 April 2025

We awoke to more snow on the hills and a below zero morning. A road trip to look at the lakes and hydro stations on the way to Mt Cook was undertaken in glorious sunshine and deep blue skies. It was still below double figures.

Mt Cook did not disappoint. Glistening in the sun with the autumn turning some of the trees yellow and red. The flash resort, The Hermitage’ was the obvious and only place open for a coffee. It also houses the Sir Edmund Hillary Museum. Now, he’s allegedly the first white man to climb Mt Everest and there’s a statue of him out the front. Sitting on the terrace looking out at Mt Cook and enjoying a couple of beers and a snack, passed away the morning and we returned to Twizel in the mid afternoon.

View out our cabin window
Small but comfy
Right. So it's 2C outside and Nigel here heads into the Razza for a pint.
Mt Cook from our terrace table.
Sir Edmund Hillary. Apparently, Lady P has met him.
The blue in the lake is due to minerals.














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