NZ Part 7 - The Clouds Burst
The weather in New Zealand is as unpredictable as the landscapes are stunning—sunshine one minute, rain the next. Our research told us to pack for all four seasons and that was pretty accurate. We all got sun burnt on the beach in the North Island then froze on the overcast and windy days. Sometimes, it even changed over the course of a single day. It poured the entire drive to Hobbiton, but we had nothing but blue skies the whole time we were there. But today was the first day we were concerned about the weather. We were planning to go see Aoraki / Mount Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand, and the forecast was showing rain and cloudy skies all day. On a clear day you can see the mountain from 150 miles away, on a cloudy day you may not see it at all. The Hooker Valley Track is one of the most popular hiking trails in New Zealand. It's about a 7 mile roundtrip hike with great views of Mount Cook (on a clear day). It was at the top of our list of hikes we wanted to do and thi...