Governors Bush Walk

EXPLORING MT COOK'S QUIET SIDE

16 AUGUST 2024

ESCAPE FROM THE RAIN (OR HEAT)

Mt Cook National Park is hands-down one of our absolute favorite places in New Zealand, and it’s easy to see why! The views are out of this world, no matter where you are in the park. Whether you're soaking in the scenery with a hot drink or hiking on one of the many tracks, you're guaranteed to be surrounded by the most beautiful. One of the things we love most about Mt Cook is the wild, untouched vibe – no telephone wires or heaps of infrastructure, just pure nature (aside from the village!). It’s like stepping into paradise, and trust me, once you’re there, you won’t want to leave!
Most of the hikes in the park are open and rugged landscape but there are some hidden gems that take you through bush and forest, like Governors Bush Walk, Sealy Tarns (beginning of the track), Red Tarns (beginning of the track), Mt Wakefield (beginning of the track), and Bowen Walk. We've been lucky enough to visit Mt Cook many times, and each trip we try to explore a new track, so this winter (2024) was our chance to finally tick off the Governors Bush Walk.

At just 1.2 km, this loop is one of the shorter hikes in the park and it takes about an hour. There are some stairs and hills, but don’t worry—this won’t turn into a leg burning mission like Sealy Tarns or Red Tarns! The hills are gentle and there are some bench seats along the way if your legs need a rest.

The track begins at the Mt Cook shelter on Bowen Drive, the same place as the Red Tarns Track begins. There are toilets at the shelter but be aware that they may be closed in winter, as are many of the toilets in the area - we found out the hard way when we went to do the Tasman Lake Track during winter and had to drive 12 mins back to the village to find a toilet to use! Makes complete sense though as the ground freezes, so the flush won't work and that would be onnnnne stinky toilet come spring!

The track starts off as a gravel path before taking you into a beech forest filled with moss covered rocks and native birds like bellbirds and fantails. After spending so much time in the wide-open spaces of the park, being back in a forest filled with so much green felt so good! One of my favourite parts of the track was seeing the moss-covered roots along the track (yes, the smallest things really do make me happy), it reminded me of the Circle Track in Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve.

If you’re planning a trip to Mt Cook, make sure to pop into the Visitor Centre as there’s an awesome interactive museum that tells stories of the history of the park, its wildlife and conservation efforts. It's well worth a visit when you're in Mt Cook National Park and best of all it’s free! Our visit there added so much more to our Governors Bush Walk experience as we recognized things we’d learned about along the track. There are signs scattered along the walk that identify different plants which is cool if you're into plants and absolutely worthless if you're not ;)

As the trail climbs through the bush, you get sneak peeks of the Southern Alps and you can even spot the highway in the distance. A lot of the mountains around Mt Cook have snow-capped peaks all year, so it’s breathtaking even if you visit in the middle of summer. On a rainy day, you might not see as far beyond the trees but since much of the walk is sheltered, it's one of the best tracks to tackle when the weather’s a bit moody (and if it's a piping hot day and you want some shade and exercise).

An Icy Path

We were so happy we couldn’t have picked a more perfect bluebird day to tackle Governors Bush Walk because when we reached the top, the trees opened out and we got a beautiful view across the park of the Wakefield Ridge (a lesser-known hiking track), Mt Cook and both the Hooker and Tasman River. The mountains on the other side, like Mt Sebastopol, were showing off their rugged peaks and we could see part of the Red Tarns Track that we had done this summer (it's a truly underrated walk in Mt Cook!).

There had been a snowfall a few days prior, so there was a bit of snow and ice left along the track which we navigated carefully to avoid any unplanned ice-skating adventures (we’d already seen enough of that on the Hooker Valley Track the week before!). Some of the tracks in winter can be hard to navigate and some are impossible without micro spikes or crampons, whereas others are manageable without either of these, you just need to take your time and watch your footing. Check in with DOC (Department of Conservation) at the Visitor Centre to check the trail status of any of the tracks in the Mt Cook National Park.

What we really love about this track is how peaceful it is. It’s one of the quieter spots in the park, making it the perfect escape from the busier trails. At the top, there are two bench seats to rest on and soak in the view.

The Final Stretch

From the top of the track, you can either carry on to finish the loop track or retrace your steps back down the way you came - it's about the same time either way. We chose to do the loop track and as we made our way down the track, we could see a couple of waterfalls on the rockface across the river and we spotted the bridge that takes you to the Red Tarns Track.
a
The track became super icy once we got to the bottom of the hill and it was pretty clear the sun hadn't reached this area and it was COLD. The vegetation was different on this side of the hill, compared to the side we came up and some of the trees reminded us of the goblin forests up Mt Taranaki.

Eventually the track came out of the bush where we took a left and came to a wide gravel track with a fair amount of snow that the girls loved playing in. Not far from where the two tracks meet, there is a small stream that runs by a bench seat which we like to cool out feet off in summer when we do Red Tarns... not too keen on doing this in winter, we don't fancy getting frostbite!

Carry on along this track and you'll end up at the carpark and from there we highly recommend visiting The Old Mountaineer's Cafe, not far from the carpark, or the Hermitage Hotel. Charlie makes the most amazing burgers at the Mountaineer's Cafe (he's the owner and also a glacier guide) and his hot chips are cooled in beef tallow. The Hermitage Hotel has a couple of dining options and the most AMAZING views - check them out here.

Know Before You Go

This track is a 1.2km loop track
There are toilets at the carpark but these may be closed during winter, as the pipes freeze. One toilet may be open, otherwise you'll need to use the toilets at the Hermitage Hotel or the Visitors Centre in the village
There are stairs and roots along this track, so it's not suitable for wheelchairs, prams or anyone who may trip easily
This is a fantastic walk for kids
An ideal track to do in summer to get away from the heat, or in winter if it's raining (as it's mostly covered by the trees)
There may be snow and ice on the track in winter and this can be extremely slippery, so take care
You get beautiful views at the top of the track once you're above the trees
There are signs along the way naming different plants and trees

How To Get To The Governors Bush Walk

The carpark for this track is on Bowen Drive, at the Mt Cook public shelter in the Mt Cook Village - click here for the location.

The trailhead begins behind the public shelter and it is sign posted.

Conclusion

This is such an underrated track in Mt Cook and it's one of few tracks that's almost completely in the bush (not common in Mt Cook!). The track takes you through the vibrant bush, where you can listen to the beautiful local birdsong and discover new plants and trees. It's an ideal track in summer to get away from the heat and on a rainy day.