Kea Point Track

THE FEATHERED ROBIN HOOD

18 JANUARY 2023

The views from the Kea Point Track viewing area

A Mountain Of Memories

Mount Cook National Park is our favourite place in the whole of New Zealand, mostly because it's the only place where Arabella can't find a single thing to complain about.... ok, she can, but she absolutely loves it and is drawn to Mt Cook and is always so happy to be there! The best part is, you don't have to go on a super long hike or even do a whole track, to be blown away by the views.

Driving to the park is like traveling to a land of giants. You pass by Lake Pukaki, which if you're lucky enough to catch it on a sunny day, will be the bluest shade of blue you've ever seen. And just when you think it can't get any better, you look across the lake to see Mt Cook towering in the sky, waiting for you to arrive. There are so many viewpoints where you can stop and take photos of Mt Cook from beside Lake Pukaki, but trust us, it only gets better the closer you get.

On the day we went to do the Kea Point Track, it was a bluebird day in Tekapo (it never seems to rain or get cloudy there in summer!) so we thought "Yaaaay, let's go see Mt Cook!" As we were driving towards the National Park, we headed into the clouds and thought "Hmmm, is this a good idea?" Mt Cook is only visible 1 out of 3 days, so we were unsure if we'd get to see anything on our walks. But just like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, the clouds parted and revealed the majestic mountain. We got there at 8:30am and the sun burnt off the clouds just after we got there - phew!

There are so many tracks at the park, from short 30-minute tracks to tracks that take days. We did the Hooker Valley last year and absolutely fell in love with the place, so we returned to conquer two new tracks that we thought would work in the heat. The Kea Point Track is 1 hour return and the Tasman Glacier View Track that we did afterwards was 30-minutes return. Perfect for super-hot days when there's no reprieve from the sun and you still want to conquer some sort of hike at Mt Cook.

The road heading towards the Mt Cook village

Dusky mountains in the early morning light

Cuteness overload!

Arabella and Sienna all geared up and ready to go (Bella sees snow, must wear gloves lol!)

The beginning of the track

Some of the mountains in the National Park are covered in scree

Where There's A Rock, There's A Sienna

In May 2021 we had our first trip to Mt Cook where we stayed at the Hermitage Hotel and had the most INCREDIBLE views of Mt Cook and the National Park and we did the Hooker Valley Track which is one of the best day hikes in the whole of New Zealand (we totally agree). Our experience never left us and we had been wanted to get back again to do some more tracks, so when we stayed in Tekapo we KNEW we had absolutely no choice but to head over and get our walk on!

The kids were a bit tired the day we decided to do the Kea Point Track and the Tasman Glacier View Track but they started out with a spring in their step (I can't say it lasted... especially on the latter track...) and there was a nice chill in the air which made a change from the insanely hot weather we'd been experience in Tekapo. This didn't last either... it got SO HOT not long after we started!

The track is 1.5km return and is well maintained and easy and there are hills but they aren't steep, so it's totally do-able for most, young and old. The track offers stunning views of the Southern Alps and it takes you through subalpine grasslands in a landscape shaped by the forces of nature, specifically in 1913 when a stream cut through from the glacier to the original Hermitage site, causing significant damage to the building. It takes around 1 hour to complete, but allow for a couple of hours at least as you will stop to take a miiiillion photos and there are bench seats at the viewpoint and it's such an incredible place to sit down, take in the views and ask "how's the serenity?". The foxgloves in summer are so stunning and such vibrant contrast against the snow, grasses and rocks.

Sienna kept asking me to take a photo of her at nearly every rock! What is it with kids and photos on rocks? We have SO MANY photos of them on rocks, I might have to do a blog post just for rock poses all around New Zealand! So funny.

We were hoping to see some Kea on the track (the name says it all) but we didn't see one! It was slightly disappointing, but the views made us forget all about it! These intelligent birds, aka feathered Robin Hoods, have been known to steal hikers' sandwiches, unzip their packs and generally cause mischief.

A lovely lady came up to us on the track and asked if we'd like a photo and we said yes please! She told us to say "Dr Jill" while she was taking the photo and the girls were very confused who Dr Jill was until she said it was her! She was a pediatrician from Montana in the USA and told the girls she was super proud of them for being out and about instead of their ipads. Little did she know that the kids were definitely going to have some quiet time on the ipad when we got home as it was already shaping up to be a full on day! But yes, good children.

We always appreciate it when people offer to take photos of us, taking the time out of their day to help us create memories.

Beautiful foxgloves in summer

Looking back the way we came, towards Mt Cook Village

"Say Dr Jiiiiiiill"

Mt Cook looming in the background

Alas, There Shall Be No Avalanche For You To See Today, My Friend

The track ends at a viewing deck that gives stunning views of Mount Sefton, The Footstool, Hooker valley, Mueller Glacier lake and Mount Cook. Once you get over the last hill, the view just hits you in the face like a wet fish and it's completely breath-taking. That is providing you're doing it on a sunny day and not an overcast and rainy day. Just saying.

There are a couple of bench seats to sit down enjoy the view although there are plenty of places to park ya bum on a rock or the grass. We set up a picnic on one of the bench seats and sat down to enjoy what was in front of us (no, not the dude taking photos - the mountains) and it was surprisingly peaceful there considering there were a handful of people hanging around. They were either extreeemely unfit and out of breath or they were like us and really enjoying the view.

We had hoped to see an avalanche on Mt Sefton but not this time around. We heard one when we did the Hooker Valley Track the previous year, and I did hear cracking on our way up to the viewpoint on the Kea Track but alas, no avalanche that day! They are really common and very cool to see in action.

In the Mueller Glacier Lake, Bella spotted rocks that looked like a crocodile. She was right, it did but there are definitely no crocs about in New Zealand!

Views from the Kea Point Track viewpoint over the Mueller Glacier Lake and Mount Cook

The viewpoint at the end of the Kea Point Track

Bella thought these rocks looked like a crocodile!

Bella was practicing her photography - she did an awesome job of photographing us!

Dr Jill was at it again

These foxgloves near the mountains made me feel like I was in Switzerland (never been!)

Sienna aaaaalways has a snack in her hand

I Name Thee, Oreo Mountain

With my trusty long lens in hand, I am the ultimate mountain paparazzi. I zoom in on those majestic peaks and capture all of their craggy, snowy glory. One mountain in particular caught my eye, with its rocky top resembling the filling of an oreo cookie. I couldn't resist giving it a new name - Mt Oreo. And let me tell you, it's one sweet treat to photograph!

It was cool to see so much snow hanging off the edges of cliffs where it had broken off in the heat and all of the textures and shapes of the snow and ice. There were a series of waterfalls cascading down the rocky mountain which were really pretty but you had to strain your eyes to see them... long lense FTW!

The tippy top of Mt Cook

Oreo Mountain

The snow was living dangerously that day

Spend The Day Here

We wanted to stay at the viewpoint forever (ok, maybe not foreeever) but we still had a lot to do that day, we had to do the Tasman Glacier Viewpoint Track at Mt Cook, stop at Lake Pukaki to get photos of Mt Cook and the most important one (according to the girls) was getting another lavender ice cream from the NZ Alpine Lavender Farm near Lake Pukaki.

It was getting hot and we were ready to leave, so we packed up our picnic, said our goodbyes to Mt Cook and headed off in the same direction as we arrived. The views were just as incredible heading down, as they were going up and the valley and mountains were so lush and green, it was such a different world to Tekapo where we were staying as it's so brown there!

We saw a very curious common chaffinch following us around, hopping from rock to rock. His colours were really beautiful and it was the first time we had seen one in the South Island.

Of course we had to stop maaany times to take photos of Sienna on rocks! We didn't want to leave the track, we wanted to head back up and spend the day there and take our time exploring on and around the track. It's definitely a track you can spend a whole day on if you had the time (and patience).

Common chaffinch

Bella looking across to Oreo Mountain

Sienna with Mt Cook behind her

The Weird And The Wonderful

As you know by now, we love the weird and wonderful we find on our adventures! We saw some beautiful things, like the common chaffinch and Bella even found what we *think* is a turqoise boulder! She absolutely loves her gemstones but this one was deeefinitely too big to take home. And we'd need a digger to dig it out. And a trailer to cart it home. And a towbar to tow the trailer. Sheesh, this just got expensive!

There were a lot of beautiful copper butterflies fluttering around and one even stayed still long enough for me to capture it on my camera. It landed on a boulder covered in lichen and I noticed that the lichen was such an interesting colour - it was a greeny/gold colour and the boulder next to it had red lichen which we hadn't seen before!

We found loads of blackberries along the track, growing wild in the bushes. We wanted to try some but we weren't sure if they had been sprayed or not - it wasn't likely but we didn't fancy risking it! There were lots of tiny orange berries growing in the short grasses along the track and even more up at the viewpoint.

Arabella absolutely loved the twisted tree that was in a tiny little forest right beside our carpark and she was adamant that fairies lived there!

What we think is a turquoise boulder

Copper butterfly

Interesting coloured lichen

Orange berries

We found loads of wild blackberries growing along the track

Bella insisted there were lots of fairies living in this tree

Know Before You Go

It is a moderate hike that takes about 1 hour to complete but allow for longer to take in all the views!
It is recommended to have good walking shoes and appropriate clothing as the weather can change quickly
Make sure to bring enough water and snacks
Take your rubbish home with you!
There are toilets near the carpark
Keep hold of your food and gear if there are any kea about
Remember to always follow the hiking track and not to disturb the wildlife or nature
The track isn't suitable for prams

Mappy McMap Face

Getting There

The Kea Point Track is located in the Mount Cook National Park. From State Highway 80, turn right into Hooker Valley Road (before you reach the Mt Cook Village) and keep going until you reach the Whitehill Horse Campground.

The track starts at the Whitehill Horse Campground (loads of signage) and there is plenty of parking but it can fill up fast in summer!

Conclusion

Not only are the views of the Southern Alps and Mueller Glacier Lake absolutely incredible, but the opportunity to spot the cheeky and curious kea bird makes it all the more exciting. And let's be real, who doesn't love a good bird watching session?
Don't let the word 'hike' fool you, this track is more of a leisurely stroll with a few hills thrown in. You won't need to train for a marathon or pack a tent, all you need is a pair of good walking shoes and a camera to capture the breathtaking views. For all you parents out there, this is the perfect hike to take the kids on as it's a relatively short walk with loads of snow on the mountains for the kids to get excited over (or possibly on the trail in winter!).
The Kea Point Track offers a perfect combination of stunning views and wild encounters, making it the perfect short and sweet adventure. Just don't blame us if you end up staying longer than expected, because trust us, you won't want to leave!!