Borobudur

The Five Foot
Traveler

Reaching New Heights








Ayana Sunset

The Five Foot
Traveler

Reaching New Heights








Taj Mahal

The Five Foot
Traveler

Reaching New Heights








Bromo

The Five Foot
Traveler

Reaching New Heights








After the beautiful climb up Roy’s Peak, it was time to depart Wanaka and make our drive north to Mt. Cook. Originally, we were going to exclude the region, as it was a huge detour from Queenstown, but we decided it was important to go take a look at New Zealand’s tallest mountain!

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

En route to Aoraki (Mt. Cook), we detoured briefly to check out Omarama’s Clay Cliffs. Pass through a gate, down a dirt road, and through another gate until you hit a “4WD Only” sign. Assuming you don’t have a 4WD car, get out there and take a stroll around the area. The Cliffs are quite an interesting stop along the way to Mt. Cook.

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

In order to get to Mt. Cook Village, you have to drive around Lake Pukaki, the largest of the three glacial lakes in the region. The source of Lake Pukaki comes largely from the Tasman and Hooker Glaciers, giving it that absolutely stunning blue color. The best part about Lake Pukaki? It provides you with your first view of Mt. Cook in the distance! You can’t go wrong when you pair snowcapped mountains with incredibly blue water.

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.comThe two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

We checked into YHA’s Alpine Hostel, boasting mountain views from every window, and were most definitely not disappointed.

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

Nestled in the heart of the mountains, YHA is your most affordable and comfortable option. I’m not sure you’d want to camp with the winds that we experienced! It has a very homey feel to it, a big common area, nice-sized kitchen, and cozy TV room.

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

We found the receptionist to be incredibly knowledgeable about the region, and she gave us many inside tips. After she told us that there were rare icebergs in the Tasman Terminal Lake, we went to see them for ourselves!

Needless to say, it was a fantastic recommendation! Check this out:

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

Exhausted from a long day of travel, we cooked up some food and watched the sunset from YHA Mt. Cook. Beautiful!

The two and a half hour drive from Wanaka to Mt. Cook is made easy with many gorgeous stops along the way. I promise, it is worth the drive to see Mt. Cook! Read more at www.thefivefoottraveler.com

Like This Post? Pin It Please!

wanaka to mt cook pinterest

**Special thanks to YHA Hostels and Air New Zealand for sponsoring our journey. As always, all opinions are my own. Photographs taken by David M Gallo Photography.

Want To Travel More? Let's Adventure!
Sign up to receive the most exciting updates in the travel world and to discover new destinations each month! As a means of saying, "Thank you," you will also receive my free eBook delivered straight to your inbox.
I solemnly swear to only send you emails related to traveling, being a digital nomad, and monetizing your blog and social media following.

Join The Adventure!
Sign up to receive the most exciting updates in the travel world and to discover new destinations each month!
I solemnly swear to only send you emails related to traveling, working remotely, and monetizing your social media following.