Aoraki/Mt Cook Trip: A Snowy, Spectacular Adventure

By Kate Hope | Posted: Monday May 5, 2025

Our annual Year 12 Geography field trip to Aoraki/Mt Cook is always a highlight on the school calendar, and this year proved to be no exception - even with the weather throwing a few curveballs our way.

Despite an unpromising forecast, we made the decision to proceed after consulting with DOC. The dynamic nature of the alpine environment meant the learning opportunities were still there—and we knew our students would embrace the challenge.

We arrived to a rainy afternoon but headed straight into an engaging session with Matt from DOC at the information centre. His talk on glaciation and the formation of Aotearoa was both interesting and informative, sparking a flurry of questions from our curious group. As luck would have it, the skies cleared just enough for us to head out and observe the Mueller Glacier—tracing the features shaped by thousands of years of geological change.

Back at Unwin Lodge, we warmed up with a hearty dinner and dessert, and woke the next morning to the magical sight of fresh snow blanketing the entire park. With Red Tarns track still open, we layered up and headed out for our alpine zonation fieldwork, collecting data for our 5-credit internal. Along the way, snowballs flew, laughter echoed, and the views from above the village were breathtaking. Even more exciting it was the first time our Thailand exchange student Ikkiw had been in snow!

Though the snowfall meant our Tasman Glacier flights were cancelled, spirits remained high. We made the most of the afternoon with a visit to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, enjoying documentaries and a planetarium session that deepened our understanding of the region.

Friday brought blue skies and sunshine, revealing a transformed landscape as the snow melted through the village. We began the day with a stunning walk to the first Hooker Valley swing bridge, where we finally caught a clear view of Aoraki/Mt Cook in all its glory. The much-anticipated Tasman Lake boat trip did not disappoint. Our guides surprised us with news of a significant glacial carving event overnight, resulting in hundreds of brilliant blue icebergs scattered across the lake—an unforgettable sight.

Although we didn’t get airborne due to ‘lingering clouds’, the ever-changing alpine environment gave us something even more valuable: a real-time lesson in nature’s power and unpredictability. No two days were the same, and in our case, no 3 days were the same.

Our students were outstanding. They met each change with good humour, curiosity, and respect. A massive thank you goes out to Mr Swan, Mr Harvey, and Mr Grant for their dedication, knowledge, and care throughout the trip.

Now it’s time to head back to the classroom and unpack everything we’ve experienced. We can’t wait to find out what we’ve learned!