New Zealand’s Longest Suspension Bridge
#NewZealand #AorakiMountCook #HookerValley
We headed into New Zealand’s Southern Alps to walk the Hooker Valley Track beneath Aoraki/Mount Cook, and right in the middle of it is something brand new: New Zealand’s longest suspension bridge.
The new Hooker Valley bridge stretches 189 metres across the Hooker River and only opened in July 2026 after the previous bridge was closed because of riverbank erosion. But the bridge ended up being only one part of this day.
On the way south we stopped for pies in Fairlie, watched snow fall around the Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo, and drove beside the incredible turquoise water of Lake Pukaki as the clouds finally began lifting from the mountains.
Then we headed into Hooker Valley.
Almost immediately we could hear crashes coming from the mountains around us, watched snow and ice moving high above the valley, crossed all three suspension bridges, and eventually reached Hooker Lake at the foot of Aoraki/Mount Cook.
After roughly 10 kilometres on the track, we headed back toward Twizel and spent the night beside Lake Ruataniwha before finishing the day beneath the stars of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.
This is Part 1 of our Southern Alps Glacier Road Trip.
Next, we head deeper into the mountains for the Rob Roy Glacier Track, an even bigger glacier, and Kristine is still determined to finally find the world’s only alpine parrot, the kea.
Thanks for joining us on The Scenic Route.
#NewZealand #AorakiMountCook #HookerValley
Chapters
I’d keep these fairly story-driven rather than turning every stop into a chapter. These timestamps are based on the finished cut you uploaded:
0:00 Our Southern Alps Glacier Road Trip Begins
0:54 Heading South on the Inland Scenic Route
1:12 Fairlie Bakehouse Pie Stop
1:39 Snow at the Church of the Good Shepherd
2:01 The Turquoise Water of Lake Pukaki
2:18 Hooker Valley Track Begins
4:50 Into the Glacial Valley
6:10 New Zealand’s Longest Suspension Bridge
8:45 The Mountains Start Crashing Around Us
10:40 The Final Suspension Bridge
11:10 Reaching Hooker Lake
14:12 Our Home for the Night in Twizel
16:00 Lake Ruataniwha at Sunset
17:00 One of the Darkest Skies in the World
18:00 Next: Rob Roy Glacier