South Island Easy Access Walks – Part 2 » New Zealand Tourism by Greg Brave

South Island Easy Access Walks – Part 2

This is the second post, in which I will continue to describe some of walks that easily accessible for people with limited physical abilities. You can read the first post here

This time it will be all about Canterbury region.

There are three great easy access short walks at Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park, and though they are not accessible for wheelchair, they are good for mountain buggies and walkers.

1. Hooker Valley Walk (to lookout)
Located at Hooker Valley Road, before Mt Cook village, and begins at the visitor center. Though only about 900 meters (30 min) long, it is a popular walk to the Alpine Memorial lookout with great views of the Southern Alps when clear.

2. Mt Cook Village Paths
This walk around red tussock lined paths, with superb views of Aoraki/Mt Cook and the Southern Alps, is about 2km long. Its surface is sealed, packed gravel and some gentle slopes. One path has steps.

3. Kea Point Walk
This is the longest walk among the three – 3.5 km (can take up to 1.5 hours to complete). Starts at White Horse Hill campground at Hooker Valley Rd, before Mt Cook Village. This walk has gravel and steep slopes and goes through sub-alpine grasslands to the Mueller Glacier moraine wall formed in 1913. The walk includes information panels about kea and, when it’s clear, ends with wonderful mountain views.

Walks at Athur’s Pass National Park

Arthurs Pass National Park

photo by Dave Apple

Old Coach Road Walk
Located 6 km south of Arthur’s Pass Village it is a pleasant forest walk, which follows a century-old coach road that was cut into the hillside to avoid the flood prone Bealey River. Old rock wall remnants are still visible.
This walk is 1.1 kilometers long, which will take you about 40 minutes to complete. The surface is gravel, sealed and boardwalk. Suitable both for wheelchairs and mountain buggies and walkers.

Arthurs Pass National Park