Cloud Piecer

Alpine mountains, at this time of the year all cloaked in pristine white snow, dominate the landscape surrounding Twizel. Visibly sentinel above all is New Zealand’s highest peak, Mount Cook at 12,218 feet (3,724 metres). History attributes the first sighting of this pointed peak to the British explorer, Captain James Cook in 1767. However, long before that time it had been indelibly imbedded in Māori myth as Aoraki, meaning the “Cloud Piecer”.

The first known ascent of Aoraki occurred on Christmas Day 1894. Sixteen years later in December 1910, Freda Du Faur an Australian, became the first woman to ascend the mountain. Aoraki Mount Cook and its surrounding peaks were also the training grounds of famous New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary. Hillary went on to be the first person in the world to summit Mount Everest successfully. and in recent years Aoraki Mount Cook has gone on to challenge hundreds more ambitious mountaineers.

Aoraki is considered a technically challenging mountain. Since the early 20th century, about 80 people have died attempting to climb the mountain, making it New Zealand's deadliest peak. Many more have died climbing in the locality and hardly a season goes by without at least one fatality. 

Beginning from the late 1960’s helicopters have beneficially been used to save many lives on Aoraki Mount Cook. A few such missions in the early seventies involved RNZAF Huey (UH-1) helicopters some of them flown at the time by Bazflyer1. In later years Bazflyer1 could also have been spotted flying AS350 and AS355 helicopters around the “Cloud Piecer” with tourists onboard.

The “Cloud Piecer” bathed in sunset pastel as viewed across Lake Pukaki

Aoraki Mount Cook up close

“Cloud Piecer” dominates the local landscape


Evening colours over lake Pukaki 


Approaching the “Cloud Piecer” in BAZ at 8,500 feet earlier this year

Twizel Time

Occasionally it becomes a choice to leave the Comanche at home. This recently occurred when the Bazflyers accepted an assignment to spend a month in Twizel looking after two ‘grand-dogs’ named Brydie and Lola. 

Nestled up against the might Southern Alps, Twizel is the small town that was never meant to be. Born in the late ’60’s as a temporary settlement to house workers constructing a nearby hydroelectric scheme, it was intended to be demolished when its purpose had been fulfilled. However, twenty years later the remaining residents successfully fought to ensure their beloved community was saved…Twizel is nowadays home to around 1,600 residents and accommodates many more itinerant visitors during holiday periods.

As an interesting aside, the town’s name comes from the nearby Twizel River, in turn named after the historic Twizel Bridge in Northumberland that the Bazflyers visited during their 2019 Round the World flight.

One of New Zealand’s iconic bike trails, Alps to Ocean, conveniently bisects Twizel. The lure of this more than 300 kilometre bike ride along rough high country trails and tracks was more than Bazflyer1 could resist. In keen anticipation the mountain bike also travelled by vehicle from the Bazbase. Why else would the Comanche be left at home in the hangar…?

Twizel is more than 1,000 kms by road and a ferry journey across Cook Strait from the Bazbase.

The township of Twizel is snuggled up against the Southern Alps


Reflections captured along the trail


Mount Cook at 12,218 feet (3,724 m) is New Zealand’s highest mountain viewed here on a cloudless day while out biking.


Bazflyer1 with his YT ‘Decoy’ mountain bike 

Looking along the trail ahead


The ‘grand-dogs’, Brydie (left) and Lola (right)