If you are looking for snow them October definitely best .

Hi 121nicola, I visited the valley on the 11th of January. There was actually snow block in the river near the base of Mt. Cook. Depending on what sort of "challenge" you are happy to tackle, the weather in the valley could change quite quickly. If you check out the Hooker Valley website, they will give you most of what you need to know. Walking in and out for a day trip is quite achievable, of course weather permitting. If you want a lot more snow covered mountain, maybe December? I am guessing that the colder months would have more foggy days, but I could be so wrong. Just remember if it is windy, crossing the three bridges could be challenging, especially for young children. Hope this help

Sorry for the late post. The terrain is at places rugged and some places has steps (say 20 or so). I have seen families with strollers. The 3 year old should be fine.

There is a car park and there are plenty of places to park :)

Hi. This walk is only accessible from Mt Cook which is a very long way by road from Franz Josef as the mountains are in the way. Coming from Queenstown would be quicker but is still probably a 3 hour drive.

You can walk as far as you want and turn around. You have to go back the same way. It would be more enjoyable to go during the spring or fall season to avoid the large number of people on the trail. I walked the trail back in 1995 and there were only a few other walkers. It's not like that now.