Aoraki Mount Cook

The Skies the limit at Mount Cook

Mount Cook stands impressively as New Zealand’s highest mountain. Multiple summits soar high into the clouds, undoubtedly attracting climbers and skiers/snowboarders to its giant slopes. However, whilst the park is extremely high up, there is a highway that leads directly to the village making it relatively easy to start your day’s activities.

Mount Cook provides great opportunities for climbers both professional and those with just a little experience, only a short walk from the village offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

What to do

There are quite a few walking tracks that start near the village, all with clear signs and markings. Some of the popular short walks are the Hooker Valley Track and the Red Tarns Track which take up to 2 hours. For the professional hiker, there are more difficult mountain track that go across the Ball, Mueller and Copland passages.

You can get to the park’s glaciers via small planes and helicopters. Darwin, Murchison and Bonney provide great opportunity for very experienced skiers, while the Tasman glacier is well suited to an intermediate’s. Even if you’re not planning to ski, being suddenly transported up to such heights around awe-inspiring glaciers is an experience not to miss. From spring to the end of autumn (fall) boat rides can take you around the Tasman Glacier’s lake.

For mountaineers, there are many challenging climbs, while Mount Cook is the highest and most difficult there are other summits for mountaineers, including Sefton, Malte Brun, the Tasman and many more.

Where to stay

Within the park there are 17 huts provided, however many are high up the mountain meaning they are only available to people that have the ability to get to them. For people who aren’t climbing there are a whole range of accommodation options at the park’s village including camping spots, budget lodges and hotels.

Outside of the park there are the towns of Lake Tekapo and Twizel which have an excellent array of eateries, shops and accommodation choices.