Discovering the Majesty of Aoraki/Mount Cook
Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand’s tallest mountain, is nestled in a breathtaking national park on the South Island. This national park offers one of the country’s most dramatic and unforgettable experiences. The scenery is unmatched, with awe-inspiring vistas that stand out even among New Zealand’s renowned landscapes. The majesty of Aoraki/Mount Cook left us in absolute awe, making it a highlight of any travel itinerary.
We cannot say enough…
The video above is from a day trip to Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, New Zealand, in October 2021. We could not have asked for a more perfect day to see the mountain in all its glory.
We often drove past the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park turnoff while travelling north or south from Queenstown/ Christchurch. However, the weather was perfectly calm and fine that day, so we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to visit; it was a highlight of the trip.
Aoraki Mt Cook is located in the Southern Alps and is the highest mountain in New Zealand. It has a height of 3,724 metres or 12,218 feet (2014). The mountain range runs the length of the South Island.
IMPORTANT NOTE
You can’t see the mountain from the carpark. The track is an hour-long walk. After crossing two bridges, you get a beautiful view of the mountain. This walk is flat and child-friendly. It is worth the walk.
Aoraki is the name of a sacred ancestor of the Ngāi Tahu iwi; an early name for the South Island is Te Waka o Aoraki (Aoraki’s Canoe). In the past, many believed it meant “Cloud Piercer.”
You turn off to the National Park on State Highway 1 just before Lake Pukaki from Queenstown to Christchurch. It takes about an hour to arrive at the mountain walk.
Initially, when arriving at the national park, we found we couldn’t see the mountain immediately, so we walked along the lower Hooker track for about an hour before Aoraki Mt Cook revealed itself.
Aoraki/Mt Cook Information
- Aoraki Mt Cook is New Zealand’s highest mountain with a height of 3,724 meters (12,218 feet) which was listed in 2014
- The mountain was sighted in 1642 by the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman and was first climbed in 1894
- The mountain is located in the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, west-central South Island, New Zealand and is known as Aoraki (also spelled Aorangi; from the Māori for “cloud piercer”)
- A landslide in 1991 decreased the height of the peak by some 30 feet (10 metres)
- The mountain is flanked by Hooker Glacier to the west and Tasman Glacier to the east and is part of the Southern Alps range
