Aoraki Mt Cook
At 3,754 metres, Aoraki/Mount Cook towers above the Southern Alps.
There’s nowhere better to get up close and personal with this mountain than at the Aoraki Mount Cook Village.
By day there’s plenty of adventure in these parts: leisurely hikes lead up the Hooker Valley Track or to the Tasman Glacier lookout, and there’s scenic flights that land precariously on the top of this icy glacier.
Alternatively, you could go off-road on a 4WD adventure, paddle a kayak beside a 500-year-old iceberg in the Tasman Glacier Lake or try your hand at heli-hiking or skiing.
The truly adventurous may like to attempt crossing the Ball Pass, or climbing to the summit of Aoraki Mount Cook itself!
The possibilities are endless in this UNESCO World Heritage Area, but one thing’s for sure: wherever you are, when the sun is about to set, make sure you turn to watch Aoraki Mount Cook’s snowy crown painted in shades of pink, purple and red.
What to do
- Take a helicopter flight onto a glacier
- Spend some time at the Sir Edmund Hillary Centre at the Hermitage
- Go kayaking on the Tasman Glacier Lake
- Hike up the Hooker Valley Track
- Take on the mountain itself!