Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is home to the highest mountains and longest glaciers in New Zealand. This is mountain country in its purest sense — snow-capped peaks, glaciers and permanent snowfields beneath a star-filled sky.

According to Ngāi Tahu legend, Aoraki and his three brothers were sons of Rakinui, the sky father. During a sea voyage, their canoe overturned on a reef. As the brothers climbed onto the hull, the icy south wind turned them to stone. The canoe became the South Island (Te Waka o Aoraki); Aoraki and his brothers became the peaks of the Southern Alps.

Though it encompasses 23 peaks over 3,000 metres, the park remains highly accessible. Far from city lights, stargazing here is exceptional — Aoraki Mount Cook National Park makes up the bulk of New Zealand’s only International Dark Sky Reserve.

Mountaineers regard the region as the finest climbing ground in Australasia, while less experienced adventurers find their own reward in alpine walks, fields of aromatic herbs and sweeping glacier views. Encounters with bold kea (mountain parrots) are part of the fun.

Stretching 27 kilometres, the formidable Tasman Glacier dominates the landscape. The park is also known for its surreal, milky lakes: fine rock sediment suspended beneath the glacier ice renders the water opaque.