Aoraki/Mount Cook is best known for being the tallest mountain in all of New Zealand with a height of 3,724 m towering over the Southern Alps. It is apart of the region’s UNESCO world heritage sites, and it draws in visitors from around the world.
Although the area only opened as a park in 1953, Aoraki/Mount Cook has a longstanding history with the Maori people. They discovered the mountain around the 14th century CE and gave it the name of Aoraki (cloud piercer). It actually wasn’t until around 1850s that European settlers discovered the mountain, naming it after the settler James Cook. Today the combined name of Aoraki/Mount Cook is used to pay tribute to its Maori origins.
The nearby Hooker Lake was formed in the 1970s by yet another retreating glacier. This is why today the lake continues to expand every year. It expands about 50 m per year, which makes it now about 2.3 km wide.
The lake has a bright blue color from melted glacier water. You’ll find that the lake freezes in winter and in the summer there are loads of glaciers floating through. The coolest part is that electricity in the nearby village actually comes from this Hooker glacier water!
The area is home to some of New Zealand’s most pristine nature. It’s a popular site for bird watching, with over 40 different species. The most famous is the alpine parrot Kea.
The area is also booking with Mount Cook buttercup flowers, which are considered to be the biggest in the world. Thus, this area has plenty of nature and mountainous views in store for you!
I guess I’m ready to hike in this valley with this insightful article ! Those landscapes make me dream of beautiful photographs, thanks a lot for the tips Nico ! Cheers !
Thanks for the love Steph. If you go on that walk, make sure you take plenty of chocolate… You don’t want to risk hypoglycemia!
Great article! Very insightful for a beginner like myself. Thank you.
Thank you Princy, glad it was useful for you!
Thanks so much for this info! I am so excited to be visiting this stunning place in 2 weeks time.
It looks amaaaazing
Glad you did find the info useful Mel! I hope you will have good weather, it’s been raining quite a bit lately.