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Magic colours, magic shapes, magic nature
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Not so easily accessible, and can be cold.
In a nutshell
If nature is not your thing, it is nothing else to do.
Meet the Kaki (Black Stilt) in and around Twizel
Kakapo2 Says: Kaki (Black Stilt) are one of the world's most critically endangered birds and the world's most endangered wading bird. In 2005 there were only 55 adults left in the wild. The Mackenzie Basin - from Lake Tekapo in the north to Omarama in the south - is the heart of Kaki...
Contacts for Trekking, Climbing and Scenic Flights
Kakapo2 Says: Scenic Helicopter Flights start at Glentanner Park which is located between the Mt. Cook turnoff from SH8 and Mt. Cook Village, at the end of Lake Pukaki.The Helicopter Line New Zealand, Glentanner Park, SH80, Mt. CookPhone (03) 435 1801Freephone (0800) 650 651Website:...
Explore Tasman Lake Icebergs on Guided Boat Trip
Kakapo2 Says: As you can imagine everybody wants to profit from tourists spending lots of money in their holiday mood. So new operators are shooting up by the day, offering new and of course absolutely exciting adventures ;-) One of these is Glacier Explorers who offer boat trips in the...
Kakapo2 Says: Although you can see Mt. Cook towering over Hooker Valley and Hooker River perfectly from behind the second swingbridge of the Hooker Valley Walk it is well worth to make the whole trip. This takes 3 to 4 hours return.After Stocking Stream Shelter you walk on a short...
Salmon Farms in the Twizel region: The World's Highest Salmon Farm
Kakapo2 Says: This tip is not about a restaurant in the common sense, and it is not just a shop... The high-country salmon farms deliver the freshest and most fantastic salmon you can imagine. If you stay at a motel or have other good cooking facilities, buy a fillet or a whole fish and...
kiwi Says: You can get in to Mt Cook by plane or helicopter, weather permitting of course.As well as getting in and out, you can take a scenic flight, either in a helicopter or even a skiplane to the glacier. The skiplanes sometimes land on the glacier if the weather allows.The Airport...
Bus Connections to Mt. Cook Village
Kakapo2 Says: -Public transport to Mt. Cook Village is a bit tricky.Only one of the big bus companies services Mt. Cook - this is Intercity/Newmans. BUT: You can also use Kiwi Explorer, Magic Bus, etc. etc., get off at Twizel or Lake Tekapo, and from there travel to Mt. Cook Village by...
ATXtraveler Says: Mount Cook is definitely a healthy drive from Christchurch, its nearest commercial airport. Since there were four of us traveling, we opted to rent a car, which turned out to be a very good move. Mount Cook likely has some public transportation options, but the car made it...
ATXtraveler Says: One thing to be careful for when you are enjoying your trip to Mount Cook is the chance of forest/brush fire on the road between Twizel and the National Park. On our trip, we ran into a small blaze, which did not really interfere with our travel, but later in the day it came...
kiwi Says: You must remember this is high altitude country here, so if you are very restricted by time and you are here in the winter, it is essential that you check both the weather and the road situation.All roads prone to blocking during winter, have these signs warning of the...
ATXtraveler Says: On your way up to Mount Cook National Park, you will pass by one of the most beautiful lakes in all of New Zealand, and I would hazard to guess the world. Lake Tekapo is absolutely breathtaking, especially when you look at how bright the contrast of the blue in the water is...
ATXtraveler Says: When in Mount Cook National Park, you will have the opportunity (in the right months) to enjoy one great thing about snow… snowball fights! Snowball fights are great exercise, and are not a huge risk for injury (as long as you do not add rocks to your snowball!). During one...
Kakapo2 Says: This is the last flowering plant to blossom in the high country, so already in autumn. Like most New Zealand flowers the gentian (Gentiana bellidifolia) has white blossoms whereas most gentians worldwide are blue or purplish blue. Like the Mt. Cook Lilies and Daisies they...
Kakapo2 Says: Get too close to this strikingly yellow blooming plant and you know where its name comes from ;-) It is an Aciphylla species (Aciphylla aurea), a common spear grass, flowering from November until the end of December. Wherever you walk in the Mt. Cook Village area, be it the...
Kakapo2 Says: Also known as mountain daisy or Celmisia verbascifolia (in an old encyclopedia I found the name Celmisia petiolata), this is the world’s largest daisy. The petals are white and the centre yellow. The leaves are greyish with a velvety look and feel, and dot the slopes of the...
Kakapo2 Says: First of all: This alpine plant is no lily but the world’s largest buttercup species – which becomes clear when you read the Latin name Ranunculus lyallii, and so also called Giant Mountain Buttercup. It is the first flower to appear in the alpine regions east of the...
Birds (3): What is Cuter than a Tomtit?
Kakapo2 Says: I have a big heart for New Zealand’s small birds. The endemic tomtit is one of them. On the South Island the yellow-breasted tit is the common one, mostly found in beech forests, and a visit to the Mt. Cook region would be close to disappointing for me if I did not spot one...
Birds (4): The New Zealand Falcon
Kakapo2 Says: Please excuse the photo – but I only got this falcon sitting at the shelter of the Lake Tasman/Ball Hut carpark against the sun and in really bad light. The NZ Falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) is a rare endemic raptor, also called Karearea by the Maori. They measure about 45...
Birds (2): The New Zealand Pipit
Kakapo2 Says: Birds I really spot a lot in the Mt. Cook area is the New Zealand Pipit (Pihoihoi; Latin: Anthus novaeseelandiae). Most times I see it sitting on thorny shrubs and trees, and on scree slopes. The pipits- four of the species are only found in NZ – love open habitats, from the...
Birds (1): The Keas of Mt. Cook
Kakapo2 Says: Even if you do not see a kea in the Mt. Cook area you can be sure they are there. Let me tell you two stories – one funny, the other one a little sad – about those inquisitive mountain parrots referring to this region. (Find all other info about keas in the travelogues on my...
Plan a Mount Cook National Park vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Mount Cook National Park locals
There aren't many roads in the Mt Cook National Park, this is the main one heading directly for the mountain.As you can see they have wonderful metal down there...
Q: Hello Vters, I would like to know if we have to get into the Mount Cook National Park in order to see the best view of Mt Cook?...
A: If you want to get up and close to Mt Cook you have to drive the Mt Cook Road in and out which is approx 50km each way from the intersection of Mt Cook Rd and Tekapo...
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The Highest Peaks, Glaciers, Lakes and Icebergs
At first glance you might think the area around New Zealand's highest peak is only a playground for real mountaineers like the late Sir Edmund Hillary, our NZ all-time hero, first man on Mount Everest...
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Not sick of mountains? Then visit Mt Cook!
The mountain after which this park is named, is our tallest at 3754 metres, just a little over 12300ft.
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If you like alpine scenery and happen to be in the South Island of New Zealand, you must go to Mount Cook National Park. It is not simply the highest spot of this beautiful country. The mountain...
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Mt Cook was formally gazetted as a national park, in October 1953, born out of reserves that were established as early as 1887 to protect the area’s significant vegetation and...
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