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Magic colours, magic shapes, magic nature
Con
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...
Helpfulness
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 prepare it yourself. Or just have some fresh or smoked fish or sashimi directly at the farms that are situated in the Lake Tekapo/Lake Pukaki/Twizel area.
There the salmon farmers have the most pristine waters in NZ, and they do not harm the environment in any way. But they are nervous that upcoming water schemes and irrigated dairy farms - a potential killer of lakes and rivers in NZ - could not only spoil the magic landscape of the Mackenzie Country but also harm the quality of the fish and thus their businesses.
Between Lake Tekapo and Mt. Cook, right on the hydro canals which are fed directly from mountain lakes, is Mt. Cook Salmon, the world's highest salmon farm, at an altitude of 677 metres. It is signposted on SH8 (left turn if you come from Twizel, right turn from Lake Tekapo). Not only the salmon is fantastic but also the views of Mt. Cook, the Southern Alps and Lake Pukaki. The farm has a large parking area and toilets. You can have a self-guided tour of the farm and also feed the fish.
I can recommend the detour even if you do not want to buy salmon. The road leads through the hinterland to Lake Pukaki where you can take a left turn back to SH8. (See photos in my Off the Beaten Path tip about the trip on the Bullock Wagon Trail.)
Another farm, named High Country Salmon, is directly on SH8, 3kms south of Twizel. It is is also a good place to have a look at the fish, feed or... eat it. Like on the other farm you can buy whole fresh fish, fillets or smoked salmon, and also get sashimi.
Favorite Dish: A whole fish prepared in the motel.
If you want to do this be sure to have salt, pepper and some fresh herbs, as well as butter or oil, white wine or milk, or however you want to prepare it. And a sharp knife!
The safest option is to buy fillets... ;-)
Updated Feb 21, 2007
Address: Twizel / Lake Tekapo / Lake Pukaki
Phone: (03) 4350 085
Website: http://www.mtcooksalmon.com
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...
Helpfulness
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 to the white on the mountain. Then surrounded by the gorgeous green trees really make for some stunning pictures. Just when we thought the view could not get any better… a rainbow pops up out of the sky and just made the whole picture that much better. Lake Tekapo is located just east of the highway between Twizel and Mount Cook National Park.
Written Mar 3, 2008
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 of our walks, Sarah tried to sneak up on me, but luckily I have excellent peripheral vision, and her plan was thwarted.
Written Mar 3, 2008
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
Build your own Mount Cook National Park page
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