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Mount Cook & Mackenzie

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Discover a wonderful range of outdoor activities in a stunning natural landscape of lakes and mountains.

The Mackenzie region is an incredibly scenic place of blue glacial lakes and tussock-clad hills. Aoraki Mount Cook – New Zealand’s tallest mountain – watches over the area. You can get up close with a visit to Mount Cook Village and go hiking in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Further east, small towns offer a slice of New Zealand rural life with a good range of amenities. Spend your days in the region fishing, hiking, boating, stargazing or taking a scenic flight. In winter there is excellent skiing and snowboarding.

DO IT. Explore the Tasman Glacier Lake by boat, fly over Aoraki Mount Cook, take a guided walk in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, see the Church of the Good Shepherd, visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, catch the Run 79 Lake Tekapo Mountain Bike Pursuit in June.

Destinations

Lake Tekapo Pretty lakeside village known for its Church of the Good Shepherd.
Mount Cook Village Alpine village, base for expeditions to Aoraki Mount Cook.
Twizel Southern Mackenzie Country town within easy reach of lakes and rivers.

Getting there and around

Air Timaru Airport, less than 1 hour from Fairlie, has daily flights to Wellington, but Christchurch has the nearest international airport. There are several airstrips in the region for charter flights.
Road Fairlie, northern gateway to the Mackenzie region, is 2 hours, 45 minutes from Christchurch. From Fairlie, Mount Cook Village is a further 2 hours. The area is serviced by coaches to other centres, as well as regional shuttles. If driving in the Mackenzie region during winter, be aware that there may be road ice and snow.

Insider's tip

During winter months, keen skiers can experience the adrenaline rush of heli-skiing on the remote Tasman Glacier.

An outlaw and his dog

In 1855 a sheep rustler called James Mackenzie and his dog, Friday, stole a mob of sheep from a South Canterbury run-holder and drove them over the mountains to the Mackenzie Basin – his exploits in evading the authorities led to his name being forever associated with this rugged district.

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Aoraki Mount Cook

New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki Mount Cook, stands 3,754 metres tall. The mountain’s Maori name – Aoraki – means ‘Cloud Piercer’.

Blue lakes

Alpine lakes such as Tekapo and Pukaki are an astonishing shade of bright blue. The colour, caused by glacial deposits suspended in the water, makes for fantastic photos!

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park

A breathtaking alpine park where glaciers cover 40 percent of the area and there are 19 peaks over 3,000 metres high, Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is popular with hikers and climbers.

The Church of the Good Shepherd

This quaint stone church standing alone at the edge of Lake Tekapo is picture-perfect whether you’re looking across the lake from SH 8 or gazing at the mountains through the altar window.

Tasman Glacier

Within Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, the Tasman Glacier is approximately 27 kilometres long and 600 metres deep, terminating in a lake dotted with icebergs.

Flight-seeing expeditions

The remarkable landscape of the Mackenzie region is so expansive, covering lakes, mountains and glaciers, that a flight-seeing tour is a great way to appreciate its beauty and sheer scale.

 

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