The Southern Alps (officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana), sometimes called the New Zealand Alps, run about 500 km down the South Island of New Zealand, from Nelson Lakes National Park to near Milford Sound. Its highest peak is Aoraki/Mount Cook, 3,724 m, in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
3,724 m
The height a University of Otago-led GPS survey confirmed in November 2013. A 19th-century survey gave 3,764 m.
500 km
From Nelson Lakes National Park in the north-east to near Milford Sound in the south-west.
19
DOC’s count for Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. About two dozen summits top 3,000 m across the range.
1990
UNESCO inscribed Te Wāhipounamu, 2.6 million ha that take in three of the range’s national parks and Fiordland.
The official name is Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana. A LINZ place-names map says the Māori name recalls Māui mistaking the white-tipped peaks for a mirage of the ocean. The English name is usually credited to James Cook in 1770. “New Zealand Alps” has never been official. It is an old descriptive name, as in G. E. Mannering’s 1891 climbing bookWith Axe and Rope in the New Zealand Alps.
To Ngāi Tahu, Aoraki is the most sacred of ancestors. In their tradition, Aoraki and his brothers turned to stone on their upturned waka and became the main peaks of the range. “Cloud Piercer” is a popular translation of the name, not the meaning Ngāi Tahu give it. Under the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998, the Crown returned Aoraki to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, which gifted it back to the nation, and the mountain was renamed Aoraki / Mount Cook.
The rock itself is still rising. The range sits on the boundary of the Pacific and Australian plates, and the Alpine Fault runs for hundreds of kilometres along its western edge. Uplift near Aoraki reaches about a centimetre a year, roughly as fast as erosion wears the peaks down, and it comes in jumps of several metres during big earthquakes. GNS Science puts the fault’s rhythm at a quake of about magnitude 8 every 300 years or so; the last big one was in 1717.
Four national parks hold most of what visitors come to see. The Department of Conservation (DOC) manages them all, and entry is free.
Declared 1953 · about 70,700 ha
The highest peaks, with 19 over 3,000 m. Glaciers cover about 40 percent of the park, including Haupapa / Tasman Glacier, New Zealand’s longest.
Founded 1960 · 127,165 ha
The West Coast side, running from the highest peaks down to the beaches. Franz Josef and Fox glaciers and Lake Matheson are here. No dogs.
Gazetted 1929 · about 114,356 ha
New Zealand’s third national park, on SH73 and the TranzAlpine line. It is the one park here outside the World Heritage Area. No dogs.
Founded 1964 · 356,181 ha
New Zealand’s tenth national park, west of Wānaka. Mount Aspiring / Tititea, 3,033 m, is the highest peak outside the Aoraki/Mount Cook area.
Aoraki/Mount Cook, Westland Tai Poutini and Mount Aspiring belong to Te Wāhipounamu, the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area that UNESCO inscribed in 1990, together with Fiordland. A charge for international visitors at Aoraki/Mount Cook is planned, but no amount or start date is official. Recreational drones are not allowed anywhere in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
Six areas hold most of what visitors come for. Each links to its own guides.
The Hooker Valley Track runs about 5 km each way to Hooker Lake, over swing bridges, with Aoraki at the end. Kea Point looks over Mueller Lake from the moraine wall, Sealy Tarns is a 600 m climb up about 2,200 steps, and Mueller Hut sleeps 28 higher still.
DOC calls Haupapa / Tasman Glacier New Zealand’s longest; it is now a little over 20 km long. Tasman Lake at its foot started forming in the 1970s. The viewpoint track is about 15 minutes each way, up 300-plus steps past the Blue Lakes.
Lake Tekapo is 30 km long and 120 m deep (DOC). The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve around it was approved in 2012, the first reserve given gold-tier status. Aoraki stands at the head of Lake Pukaki.
On the West Coast, news reports date the end of walking access onto Franz Josef Glacier to 2012, when its face became unstable; guided trips onto the ice now fly in by helicopter. The 4.4 km loop round Lake Matheson takes about 1 h 30 min.
SH73 and the TranzAlpine train cross the range here at 920 m. From the village, the Devils Punchbowl track reaches a 131 m waterfall in about an hour return, and Avalanche Peak (1,833 m) is a climb of about 1,100 m.
The Rob Roy Track is 10 km return, 3 to 4 hours, to the glacier. Roys Peak is a 16 km climb to 1,578 m, closed 1 October to 10 November each year for lambing. Haast Pass leads from Wānaka over to the West Coast, and Lindis Pass links Central Otago to the Mackenzie Basin.
Watch for kea, which DOC calls the world’s only alpine parrot and lists as Nationally Endangered. Never feed one: human food can kill them. From October to January look for the Mount Cook lily, which is in fact a giant buttercup.
One well-reviewed GetYourGuide tour for each part of the range: a Mount Cook day from Christchurch, a Tasman Glacier heli-hike, a scenic flight from Tekapo, stargazing, a Franz Josef heli-hike and the TranzAlpine to Arthur’s Pass. The tours page lists all 28 that go into the Alps.
13 hoursPickup included
The most-reviewed Mount Cook day from Christchurch: a coach via Geraldine and the Church of the Good Shepherd at Tekapo to a Lake Pukaki stop and a walk to the Tasman Glacier and its iceberg lake, with lunch included.
from$145
Check availability3 hours
Fly from Mount Cook onto a remote part of the Tasman Glacier, New Zealand's longest, and spend up to two hours on the ice with a guide before the helicopter brings you back.
from$558
Check availability1 hour
A fixed-wing loop from Tekapo airport with a window seat each, over the turquoise lakes to Aoraki and the Tasman Glacier, then across the Main Divide to the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers.
from$314
Check availability1.5 hours
The top-rated Tekapo night tour: an astronomy guide, a 9.25-inch telescope, blankets, hot chocolate and marshmallows by a fire bowl, and photos of you under the stars to take home.
from$72
Check availability4-8 hours
The classic Franz Josef heli-hike: a helicopter lands you on the glacier for up to two and a half hours of guided walking among blue ice, crevasses and ice formations, with boots, crampons and waterproofs supplied.
from$499
Check availability10 hoursPickup included
Ride the TranzAlpine from Christchurch up to Arthur's Pass, then come back by road with the guide via the Devils Punchbowl waterfall, the Otira Viaduct lookout, Lake Pearson and the Castle Hill boulders.
from$213
Check availabilityPrices and ratings were taken from GetYourGuide and can change. Booking through these links supports this site at no extra cost to you.
Stay in Aoraki/Mount Cook Village for the tracks, in Twizel for shops and fuel, at Lake Tekapo for the night sky, and in Franz Josef or Fox Glacier for the West Coast glaciers. Three places to start with:
The peaks, parks, lakes, glaciers, passes and tracks of the range.
Aoraki / Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain at 3,724 m, measured by a University of Otago team in 2013.
The highest mountain in New Zealand is Aoraki / Mount Cook, at 3,724 m.
New Zealand's glaciers are in the Southern Alps.
The Hooker Valley Track is a 10 km return walk, about 3 hours, from White Horse Hill car park near Aoraki/Mount Cook Village to Hooker Lake at the foot of Aoraki.
Mueller Hut is a 28-bunk DOC alpine hut on the Sealy Range above Aoraki/Mount Cook Village.
Kea Point Track is a short walk in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park to a viewing deck on the Mueller Glacier moraine wall, facing Mount Sefton, Mueller Lake and Aoraki/Mount Cook.
The Sealy Tarns Track climbs about 2,200 steps and 600 m from the Kea Point Track to a set of small alpine lakes above the Hooker Valley in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
Haupapa/Tasman Glacier, which DOC calls New Zealand's longest glacier, is about 22 to 23.5 km long, in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
Lake Tekapo (Takapō) is a turquoise glacial lake and small village at 710 m in the Mackenzie Basin, about 3 hours' drive from Christchurch on State Highway 8.
The Church of the Good Shepherd is a small stone church on the shore of Lake Tekapo, opened in 1935 as a memorial to the Mackenzie Country's pioneers.
Lake Tekapo is inside the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, set up in 2012, and has guided stargazing every night.
Lake Pukaki is the largest lake in the Mackenzie Basin, a turquoise glacial lake with Aoraki/Mount Cook at its head.
Lake Ōhau is a glacial lake in the Mackenzie Basin, about 50 minutes' drive west of Twizel, below the Ben Ohau Range.
You can no longer walk onto Franz Josef Glacier from the valley.
Fox Glacier, or Te Moeka o Tuawe, is best seen on foot from DOC's South Side Walkway: 6.4 km return, about 2 hours, starting 2 km south of the village.
Lake Matheson, 5 minutes' drive from Fox Glacier village, is the lake known for mirror reflections of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.
Pick Fox Glacier for a heli hike: up to 3 hours on the ice, NZ$50 cheaper and open to children from 9.
Arthur's Pass is a 920 m road and rail pass over the Southern Alps, with a small village inside Arthur's Pass National Park, about 2 hours' drive from Christchurch on State Highway 73.
Mount Aspiring National Park covers the southern end of the Southern Alps, west of Wānaka, from the Haast River to the Humboldt Mountains.
Roys Peak Track is a 16 km return hike from a car park 6 km west of Wānaka to the 1,578 m summit of Roys Peak, with over 1,200 m of climbing.
The Rob Roy Glacier Track is a 10 km return walk in Mount Aspiring National Park, 3 to 4 hours, from Raspberry Flat car park 54 km west of Wānaka to lookouts below the Rob Roy Glacier.
Lindis Pass is the high point of State Highway 8 between the Mackenzie Country and Central Otago, at 971 m according to NZHistory (NZTA gives 965 m).
Haast Pass (Tioripatea) is the lowest road crossing of the Southern Alps, 563 m above sea level on State Highway 6.
Where to stay, getting there, parking, the train and scenic flights.
Stay in Aoraki/Mount Cook Village if you want to start the Hooker Valley Track early or arrive by bus.
Stay in Lake Tekapo village if you want to walk to the lake, the Church of the Good Shepherd and the restaurants.
Stay in Franz Josef for the wider choice of hotels, from holiday parks to a 5-star retreat, and for most glacier heli-hikes.
White Horse Hill Campground is the DOC campsite at the start of the Hooker Valley Track: 72 tent and campervan sites, $20 a night for adults, booked online only and often full.
The best things to do in Mount Cook are the Hooker Valley Track to Hooker Lake, the short climb to the Tasman Glacier view and the Blue Lakes, Kea Point, and a scenic flight with a glacier landing.
The TranzAlpine runs daily between Christchurch and Greymouth over Arthur's Pass, leaving Christchurch at 8:15 am and arriving at 1:10 pm.
Queenstown to Mount Cook is about 3 h 10 min by car, roughly 260 km, over Lindis Pass and past Twizel and Lake Pukaki.
Christchurch to Mount Cook takes about 4 hours by car, roughly 320 km, with Lake Tekapo about 3 hours in and Mount Cook Village 1 h 10 to 1 h 15 min beyond it.
For a short Mount Cook helicopter tour, book the 25-minute flight with an alpine landing facing Aoraki.
Routes, itineraries, seasons, Wānaka and skiing across the South Island.
The Christchurch to Queenstown drive is about 486 km on the inland route through Lake Tekapo, Twizel and Lindis Pass, and RealNZ puts the driving time at about 7 hours 15 minutes.
For 7 days, drive Christchurch to Queenstown via Lake Tekapo, Aoraki/Mount Cook and Wānaka.
For the South Island and its mountains, February and March are the best months: still summer-warm, February is the driest month at Aoraki/Mount Cook, and NZ schools are back.
Wānaka's best things to do are walks with mountain views: Roys Peak (16 km, closed for lambing 1 October to 10 November), the Rob Roy Glacier Track, Rocky Mountain and Mount Iron.
New Zealand's main South Island ski resorts are Mt Hutt near Methven, Coronet Peak and The Remarkables near Queenstown, and Cardrona and Treble Cone near Wānaka, with volunteer-run club fields near Arthur's Pass.
The Southern Alps run down the South Island of New Zealand, from Nelson Lakes National Park in the north-east to near the entrance of Milford Sound in the south-west. The highest ground lies near the western side, and the highest stretch is between Arthur’s Pass and Haast Pass, around Aoraki/Mount Cook.
About 500 km. Te Ara measures the range from Nelson Lakes National Park to near Milford Sound. Britannica describes a narrower core, from Haast Pass north-east to Arthur’s Pass, which holds the highest peaks.
Aoraki/Mount Cook, at 3,724 m, which also makes it the highest mountain in New Zealand. A University of Otago-led GPS survey confirmed that height in November 2013. It used to be given as 3,764 m, but a rock avalanche from the East Face in December 1991 and two decades of thinning summit ice brought it down.
Yes. The national parks in the range are free to enter, and state highways reach Aoraki/Mount Cook Village, Arthur’s Pass, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. Many international visitors pay the NZ$100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy with their visa or NZeTA. The Government also plans a charge for international visitors at Aoraki/Mount Cook, but no amount or start date is official, so check DOC before you go.
December to February is the easiest time for alpine walks: DOC says moderate tramping experience is enough for Mueller Hut then, and icebergs float on the Hooker and Tasman lakes. Mount Cook lilies flower from October, but avalanche danger on alpine routes lasts to mid-November. Winter, June to August, brings icy tracks and skiing; the ski season runs roughly mid-June to early October. Snow can fall in any month in the high country.
Ngāi Tahu tell it as the story of an ancestor. Aoraki and his brothers came down from the heavens in a waka to visit Papatūānuku. On the way home Aoraki recited a karakia wrongly, and the waka fell into the sea and capsized. The brothers climbed onto the hull and turned to stone, becoming the main peaks of the Southern Alps, with Aoraki the highest. Ngāi Tahu call the South Island Te Waka o Aoraki.