Starting off Terrace Road near the Hermitage Hotel, hop down a short flight of steps and over a stream and start your walk through the subalpine grasslands that is native to Aoraki Mount Cook.

The first half hour or 40 minutes is a windy flat path that alternates between wooden walkways and rock/gravel. You will walk through patches of forest, only to emerge to vistas of the surrounding mountains, and back again. You may also have to walk through a stream after heavy rain. During dry seasons, this area is simply a rock bed. 

As you continue on, you will reach a map, after which the path widens until you reach where the path divides with the Sealy Tarns and Mueller Hut tracks. Following the Kea Point Track on the right, the vegetation will change and the track will begin to incline. The incline is not steep but rises steadily. The path eventually leads to what appears to be a hole in the middle of a rock wall. Emerging on the other side of this, you will be able to see the viewpoint, from which you can gaze at Mueller Lake and Mount Cook in the background.

Quick Facts about this walk

  • Location: Mt Cook, South Island, New Zealand
  • Time needed: 2 hours from the village OR 1 hour from White Horse Hill Campground
  • Distance: 5.6 km OR 2.8 km
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Bikes allowed: No
  • Route: Return
  • Elevation: 180m over 3km
  • Wet Feet: Yes, after snow or heavy rain. If starting from the village after heavy rain, the stream to cross can be deep.
  • Toilets: There are toilets in the village at the public shelter or the Hermitage Hotel. The campground also has toilets.
  • Dogs: No, dogs are not allowed in the Mount Cook National Park
  • Mobile Coverage: Yes, very good
  • Last Updated: April, 2020

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Summary points about this walk

Walk Highlights

The walk is easy and has a viewing deck at the end of it, with views of Mount Sefton, Aoraki Mount Cook and Hooker Valley.

Track Quality

The track is maintained and cared for by the Department of Conservation. The track is well-gravelled.

Hazards

Unknown

Transport

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is only accessible by car or tour buses including GreatSights, Clark’s and the Cook Connection. There is no public transportation within the National Park.

Water

The public shelter, the Hermitage Hotel and the campground all offer drinkable tap water.

Driving Instructions

The main road leading into Mount Cook divides in two: towards the village or the campground. Park your car at the Hermitage Hotel in the village or the campground to start your walk.

Shops & Restaurants Nearby

The Hermitage hotel offers a buffet restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The hotel also has an a la carte restaurant for dinner, and a cafe that runs from 8:30am to 4:30pm. There is also a gift shop and museum in the hotel. The Mount Cook Lodge and Motels has a pub and grill that opens at 3pm and serves food until 10pm. The Old Mountaineer’s Cafe runs from 10am to 7:30pm but shuts between 3:30pm and 5:00pm. These are all within 0 to 15 minutes’ walk within the village, an hour walk or a short drive from the campground.

Area & Trail History

The national park and its famous mountain gets its name from Maori legend. Aoraki and his three brothers, the sons of Rakinui, the Sky father, set out on a discovery of the Earth Mother in their canoe. The canoe was struck by a reef. The brothers climbed onto the top of the canoe and they froze and turned to stone. The South Island of New Zealand represents the canoe, while the brothers are the Southern Alps—the tallest being Aoraki (Mount Cook). European settlers changed the name of the mountain from Aoraki to Mount Cook, but the mountain was once more renamed Aoraki Mount Cook to acknowledge its Maori heritage. The mountain has also been climbed by Sir Edmund Hillary, who went on to climb Mount Everest. The Kea Point Track passes near where the original Hermitage building stood, before it was damaged and destroyed by flood in 1913.

Map Location

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