Aoraki Mount Cook National Park which surrounds the mountain once thought unconquerable is insurmountable beautiful in every direction, from the flowers underfoot to the stars high above!
Dark Sky Reserve
Last year (2012) Aoraki-Mt Cook along with the rest of the Mackenzie Country was proclaimed a gold-rated Dark Sky Reserve.
At 4300 square kilometres, it’s the largest of the world’s four formally recognized night-sky reserve. The honour acknowledges the clarity of the skies in the Mackenzie, where outdoor lighting controls have been in place since the 80s and add another compelling reason to visit. One of the best stargazing sites on earth!
Walks
The landscape at Aoraki-Mt Cook is criss-crossed with dozens of excellent short walks. The 45 minutes Governors Busk Walk winds through one of the last stands of silver beech left in the national park, it’s gorgeous!
The Hooker Valley Track is among the best short hikes in the park (3 to 4 hours return)
The Kea Point Walk which also starts at the White Horse camping area is a shorter alternative at two hours return.
Here some useful links:
