MOUNT COOK VILLAGE, NEW ZEALAND
Mount Cook Village (MCV) is a small town in the center of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park located at the base of New Zealand’s highest mountain. There are plenty of opportunities to hike and see glaciers in the surrounding area! It is extremely highly-regarded among travelers, oftentimes coined the highlight of New Zealand! Be sure to load up on food and supplies before heading into town though because there are no grocery stores here.
Attractions:
Hooker Valley Track: The highlight of Mount Cook Village! This hike takes 2-3 hours, has 3 suspension bridges, and ends at Hooker Lake (a proglacial lake with chunks of ice floating in it). The walk through the valley is absolutely beautiful and not physically demanding. You cannot visit MCV without doing this!
Mueller Hut: This alpine hut is very popular among hiking-enthusiasts and sits 1,800m above sea level! If you plan to do the hike in one go, expect it to take 8 hours round-trip. It is only 3.4 miles (5.4km) one-way, but is known to be quite steep and challenging. Another option is to sleep in the hut. If you plan to do so, be sure to book your accommodation in advance at the MCV Visitor Center; there are only 28 bunk beds in the hut.
Kea Point Track: This is one of the easier treks in the region ending with a very nice view of Mount Sefton. The round-trip walk is less than 2 miles and can be completed in 1 hour.
Lake Pukaki: This nearby lake’s water is one of the most beautiful blues you will ever see! Its color comes from glacial flour (finely ground rock particles) running off nearby glaciers! A must-see!
Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park Visitor Center: This building is a great place to get information of the surrounding area. There are rangers, maps, and a museum here resulting in an abundance of knowledge, information, and history of the park. Check it out!
Blue Lakes & Tasman Glacier View Walk: These two hikes combined are less than 2 miles (2.6km) and take 1 hour round-trip. When prioritizing hikes to do, this can be lower on your list.
Glacier Explorers: For $129 NZD ($93 USD), float in the terminal lake of New Zealand’s longest glacier, Tasman Glacier. The trip in total is 2.5 hours (including 60 minutes of hiking and 45 minutes of floating) and picks up from the Hermitage Hotel.
Other things to do: Mount Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters, Governors Bush Walk, Mueller Lake Viewpoint, and Sealy Tarns Track.
Accommodation:
YHA Mount Cook Village: Great accommodation with plenty of space to stretch your legs out. All of the main spaces are sizable and they even have a sauna! Be sure to book in advance though as they fill up quickly.
Transportation:
Mount Cook Village (MCV) is so small that it does not have a bus station; all buses below can be picked up in front of the YHA.
Lake Tekapo is 1.5 hours by car from MCV. The bus ride is 1.5 hours and costs $83 NZD ($60 USD).
Wanaka is 2.5 hours by car from MCV. The bus ride is 3.5 hours and costs $195 NZD ($141 USD).
Queenstown is 3.5 hours by car from MCV. The bus ride is 4 hours and costs $192 NZD ($139 USD).
Christchurch is 4 hours by car from MCV. The bus ride is 5 hours and costs $170 NZD ($123 USD).
Te Anau is 5 hours by car from MCV. The bus ride is 6.5 hours (indirect) and costs $236 NZD ($170 USD).
The Catlins are 5.5 hours by car from MCV. The bus and taxi ride is 16 hours and costs upwards of $350 NZD. The bus ride from MCV to Invercargill is 15 hours (indirect) and costs $242 NZD ($175 USD). From Invercargill, a taxi to the Catlins is 1 hour and costs $125-$175 NZD ($90-$126 USD).
Fox Glacier is 5.5 hours by car from MCV. The bus ride is 12 hours (indirect) and costs $264 NZD ($191 USD).
Punakaiki is 7 hours by car from MCV. The bus ride is 11 hours (indirect) and costs $323 NZD ($233 USD).
The closest airport to MCV is Queenstown Airport (ZQN), 257km (160 miles) away. As listed above, the bus ride is 4 hours and costs $192 NZD ($139 USD).
Thank you, Jackie, for the (n)ice pictures!