Mount Cook Village
Mount Cook Village, officially Aoraki / Mount Cook, is located within New Zealand's Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park at the end of State Highway 80, only 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of the summit of the country's highest mountain, also called Aoraki / Mount Cook, in the Southern Alps.
Mount Cook Village | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| Aoraki / Mount Cook | |
Mount Cook Village down below in Hooker Valley, The Hermitage on the left, lodge & motel complex on the bottom right | |
| Coordinates: 43°44′0″S 170°5′44″E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Island | South Island |
| Region | Canterbury |
| Territorial Authority | Mackenzie District |
| Ward | Pukaki Ward |
| Community | Twizel Community |
| Electorates |
|
| Government | |
| • Territorial authority | Mackenzie District Council |
| • Regional council | Environment Canterbury |
| • Mayor of Mackenzie | Anne Munro |
| • Waitaki MP | Miles Anderson |
| • Te Tai Tonga MP | Tākuta Ferris |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.26 km2 (1.64 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 750 m (2,460 ft) |
| Population (June 2023) | |
| • Total | 200 |
| • Density | 47/km2 (120/sq mi) |
Being situated inside a National Park, it is not possible to own property in Mount Cook Village; however, because of the year-round operation of the hotel and motels, the village has a small permanent population of around 250.
All buildings and facilities operate on concessions and leases from the government. The village has no grocery stores apart from a small in-hotel convenience store. The nearest supermarket is 65 kilometres (40 mi) away in Twizel, the closest town. There is a self-service petrol pump behind the hotel complex; however, the fuel price reflects the remote location.
Mount Cook Village operates a small school with a roll as low as a dozen children, the only school in New Zealand inside a national park.