KEY POINTS:
Where: The Aoraki-Mt Cook Mckenzie region sits in the centre of the South Island. It's about 300km inland and south of Christchurch or 260km north of Queenstown. Depending on where you're going in the region it's about a 2 1/2 to three-hour drive from either.
What to do: If you're heading in from Christchurch, you'll hit the town of Fairlie first. This pretty town is home to the excellent Fairlie Heritage Museum, housing a great collection of vintage tractors and machinery. Fairlie is also a great place to base yourself for skiing the wide open slopes of Mt Dobson skifield.
From Fairlie head inland another 40km to stunning Lake Tekapo, the country's highest large lake. On its shores sits the poetic-looking Church of the Good Shepherd and the iconic bronze statute of a sheepdog.
In the shadow of Mt John sits Lake Tekapo's Alpine Springs, Spa and Winter Park. Here you can offset the winter chill with a hot-pool soak or spa treatment. Alternatively try your hand at ice skating, or curling in the ice rink.
Mckenzie also boasts some of the clearest night skies in the country which makes it the perfect spot from which to explore the stars. Local operator Earth and Sky runs tours through Mt John Observatory as well as night star-gazing tours from both Mt John and Mt Cook National Park. The observatory also has a cafe - Astro - which is a great spot from which to appreciate the scenery right across the McKenzie basin.
Of course, no visit to this part of the country is complete without a stop at Aoraki Mt Cook. Here there are any number of scenic flights and tours over and around our highest mountain. Another must-do is a boat trip on glacial lakes. Finally, stop in at the Sir Edmund Hilary Alpine Centre, next to the Hermitage Hotel, which has an excellent museum on the history of the mountain.
Links:
- mtcooknz.com
- mackenziewinter.co.nz
- earthandsky.co.nz
- laketekapountouched.co.nz
