What is the highest mountain on New Zealand’s South Island?

Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain on New Zealand’s South Island.

Aoraki / Mount Cook rises to 3,724 metres in the Southern Alps, near the centre of New Zealand’s South Island. It is the highest point in both New Zealand and the country’s Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. The mountain has three main summits and is heavily glaciated.

The name combines Māori and English traditions. Aoraki is a name from Ngāi Tahu tradition, while Mount Cook honours Captain James Cook. The official dual name recognises both histories.

The mountain’s height was revised in 2014 after a survey found that a substantial rock-and-ice collapse had lowered the summit from the previously accepted 3,754 metres. It is sometimes confused with Mount Ruapehu or Mount Taranaki, both prominent New Zealand mountains, but those are on the North Island.