Aoraki Mount Cook opens new base camp
07 Oct 2010
Adventure-loving backpackers wanting to get a taste of what Sir Edmund Hillary would call "base camp" can now bunk down in style at the foot of Aoraki Mount Cook, in New Zealand’s South Island.
A new backpacker lodge offers affordable comfy digs for travellers wanting to explore the popular alpine tourist destination and retrace the footsteps of one of the world’s most famous explorers - New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary.
Panoramic views
Mount Cook Backpacker Lodge, which opened its doors to travellers and visitors on Friday (1.10.2010), has 50 rooms and enjoys panoramic views of the mountains.
Designed as the ideal base camp for people wanting to explore the region and experience soft or extreme tourism activities, the lodge has sleeping, cooking and bar facilities all under one roof.
As well as 20 four-bed dorm rooms, each with an ensuite bathroom, there are also 23 double/twin ensuite rooms, and seven one-bedroom units with bathroom and cooking facilities. Prices start at NZ$33 for a dorm bed.
Other facilities include a self-catering communal kitchen, the ‘Global Gossip’ internet café, tour booking desk, guest laundry and grocery store.
Chamois Bar
As part of the interior refurbishment, the lodge has reopened the famed and popular Chamois Bar and Grill.
The bar’s outdoor beer garden, which is renowned for its magical view, is a popular watering hole for visitors and locals.
Mount Cook Backpacker Lodge operations manager Justin Winter said the conversion was designed to offer a more complete range of accommodation and entertainment choices at one of New Zealand’s most spectacular destinations.
"Mount Cook Backpacker Lodge is just a stone’s throw from the 'must-see’ itinerary trail of the South Island," he said.
"The community welcomes thousands of transient backpackers and budget-conscious travellers all year round, it’s exciting for us to be able to provide a more affordable, casual sleeping option."
Aoraki Mount Cook
The alpine village of Mount Cook, located in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, provides a range of accommodation from budget to luxury set in some of the country’s most dramatic landscape.
At 3754 metres, Aoraki Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain. There are 27 mountains in the alpine backbone known as the Southern Alps - some of which peak at 3050-plus metres, and hundreds of others almost as high.
As well as alpine activities like guided ski experiences, visitors can also enjoy 4WD safaris, boating on the glacier lakes, horse treks, fishing, scenic flights with snow landings, and numerous walks and mountain hikes.
The guided ski experiences take adventurers up onto New Zealand's longest glacier, the Tasman Glacier - which is also a popular destination for weddings.
The area has been rated 17th best wedding location in the world, by UK newspaper The Independent and the iconic Hermitage Hotel which caters for the functions, says destination weddings are on the increase with the 2010 season ranked their busiest season ever.
Hillary Alpine Centre
Another major tourist attraction at Aoraki Mount Cook is the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre which opened in 2008 and adjoins the Hermitage Hotel.
The centre, a tribute to Sir Edmund who began his mountaineering days on the slopes of Aoraki Mount Cook, is a purpose-built entertainment and education centre with a planetarium and museum.
A special star-gazing deck with powerful telescopes offers visitors an ideal platform to view the region’s unpolluted sky - far from city lights and other interference.
More information
Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre
NZ’s Tasman Glacier has cracking good time
Heritage Starlight Reserve moves closer
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