Mike Yardley: Magnificent Stays in the Mackenzie Country

Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Hankering for a blissed-out wilderness escape to blow out the cobwebs in the Mackenzie and savour wide open spaces? The year-round beauty, glorious topography and sweet seclusion of the Mackenzie powers its magnetic appeal. Here’s a recommended line-up of tried and tested signature wilderness stays to stimulate your senses and leave you feeling refreshed and revived. Just four hours’ drive south-west of Christchurch, Aoraki/Mt. Cook is permanently cloaked in a glistening snow coat – even in the height of summer, so the promise of postcard scenery is all part of the package. In fact, much of the Mackenzie region, which enjoys an altitude over 700 metres above sea level, boasts snow-draped landscapes deep into spring.
Proudly New Zealand & family owned, the Hermitage Hotel, Aoraki/Mount Cook is a hotel legend with a stirring history spanning 137 years. The first Hermitage was built in 1884, under the direction of Frank Huddleston, who was appointed ranger for the Mount Cook area because of fears that local vegetation would be destroyed by grazing and burning. This initial accommodation house was set near the base of the Mueller Glacier, beside White Horse Hill. Successive building took shape to cater to the swelling demand, with the latest addition being the spectacular high-rise Aoraki wing, that took shape 20 years ago. The present Hermitage looks out past White Horse Hill to the Hooker Valley and Mount Cook.
Exterior of the Hermitage Hotel. (Photo / Hermitage)
The Hermitage is an unrivalled base to intimately explore the natural wonders of the national park, with a variety of accommodation, dining and activity options. The on-site Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre comprises a museum and theatre, lustily showcasing the colourful history of Aoraki/Mount Cook, our most famous adventurer and the backstory of this illustrious hotel. Hillary was involved in the development of the centre before his death and don’t miss the statue of Hillary permanently gazing towards Aoraki/Mount Cook, one of his favourite peaks, stands outside the hotel. The ascent of Mount Cook’s difficult south face in 1948 was Hillary’s first great mountaineering achievement, and also became the training ground for his Everest triumph five years later and subsequent Antarctic expeditions. Enjoy some cinematic alpine thrills in the custom-designed theatre, which also includes a Digital Dome Planetarium. Dine in style in the Panorama Room, for an a la carte dinner experience, where locally-sourced New Zealand cuisine is paired with premium views of Aoraki.
You can’t go wrong with the Mt Cook Alpine Salmon Chowder or Mount River Farms Venison Loin. Book a Premium Plus room, on the 9th and 10th levels of the Aoraki Wing, for an elevated and unobstructed perspective on the mountain magic. Even the chronically lazy can feel at one with the scenic splendour from this pampered perch.
Routinely decorated as New Zealand’s greatest day walk, the Hooker Valley Track is a gentle 3 hour jaunt. Leading up the valley with unbelievably good viewpoints like Alpine Memorial, you’ll traverse golden tussocks, swing bridges, get up close with the Mueller and Hooker Glacier, and be rewarded with celestial views of Mt. Cook and the Southern Alps. In summer, the added spectacle of wildflowers like the famed Mount Cook buttercup, heighten the spectacle.
Interior of the Hermitage Hotel. (Photo / Hermitage)
I also love the Kea Point Track, which starts from The Hermitage, and can be easily knocked off within 2 hours. It’s also a relatively flat walk, emblazoned in golden tussock and subalpine grasslands, leading you to the Mueller Glacier moraine wall. The walk culminates with a close-up panorama of Mt. Sefton, The Footstool, Aoraki and the Mueller Glacier lake. As I experienced, the monastic silence is only pierced by the thunderous booms of calving ice, breaking away from the glacier at its terminal.
Another must-do walk is in the...

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