Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park

Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, established in 1953 in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island, is named for Aoraki / Mount Cook, the country's highest peak at 3,724 meters, and covers about 707 square kilometers along the Southern Alps' Main Divide, bordering Westland Tai Poutini National Park. Glaciers cover forty percent of the park, including Haupapa / Tasman Glacier, New Zealand's largest, and the area became part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site in 1990. The park is jointly managed by the Department of Conservation and Ngai Tahu, supports about 400 plant species and 35 bird species including the rare black stilt and New Zealand rock wren, and was designated the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve in 2012.