The Mount Cook Range (; officially gazetted as Kirikirikatata / Mount Cook Range) is an offshoot

range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...

of the

Southern Alps The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) are a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand, New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The n ...

of New Zealand. The range forks from the Southern Alps at the Green Saddle and descends towards

Lake Pukaki Lake Pukaki () is the largest of three roughly parallel alpine lakes running north–south along the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin on New Zealand's South Island. The others are Lakes Tekapo and Ōhau. All three lakes were formed when the ...

, encompassing

Aoraki / Mount Cook Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height, , is listed as . It is situated in the Southern Alps, the mountain range that runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite ch ...

and standing adjacent to the

Tasman Glacier Tasman Glacier (officially Haupapa / Tasman Glacier) is the largest glacier in New Zealand, and one of several large glaciers which flow south and east towards the Mackenzie Basin from the Southern Alps in New Zealand's South Island. Geography ...

. In 1889, the highest point of the range was , but this has since been reduced by avalanches and erosion.

Naming

In 2013, the range was officially renamed Kirikirikatata / Mount Cook Range as part of a number of name changes within the Mount Cook region, following a 2012 proposal. According to Māori creation myths, Kirikirikatata was the grandfather of Aoraki, both of whom turned into mountains; Kirikirikatata into the Mount Cook Range, and Aoraki into Mount Cook.

References

{{Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park Mountain ranges of the Southern Alps Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park

Naming

See also

References