Aoraki / Mount Cook

The first one in Top 9 Highest Mountains in New Zealand that Toplist would like to introduce to you is Aoraki. The tallest mountain in New Zealand, Aoraki/Mount Cook, is known as the 'cloud-piercer,' and when its snowy heights are revealed behind the white mist, you'll understand why. Aoraki was formed when the Pacific and Indo-Australian tectonic plates collided, and it is part of the Southern Alps mountain chain. It is located at the center of the 650km long active Alpine Fault. Even today, the mountain is still growing, rising an average of 7mm (0.28in) per year.

Aoraki is the most sacred of peaks to the Ngi Tahu people, connecting the natural and supernatural worlds. According to Māori legend, Aoraki was the son of Rakinui, the Sky Father. During a voyage, Aoraki's canoe became stranded on a reef and tilted up. Aoraki and his three brothers climbed to the top of the canoe, where the south wind froze them, turning them to stone and forming the Southern Alps.

Aoraki/Mount Cook and the surrounding area are widely regarded as the best mountaineering in Australasia, having served as a training ground for none other than Sir Edmund Hillary, who went on to summit Mount Everest in 1953. Fortunately, there is also plenty for non-mountaineers to enjoy. Beautiful lower-level hikes take walkers through stunning alpine scenery, with views normally reserved for serious mountaineers only. Glaciers, lakes with icebergs, herb fields, and cheeky local wildlife such as the Kea (the world's only alpine parrot!) ensure that visitors are not disappointed.

Location: South Island, New Zealand

Height: 3,724 m (12,218 ft)