This small community is located deep among the Southern Alps in the Mt Cook National Park.

The town services a large numbers of travelling visitors, it services alpine guides, National Park staff and large accommodation facilities including New Zealand's grand hotel "The Hermitage"   

Some History
In 1910s, the first hermitage was built to house the growing number of mountain enthusiasts.   A flash flood destroyed the building and another bigger and more modern hotel was constructed on a site over 2 Km away. Tourism and services grew under the leadership of progressive business developers.  In the 1950s a fire destroyed the second  hermitage and the 3rd was built. HEP developers rebuilt the road into the village and tourism grew more. The 1990s Hermitage renovations up graded the facility maintaining it as New Zealand's leading tourist hotel and a significant carefully controlled tourism and conservation facility. 

Studies
We explore the area, the hotel, the information centre, and take a mountain walk during which we learn about the entrepreneurs who built this community and the large business empire that they began here.  We find out how the town survives and protects itself today from alpine hazards of snow, floods, avalanches and wind storms that regularly isolate this settlement from the outside world.

We explore its attractions and facilities provided for the mountaineering enthusiasts and travelling tourists.

We learn how the law is planned and administered to protect the delicate fauna and flora surrounding the village.

Maori Culture - legends of the Mountain
Here you learn of the Maori explanation for the formation of this giant mountain and see the significance it has to the Maori people throughout New Zealand.

arrange timings and transportation to ensure maximum benefit from learning opportunities.

See also:

Mt Cook National Park

Tourism Studies

LINK 1 Mt Cook

LINK 2 Mt Cook