Aoraki << OW rahk ee >> / Mount Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand. It stands 12,218 feet (3,724 meters) tall. The mountain is in the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, in the central part of the South Island. The Māori people consider Aoraki to be sacred. Aoraki, also spelled Aorangi, is the name of a legendary Māori ancestor. Captain John Stokes of England sighted Aoraki in 1851. He named it Mount Cook in honor of the English navigator Captain James Cook.
In 1990, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park to its World Heritage List. The World Heritage List recognizes places of unique natural or cultural importance. The park is now on the list as part of the larger Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage Area, which covers much of the southwestern coast of the South Island.
