List of mountains of New Zealand by height facts for kids
New Zealand is a country with many amazing mountains! These lists show some of the tallest mountains in New Zealand, ordered by how high they are. The information comes from official maps of New Zealand.
In the Māori language, mountains are called maunga.
Contents
New Zealand's Tallest Mountains
All the mountains taller than 2,900 meters (about 9,500 feet) are found in the Southern Alps. This is a long chain of mountains that forms the backbone of New Zealand's South Island. Most of these super-tall peaks are very close to Aoraki / Mount Cook, which is the highest mountain. Only one, Mount Aspiring / Tititea, is a bit further away.
Did you know that Aoraki / Mount Cook used to be even taller? On December 14, 1991, a huge rock and ice slide broke off about 10 meters (33 feet) from its top! Over time, the ice cap on top has worn down even more, making it about 30 meters (98 feet) shorter by 2013.
Here are some of the very tallest mountains in New Zealand:
| Rank | Mountain | Height (meters) | Height (feet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aoraki / Mount Cook | 3,724 | 12,218 |
| 2 | Aoraki: Middle Peak | 3,717 | 12,195 |
| 3 | Aoraki: Low Peak | 3,593 | 11,788 |
| 4 | Mount Tasman | 3,497 | 11,473 |
| 5 | Mount Dampier | 3,440 | 11,286 |
| 6 | Mount Vancouver | 3,309 | 10,856 |
| 7 | Silberhorn | 3,300 | 10,827 |
| 8 | Malte Brun | 3,198 | 10,492 |
| 9 | Mount Hicks | 3,198 | 10,492 |
| 10 | Lendenfeld Peak | 3,194 | 10,479 |
In 1960, a climber named Gordon Hasell was the first person to climb all of New Zealand's peaks that were taller than 10,000 feet (about 3,048 meters). He climbed 27 different peaks!
The 100 Highest Mountains
These are mountains over 2,400 meters (about 7,874 feet) that also stand out quite a lot from the land around them. This list is similar to one made by the New Zealand Alpine Club.
Most of these 100 mountains are in the South Island. Only two are in the North Island: Ruapehu (Tahurangi Peak) and Mount Taranaki. The tallest mountain outside the Southern Alps is Tapuae-o-Uenuku, which is in the Kaikōura Ranges.
Here are some of the highest mountains and when they were first climbed:
| Rank | Mountain | Height (meters) | First Ascent | First Ascent Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aoraki / Mount Cook | 3,724 | December 25, 1894 | Jack Clarke, Tom Fyfe, George Graham |
| 2 | Mount Tasman | 3,497 | February 5, 1895 | Jack Clarke, Edward FitzGerald, Matthias Zurbriggen |
| 3 | Malte Brun | 3,199 | March 7, 1894 | Tom Fyfe |
| 4 | Mount Sefton | 3,151 | February 14, 1895 | Edward FitzGerald, Matthias Zurbriggen |
| 5 | Mount Elie de Beaumont | 3,109 | February 15, 1906 | Peter Graham, Henrik Sillem |
| 6 | La Perouse | 3,078 | February 1, 1906 | Peter Graham, R S Low, Henry Newton, Ebenezer Teichelmann |
| 7 | Douglas Peak | 3,077 | January 28, 1907 | Alexander Graham, Henry Newton, Ebenezer Teichelmann |
| 8 | The Minarets | 3,040 | February 9, 1897 | Tom Fyfe, Malcolm Ross |
| 9 | Mount Aspiring / Tititea | 3,033 | November 23, 1909 | Bernard Head, Jack Clarke, Peter Graham |
| 10 | Mount Hamilton | 3,025 | December 1, 1909 | Laurence M Earle, Bernard Head, Jack Clarke, Peter Graham |
| 11 | Mount Chudleigh | 2,966 | January 1911 | Hugh Chambers, Freda Du Faur, Jim Murphy |
| 12 | Tapuae-o-Uenuku | 2,885 | April 1864 | Nehemiah McRae and two others |
| 19 | Ruapehu (Tahurangi Peak) | 2,797 | February 1879 | George Beetham, Joseph Maxwell |
| 65 | Mount Taranaki | 2,518 | December 23, 1839 | Ernst Dieffenbach & James Heberly |
Other Interesting Mountains and Hills
New Zealand has many other mountains and hills of different heights. Here are a few examples:
Mountains Over 2,000 Meters (6,562 feet)
- Te Heuheu – 2,732 meters (8,963 feet) – This is the highest point on the edge of the crater of Mount Ruapehu.
- Mount Bonpland – 2,343 meters (7,687 feet)
- Mount Ngauruhoe – 2,287 meters (7,503 feet)
- Mount Hutt – 2,185 meters (7,169 feet)
Mountains Between 1,000 and 2,000 Meters (3,281 to 6,562 feet)
- Mount Tongariro – 1,978 meters (6,490 feet)
- Mount Ollivier – 1,933 meters (6,342 feet)
- Mount Hikurangi (Gisborne District) – 1,754 meters (5,755 feet) – This is the highest peak in the North Island, not counting volcanoes.
- Ben Lomond – 1,751 meters (5,745 feet)
- Mitre Peak – 1,692 meters (5,551 feet)
Hills Under 1,000 Meters (3,281 feet)
- Mount Anglem – 979 meters (3,212 feet) – This is the highest peak on Stewart Island/Rakiura.
- Mount Te Aroha – 952 meters (3,123 feet) – The highest point in the Kaimai Range.
- Mount Herbert (Te Ahu Patiki) – 920 meters (3,018 feet) – The highest point on Banks Peninsula.
- Queenstown Hill – 907 meters (2,976 feet)
- Mount Cargill – 680 meters (2,231 feet)
- Mount Hobson – 621 meters (2,037 feet) – The highest point on Great Barrier Island.
- Mount Maunganui – 230 meters (755 feet)
- Mount Victoria (Wellington) – 196 meters (643 feet)
- Maungawhau / Mount Eden (Auckland) – 196 meters (643 feet)
