The Hermitage is located in Aoraki Mount Cook Alpine Village in the South Island of New Zealand. A spectacular 55km drive from the Lake Pukaki / State Highway 8 turn-off between Christchurch and Queenstown, the village lies deep within the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and World Heritage area, surrounded by the silent splendour of the Southern Alps.
BY CAR
The drive from Christchurch to Mount Cook is 322 kms and takes approximately 4 ½ hours. Take State Highway 1 south from Christchurch until just after the township of Rangitata, where a right hand turn takes you onto State Highway 79. Once reaching the town of Fairlie, a right hand turn leads onto State Highway 8. Just after passing the southern end of Lake Pukaki, another right hand turn takes you onto State Highway 80. A short drive of 55km, will take you to the Mount Cook Village.
The drive from Queenstown to Mount Cook is 264 kms and takes approximately 3 ½ hours. Take the road along side the Kawarau gorge (State Highway 6) north from Queenstown to Cromwell. From there, a left-hand turn takes you onto State Highway 8. Another left-hand turn 8 kilometres after the township of Twizel takes you onto State Highway 80, which is a 55 kilometre drive to the Mount Cook Village.
The road condition from State Highway 8 to Mount Cook is usually very good, and does not require 4WD or chains. The road is sealed and not particularly steep in any one section. Occasionally during winter we will get snow and on such days road conditions can be checked before attempting the drive by going to www.aaroadwatch.co.nz . In very rare instances, if the road conditions are very bad, the road will be closed for a short while until the road is safe for all vehicles. However, we stress that this does not happen often, and you should expect a fine scenic drive.
BY COACH
Daily coach services to and from Mount Cook provide an easy transport option, and are also a great way to see the countryside along the way. The village is well serviced by coach services from both Great Sights and Newmans/Intercity.
Great Sights is the premier luxury coach operator for sightseeing and touring around New Zealand. Great Sights offers daily sightseeing tours from Christchurch and Queenstown to Mt Cook. Included in the tour is the option to have lunch at The Hermitage Hotel. These tours include complimentary hotel pick-ups / drop-offs, photo stops and multilingual commentary (including a Japanese Speaking Guide). For more information, please visit www.greatsights.co.nz
For more information about Newmans and Intercity coaches please refer to www.newmanscoach.co.nz and www.intercitycoach.co.nz
The Cook Connection shuttle service runs daily between Mount Cook, Tekapo and Twizel, and between Mount Cook and Oamaru on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturaday, with friendly relaxed transport through the Waitaki Valley and Mackenzie Country. Each service has full commentary, sightseeing and photo opportunities and you are welcome to hop on and off anywhere along the way. The Cook Connection connects at Oamaru with other transport services to or from Dunedin, and connects at Twizel with other transport services to or from Christchurch, Queenstown and Wanaka. For more details see www.cookconnect.co.nz
BY AIR
Pionair Adventures - Private Air Charter throughout New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific. Convair 580 Jet Prop - 44 seats in VIP configuration, pressurised, full galley facilities. Fly direct to Mount Cook from anywhere in New Zealand.
For full details visit www.pionair.com or email enquiries@pionair.com
Pacificjets - Private Air Charter throughout New Zealand and the Pacific.
Access the website www.pacificjets.co.nz or send an enquiry to enquiries@pacificjets.co.nz
