At 3754 metres, Aoraki/Mt Cook is New Zealand and Australasia's highest mountain. There are no ski lifts or resorts on or in the direct area surrounding Aoraki/Mt Cook, although it is a ski touring and mountaineering mecca of New Zealand. Aoraki means "Cloud Piercer" in the Ngai Tahu dialect of the Maori language. Historically, the Maori name has been spelt Aorangi in the "canonical" Maori form. The first ascent of the Mountain was on 25 December 1894, when New Zealanders Tom Fyfe, James (Jack) Clarke and George Graham successfully reached the summit via the Hooker Valley and the north ridge.Other attractions include ski touring, Mountaineering climbing, scenic flights, ski plane snow landings and boat trips that allow you to explore the murky waters of Tasman Glacier Terminal Lake. There are 27 other mountains in this alpine backbone which peak at over 3050 metres, and hundreds of others not far short of that - all making up the famous Southern Alps.