Become an Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park KIWI RANGER! Discover why this place is so amazing! Complete your choice of activities and earn this badge...
Welcome! Nau mai, haere mai, welcome to Aoraki/Mount Cook. This place became a national park in 1953 when all New Zealanders agreed that this place is precious. It s also a World Heritage Area because people from all around the world agreed that this is one of the world s very special places. The first people who came here local Mäori recognised the importance of this place by placing a töpuni or chief s cloak of protection over it. By doing these Kiwi Ranger activities you can discover for yourself what makes this place so amazing! Let s Get Started... My name... Where I live... Other parks and sanctuaries I ve visited... To become a KIWI RANGER do the first and last activities, and If you are aged 6 and under choose another 3 activities (5 in total) If you are aged 7-9 and under choose another 4 activities (6 in total) If you are aged 10-110 and under choose another 6 activities (8 in total) But don t stop there why not do them all! KIWI RANGERS are people who Care about Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park Care about plants, animals and conservation Want to find out what makes this place special To receive your badge, take this completed KIWI RANGER booklet to the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park Visitor Centre, where a DOC ranger will check it and award you with your badge. Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park Visitor Centre: 03 435 1186
1 activity Aoraki, the Ancestor of Ngai Tahu Local Mäori say Kia tuohu koutou, Me he maunga teitei, Ko Aoraki anake which translates to if you must bow your head, then let it be to the lofty mountain Aoraki. Find the display in the Visitor Centre that explains why Aoraki is considered the ancestor of Ngäi Tahu people. What does the mist that hangs around the top of the mountain represent... How do modern-day climbers show their respect for Aoraki... Aoraki was one of four brothers. They are shown on the panels together with Tawhirimatea (the wind) and Tü Te Rakiwhänoa (who took on the job of shaping the land). Can you find out the names of Aoraki s brothers who became the mountains around Aoraki? 1... 2... 3...
2 activity Taking a Hike! There s lots of great short and long day-hikes to do at Aoraki/Mount Cook. When you go for a day hike what are the things you should take with you, or do? Circle your choices from the list below! THINGS TO TAKE... THINGS TO DO... don t feed the birds TO FIND OUT MORE If you re planning on an overnight trip or a mountain climb, talk to a ranger at the Visitor Centre about current conditions. You ll need to fill out your intentions form. If you are camping above the snowline pick up a Poo Pot - ask a ranger for more details. Pick up the free Mountain Safety Council brochure called Going Bush. In it you ll find a detailed checklist of what to take and do in the outdoors.
activity 3 Getting Out There! Go for a walk on one of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park s many tracks to really get to know the place. Which track did you walk... What birds and insects did you see or hear along the way... What did you enjoy most about your walk... These are the best short walks around Aoraki/ Mt Cook village. Tick which ones you walked... Governors Bush Walk Bowen Bush Walk Kea Point Track Sealy Tarns Track Hooker Valley Track Glencoe Walk Red Tarns Track Tasman Glacier Lake Blue Lakes & Tasman Glacier View HINT! You can do many of the following activities at the same time.
activity 4 Blowing in the Wind! The weather is always changing at Aoraki/Mount Cook, and the clouds are your clues to what s in store tomorrow! Find a comfy spot where you can either sit back or lie down, and take it all in. Draw the different types of clouds you can see. Don t rush it! Use your imagination to find weird and wonderful shapes in the clouds... What do you think these clouds are telling you about the weather? Write down your forecast for tomorrow. Compare your forecast with the one posted at the Visitor Centre. What does their forecast say? You can also check out the weather display on the stairway walls and see if you can match the cloud-names that weather-watchers use (like hogsback, cirrus, cumulus, altostratus and rotor clouds) with the ones you saw.
5 Listening to the Landscape activity Do one of the short hikes to a glacier lake (Kea Point, Mueller Lookout, Hooker Lake and Tasman Lake) Find somewhere to sit and close your eyes for at least a minute. What can you hear? Write down everything you hear and what you think is causing the sound. Also include drawings if you like... Q: Why are glacier-fed lakes a different colour to other lakes? A: Glaciers are very slow moving rivers of ice. As they work their way down the valley the ice grinds the rocks to form very small silt-like particles called glacial flour. It is the mixture of large amounts of glacial flour and water that gives the glacial lakes their gray colour. Lake Pukaki has smaller amounts of glacial flour in its water than the Tasman Lake so when the light hits this water it shines as a beautiful turquoise blue.
activity 6 Where s my Home? Aoraki/Mount Cook is home to many birds and plants that are native to this land. But they don t all like the same environments. Some like the mountains, others the forests, or the rivers and the flats. See if you can match these birds and plants to the places they most like to live. Kea Tïtïpounamu - Rifleman Kärearea - Falcon Ruru - Morepork Tara -Black fronted tern Haumata - Snow tussock Köpukupuku - Mount Cook buttercup Tawhai - Beech forest Matagouri Hurupounamu - Rock wren Käki - Black stilt How fast can the kärearea fly... How much faster is this than cars are allowed to travel on the open road... FALCON FACTS! Kärearea or falcon is New Zealand s most fierce bird of prey. They protect their nest aggressively and keep everyone at least 150 metres away. Once an airforce helicopter got too close and one brave bird continuously attacked it until the helicopter was forced to retreat.
activity 7 Scavenger Hunt During your time at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park look out for these plants, animals, places and things. Tick each one as you see or hear them. Complete at least one row, but why not try for them all! Swing Bridge Pair of Symbolic Rocks Glacier Kea Mount Cook Buttercup Milky Way Climber s Memorial Glacial Lake Write down how many people are staying in huts tonight! Spaniard/Taramea Aoraki/Mount Cook DOC Ranger Check the abacus behind the ranger desk at the Visitor Centre Grasshopper Visited site of first Hermitage Hotel Hogsback Cloud Mountain Viewfinder Empress Hut Crampons Evidence of an animal (draw it!) Sir Edmund Hillary Statue
activity 8 Famous Adventurers! In the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre (at the Hermitage Hotel) there is a great exhibition showcasing the life of one of New Zealand s most famous people. Do you know why Sir Edmund is on New Zealand s most widely used banknote - the $5 note? In the Alpine Centre there are displays and videos about Sir Edmund s amazing life. Which of his many adventures would you have liked to be part of? There have been many notable firsts at Aoraki/Mount Cook including... 1882 First attempt to climb Aoraki/Mount Cook 1884 First Hermitage Hotel opened 1982 Geoff Wyatt first to ski the whole way down Aoraki/Mount Cook! 1986 Rob Hall made the first parapente jump off the summit of Aoraki/Mount Cook YEAR Can you fill in the missing dates... Aoraki/Mount Cook first climbed succesfully First car made it to the Hermitage Hotel Freda du Faur became the first woman to climb Aoraki/Mount Cook First glacier landing by a retractable skiplane in the world! (the plane hangs above you in the Alpine Centre) Can you imagine some new firsts that are yet to happen at Aoraki/ Mount Cook? Fill in your predictions below! YEAR First... First... DID YOU KNOW The first people to climb Aoraki/Mount Cook were the New Zealanders Tom Fyfe, George Graham and Jack Clarke.
activity 9 Stunning Stained Glass Windows! Take a closer look at the two amazing stained glass windows in the Visitor Centre. Can you find the following native birds, insects, reptiles and plants that make Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park their home. Draw arrows from the list to where they are in the window. Southern blue butterfly Mokomoko jewelled gecko - Wëtä Matagouri Kea Rock wren - hurupounamu Mount Cook buttercup - köpukupuku Spaniard - taramea Red admiral butterfly Celmisia flower Kärearea - falcon Match the descriptions to the following unique plants... I am the largest plant of my type in the world. My leaves are shaped like a cup so I can catch as much water as I can. I am a... My leaves are like swords be very careful around me or I will draw blood! Mäori women used my sap as a perfume. I am a... I m a type of daisy. There s over 60 different types of me in the park with the largest producing a flower the size of a saucer! I am a... I have a prickly tangle of branches that snag and catch clothes. Some think my prickles evolved to stop moa eating too much of me! I am a... Taramea / spaniard Köpukupuku / Mount Cook buttercup Matagouri/ Irishman Celmesia
10 activity Seeing Climate Change! The Tasman Glacier is New Zealand s longest glacier. It is also the longest in the Southern Hemisphere outside of Antarctica. It used to go all the way to the end of Lake Pukaki. Aoraki/Mt Cook village was once under 650 metres of ice! Rising temperatures due to climate change mean glaciers everywhere are fast retreating. 100 years ago, when the first Hermitage Hotel was built, the Tasman Glacier was much longer. On the photo is marked the current locations of the Mueller and Hooker Glaciers (on the left) and the Tasman Glacier (on the right). The path the glaciers used to take is shown in grey. CURRENT SIZE OF MUELLER GLACIER CURRENT LOCATION OF HOOKER GLACIER AORAKI MOUNT COOK CURRENT LOCATION OF TASMAN GLACIER PATH GLACIERS USED TO TAKE By looking at historic photos in the Visitor Centre, draw on top of this photo and mark where the glaciers used to end 100 years ago. It is predicted that glaciers in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park will continue to retreat rapidly. On the same photo, draw where you think the glaciers might end in 25 years time. Come back then and check your prediction!
11 activity Mountain Climbs and Huts! Venture out to the old Empress Hut (just behind the Visitor Centre). Go inside and imagine you are staying in this hut when it was in its original location high up on the snowy slopes of Aoraki/Mount Cook (it was once New Zealand s highest building!). Climbers had to spend many days in the hut waiting for storms to pass. Imagine you re stuck there. Write down the ways you d make sure... 1. Your food didn t run out... 2. You and your companions stayed warm... 3. You would get water... Finally the storm has passed and you re ready to set out. What kind of equipment do you need to climb a mountain? Look at the model of the climber downstairs at the Visitor Centre for clues as to what you d wear or carry. Sketch or write your answers... EXTRA! Have a look at the models of today s climber, the early climber and Mäori traveller and compare the differences in the footwear and clothing they used.
12 activity Mountain Building! How old are you? 10 or 20 years seems a long time to a person, but when it comes to the age of rocks it s no time at all! Geological time is so very very slooooooooooooow. That s why the mountains at Aoraki/Mount Cook are very recent, even though they are 3-5 million years old! Mountains here are still growing at about 10mm a year (or the same speed your finger nails grow). Every now and then a mountain-top falls off. Check out the displays at the Visitor Centre and see if you can find out When the top of Aoraki/Mount Cook fell off? How much fell off? True or False? Aoraki/Mount Cook is New Zealand s highest mountain How tall is Aoraki/Mount Cook when compared to Mount Everest? Measured from sea level there s no comparison. But how much is the difference between the two mountains when measured from the valley floor? AORAKI/MOUNT COOK MOUNT EVEREST Top of Mountain 3754 m 8850 m The difference is... metres Valley Floor 740 m Base Camp 5380 m Did you know both Sagamartha/Mount Everest and Aoraki/Mount Cook National Parks are UNESCO World Heritage Sites? They are internationally recognised as two of the world s most outstanding areas.
13 activity Pesky Pests! Aoraki/Mount Cook is home to more than its native species. There are also many introduced animals and plants which can upset the ecological balance in this special place. Head downstairs at the Visitor Centre and see if you can find the 5 stuffed animal pests or predators hidden amongst the displays. Write down their names and also one way they interfere with what naturally belongs here. NAME HOW IT INTERFERES 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... KEEP AN EYE OUT! A major plant pest in the park is the colourful Russell lupin. This is a pest because in river beds it crowds out nesting käki/black stilt, ngutu pare/wrybills and turiwhatu/ dotterels. It can also stop our unique braided rivers from naturally changing their course. Department of Conservation staff are working hard to keep the valleys free from lupins. However, if you see one please don t pick it! Instead tell a DOC ranger and they will remove it so the seeds don t spread. THANKS!
14 activity Keeping a Journal In 1860 when Samuel Butler first saw Aoraki/Mount Cook he excitedly wrote in his journal: Indeed I am not sure that Mount Cook is not the finest in outline of all the snowy mountains I have ever seen... If a person says they think they have seen Mount Cook, you may be quite sure that they have not seen it. The moment it comes into sight the exclamation is, That is Mount Cook! - not That must be Mount Cook!. What thoughts about the place do you have? Sketch or describe your favourite place at Aoraki/Mount Cook. Why is it special to you? Why do you think we should protect places like Aoraki/Mount Cook?
15 Ranger Interview! activity Rangers do lots of things, from weed busting, trapping pests, search and rescue, looking after huts and tracks, looking after Aoraki/Mount Cook Village and answering everyone s questions! What questions do you have about their work? Write them down and when you get the chance ask a ranger for their answer! Q1... A1... Q2... A2... QUICK FACTS ABOUT VILLAGE LIFE Only people who work at Aoraki/Mount Cook are allowed to live in the village. This is because it is entirely sited within Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. No pets are allowed (not even canaries!). This is because they might escape and upset the natural balance of this special place. The water we drink comes directly off the mountains, while all sewage is fully treated on site. We have our own primary school, fire engine and ambulance!
16 activity Becoming a KIWI RANGER! It s now time to return to the Visitor Centre to get your certificate signed and also your KIWI RANGER badge. Just before doing this we d like you to think about something you ll do when you get home that s good for nature and the environment. What I m going to do... To see what other KIWI RANGERS have said check out their ideas at the Visitor Centre. When you are given your badge you ll be asked to add your ideas there as well. You can also post your completed booklet to us at Aoraki/Mount Cook Kiwi Ranger, DOC, PO Box 5 Aoraki / Mount Cook, 8770 and we ll check it and post out your badge, and signed booklet. Thanks! KIWI RANGER has been jointly developed by Mick Abbott and Carli Richter. Thanks to everyone at the Department of Conservation, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park for all their ideas and enthusiam to Joel Bretherton and Katy Miller for the great design work 2015 Department of Conservation AMC181113vC
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Congratulations! This is to certify... is now an Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park KIWI RANGER! Signature Date