List of mountains of New Zealand by height facts for kids

Aoraki / Mount Cook, located in New Zealand's South Island, is the highest point in the country

The following are lists of mountains in New Zealand ordered by height. Names, heights, topographic prominence and isolation, and coordinates were extracted from the official Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) Topo50 topographic maps at the interactive topographic map of New Zealand site.

Mountains are referred to as maunga in the Māori language.

Named summits over 2,900 m

All summits over 2,900 metres (9,500 ft) are within the Southern Alps, a chain that forms the backbone of the South Island, and all but one (Mount Aspiring / Tititea) are within a 10-mile (16 km) radius of Aoraki / Mount Cook. Some of these summits are mere shoulders on the ridges of Aoraki and Mount Tasman.

Gordon Hasell was the first person who, by 1960, had climbed all New Zealand's peaks above 10,000 feet. The achievement mentions 27 peaks and is thus counts individual peaks that may make up one mountain, e.g. Mount Haast has three individual peaks that are all above that height.

The 100 highest mountains

These are all the mountains over 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) with a topographic prominence (drop) of at least 300 metres (980 ft), closely matching those on the list of mountains of New Zealand by the New Zealand Alpine Club. Five peaks overlooked on that list are indicated with an asterisk. Of these 100 mountains, all but two — Ruapehu (Tahurangi Peak) (19th highest) and Mount Taranaki (65th highest) — are in the South Island. Tapuae-o-Uenuku, in the Kaikōura Ranges, is the highest peak outside the Southern Alps.

Other notable mountains and hills

Over 2,000 metres

• Te Heuheu – 2,732 m (8,963 ft)- highest peak in the north of the crater rim of Mount Ruapehu
• Mount Strauchon – 2,391 m (7,844 ft)
• Mount Bonpland – 2,343 m (7,687 ft)
• Turner Peak – 2,341 m (7,680 ft)
• Mount Franklin (Tasman) – 2,340 m (7,677 ft)
• Mount Travers – 2,338 m (7,671 ft)
• Mount Taylor – 2,333 m (7,654 ft)
• Double Cone – 2,319 m (7,608 ft)
• Mount Tūwhakarōria – 2,307 m (7,569 ft)
• Somnus – 2,293 m (7,523 ft)
• Mount Ngauruhoe – 2,287 m (7,503 ft)
• Mount Hopeless – 2,278 m (7,474 ft)
• Mount Rolleston – 2,275 m (7,464 ft)
• Mount Aurum – 2,245 m (7,365 ft)
• Faerie Queen – 2,236 m (7,336 ft)
• Mount Paske – 2,216 m (7,270 ft)
• Mount Adams – 2,208 m (7,244 ft)
• Mount Awful – 2,192 m (7,192 ft)
• Mount Hutt – 2,185 m (7,169 ft)
• Mount Franklin (Canterbury) – 2,145 m (7,037 ft)
• Mount Cloudsley – 2,107 m (6,913 ft)
• Mount Olympus – 2,094 m (6,870 ft)
• Dobson Peak – 2,095 m (6,873 ft)
• David Peaks – 2,093 m (6,867 ft)
• Mount Macfarlane – 2,077 m (6,814 ft)
• Tooth Peak – 2,061 m (6,762 ft)
• Mount Damfool – 2,030 m (6,660 ft)
• Mount Dreadful – 2,030 m (6,660 ft)
• Jane Peak – 2,022 m (6,634 ft)

1,000 to 2,000 metres

• Castle Hill Peak – 1,998 m (6,555 ft)
• Mount Tongariro – 1,978 m (6,490 ft)
• Cecil Peak – 1,978 m (6,490 ft)
• Mount Pisa – 1,963 m (6,440 ft)
• Mount Cardrona – 1,936 m (6,352 ft)
• Mount Ollivier – 1,933 m (6,342 ft)
• Benmore Peak (Benmore Range) – 1,932 m (6,339 ft) (site of Benmore Peak Observatory)
• Mount Owen – 1,875 m (6,152 ft)
• Sutherlands Peak (Benmore Range) – 1,846 m (6,056 ft)
• Totara Peak (Benmore Range) – 1,822 m (5,978 ft)
• Walter Peak – 1,800 m (5,900 ft)
• Mount Arthur – 1,795 m (5,889 ft)
• Mount Hikurangi (Gisborne District) – 1,754 m (5,755 ft) (highest peak in the North Island, excluding volcanoes)
• Ben Lomond – 1,751 m (5,745 ft)
• Mount Peel – 1,743 m (5,719 ft)
• Mount Mangaweka – 1,730 m (5,680 ft) (second highest peak in the North Island, excluding volcanoes)
• Kaweka J (Kaweka Range) – 1,724 m (5,656 ft)
• Mount Axford – 1,720 m (5,640 ft)
• Brown Peak, Sturge Island (subantarctic island) – 1,705 m (5,594 ft) or 1,524 m (5,000 ft)
• Mount Winterslow – 1,700 m (5,600 ft)
• Mitre Peak – 1,692 m (5,551 ft)
• Mount Somers / Te Kiekie – 1,688 m (5,538 ft)
• Purple Hill (Lake Pearson, above Waimakariri Valley) – 1,680 m (5,510 ft)
• Mount Pisgah – 1,643 m (5,390 ft) (highest peak of the Kakanui Range)
• Roys Peak – 1,578 m (5,177 ft)
• The Mitre (Tararua Range) – 1,571 m (5,154 ft)
• Mount Hector (Tararua Range) – 1,529 m (5,016 ft)
• Angle Knob (Tararua Range) – 1,510 m (4,950 ft)
• Hauhungatahi – 1,521 m (4,990 ft)
• Mount Lyndon – 1,489 m (4,885 ft)
• Mid Dome – 1,478 m (4,849 ft)
• Mount Luxmore – 1,472 m (4,829 ft)
• Mount Holdsworth (Tararua Range) – 1,470 m (4,820 ft)
• The Cairn (Benmore Range) – 1,464 m (4,803 ft)
• Summit Peak – 1,450 m (4,760 ft) (highest point of the Rock and Pillar Range)
• Mount Arowhana – 1,439 m (4,721 ft)
• Jumbo Peak (Tararua Range) – 1,405 m (4,610 ft)
• Pouakai (Pouakai Range) – 1,400 m (4,600 ft)
• Mount Alfred – 1,375 m (4,511 ft)
• Mount Oxford – 1,364 m (4,475 ft)
• Young Island (subantarctic island) – 1,340 m (4,400 ft)
• Mount Isobel (Hanmer, South Island) – 1,324 m (4,344 ft)
• The Buscot (Benmore Range) – 1,245 m (4,085 ft)
• Buckle Island (subantarctic island) – 1,239 m (4,065 ft)
• Mount Noble – 1,220 m (4,000 ft)
• Mount Te Kinga – 1,204 m (3,950 ft)
• Mount Grono (Secretary Island) – 1,196 m (3,924 ft) (highest peak in main New Zealand chain not in the North or South Island)
• Mount Pureora – 1,175 m (3,855 ft)
• Mount Tarawera – 1,111 m (3,645 ft)
• Mount Tauhara – 1,088 m (3,570 ft)
• Mount John – 1,031 m (3,383 ft) (site of Mount John University Observatory)
• Mount Thomas – 1,023 m (3,356 ft)

Under 1,000 metres

• Mount Ross – 983 m (3,225 ft) (highest point in the Aorangi Range)
• Mount Anglem – 979 m (3,212 ft) (highest peak on Stewart Island/Rakiura)
• Mount Pirongia – 959 m (3,146 ft)
• Mount Te Aroha – 952 m (3,123 ft) (highest point in the Kaimai Range)
• Mount Matthews – 940 m (3,080 ft) (highest peak in Rimutaka Range)
• Mount Herbert (Te Ahu Patiki) – 920 m (3,020 ft) (highest point on Banks Peninsula)
• Wharite Peak – 920 m (3,020 ft)
• Queenstown Hill – 907 m (2,976 ft)
• Maungatua – 900 m (3,000 ft)
• Moehau – 892 m (2,927 ft) (highest point on the Coromandel Peninsula)
• Mount Graham – 829 m (2,720 ft)
• Putauaki (Mount Edgecumbe) – 820 m (2,690 ft)
• Maungatautari – 797 m (2,615 ft) (site of the Maungatautari Restoration Project)
• Te Raupua – 781 m (2,562 ft) (highest point in Northland)
• Tutamoe – 770 m (2,530 ft) (second highest point in Northland)
• Tākaka Hill – 760 m (2,490 ft)
• Ngongotahā – 757 m (2,484 ft)
• Mount Karioi – 756 m (2,480 ft) (overlooks Raglan)
• Swampy Summit – 739 m (2,425 ft) (highest remnant of the Dunedin Volcano)
• Mount Hauturu on Little Barrier Island – 722 m (2,369 ft) (highest point in the Auckland Region)
• Mount Wainui – 722 m (2,369 ft) (highest peak in Akatarawa Forest)
• Mount Pye – 720 m (2,360 ft) (highest point in The Catlins)
• Mount McKerrow – 706 m (2,316 ft)
• Mount Dick (highest point in the Auckland Islands, on Adams Island) – 705 m (2,313 ft)
• Kohukohunui (highest point in the Hunua Ranges) – 688 m (2,257 ft)
• Patuha (New Zealand) (highest point in the Kaitake Range) – 684 m (2,244 ft)
• Mount Cargill – 680 m (2,230 ft)
• Flagstaff (Dunedin) – 666 m (2,185 ft)
• Mount Clime – 665 m (2,182 ft)
• Kahurānaki – 645 m (2,116 ft) Hawkes Bay Region
• Mount Hikurangi (Northland) – 625 m (2,051 ft)
• Mount Hobson (highest point on Great Barrier Island) – 621 m (2,037 ft)
• Hokonui Hills – 600 m (2,000 ft)
• Mount Honey (Campbell Island) – 558 m (1,831 ft)
• Mount Karangahake (Hauraki District – 544 m (1,785 ft)
• Castle Rock in the Coromandel Range – 525 metres (1,722 ft)
• Moumoukai – 516 m (1,693 ft) (highest point in the Kermadec Islands, on Raoul Island)
• Hawkins Hill, Wellington – 495 m (1,624 ft)
• Te Heru o Kahukura / Sugarloaf (Christchurch) – 494 m (1,621 ft)
• Kohinurākau (Hastings) – 490 m (1,610 ft)
• Te Toiokawharu (highest point in the Waitākere Ranges) – 474 m (1,555 ft)
• Saddle Hill (Dunedin) – 473 m (1,552 ft)
• Rangituhi / Colonial Knob (Porirua, Wellington) – 468 m (1,535 ft)
• Kakepuku (Waikato, North Island) – 449 m (1,473 ft)
• Mount Kaukau (Wellington) – 445 m (1,460 ft)
• Ruaotuwhenua (Waitākere Ranges, Auckland) – 440 m (1,440 ft)
• Mount Charles – 408 m (1,339 ft) (highest point on the Otago Peninsula)
• Mount Manaia (Whangarei) – 403 m (1,322 ft)
• Te Mata Peak (Hastings) – 399 m (1,309 ft)
• Signal Hill (Dunedin) – 393 m (1,289 ft)
• Mayor Island / Tuhua – 355 m (1,165 ft)
• Pukematekeo (Waitākere Ranges, Auckland) – 336 m (1,102 ft)
• Whakaari / White Island – 321 m (1,053 ft)
• Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu – 305 m (1,001 ft)
• Te Ahumairangi – 301 m (988 ft)
• Brooklyn Hill (Wellington) – 299 m (981 ft)
• Maungatere Hill – 294 m (965 ft) (highest named point in the Chatham Islands)
• Mangere – 286 m (938 ft) (highest point on Mangere Island)
• Bluff Hill / Motupohue ("The Bluff", Bluff, Southland) – 265 m (869 ft)
• Rangitoto Island – 260 m (850 ft)
• Maunganui (Waiheke Island) – 231 m (758 ft)
• Mount Maunganui – 230 m (750 ft)
• Mount Victoria (Wellington) – 196 m (643 ft)
• Maungawhau / Mount Eden (Auckland) – 196 m (643 ft)
• Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill (Auckland) – 182 m (597 ft)
• Paritutu (New Plymouth) – 156 m (512 ft)
• Mount Wellington (Auckland) – 137 m (449 ft)
• Mount Albert (Auckland) – 135 m (443 ft)
• Roys Hill (Hastings) – 134 m (440 ft)
• Mount Roskill (Auckland) – 110 m (360 ft)
• Māngere Mountain – 107 m (351 ft)
• Bluff Hill (Napier) – 101 m (331 ft)

Historical perspective

Prior to the introduction of the metric system in New Zealand, the mountains regarded as tall were those over 10,000 ft (3,000 m). Lists of mountains or peaks by height have over the decades been published by the New Zealand government in its official yearbook. The 1920–21 edition was the first to contain a list of mountains and it had six of them at over 10,000 feet.

This table remained the same in the two subsequent editions until 1924, when the secretary of the New Zealand Alpine Club had provided a fuller list of 16 mountains:

In the 1931 yearbook, Torres Peak was added to that list. Andy Anderson was the first to climb all 17 mountains by late December 1950.

The 1931 list remained unchanged until the late 1950s, and was used as the starting point by mountaineer Gordon Hasell (1933–2018) to compile an amended list. Not all the mountains had been officially surveyed and Hasell added 12 new ones to the list that he considered likely to also reach the 10,000 feet mark and deleted 2 (De la Beche and The Minarets), making a total of 27 peaks. This list was published in the 1957 edition of the New Zealand Alpine Journal and stood for the next 25 years. It is shown here as published in geographical order from north-east to south-west.