AORAKI, MOUNT COOK INFORMATION

Height
Aoraki-Mount Cook is currently 3754m (12316ft) above sea level.
Prior to 1991 the peak was 10 metres higher, but the very top of the summit slid down the mountain creating a massive landslide of ice and rock that was recorded on seismic equipment around the South Island.
The Mount Cook village lies at the base of Aoraki-Mount Cook at a altitude of 747m above sea level.

The village
The village of Mount Cook is one of New Zealand's few populated settlements to be within the boundaries of a National Park.
A significant number of the residents are employed by the government's Department of Conservation, which has the important role of ensuring the beauty of the area will be about for the children of New Zealand to enjoy.
The remainder of working residents in the village are associated with the tourist and alpine related industries.
A large number of people working in Mount Cook live in nearby Twizel, a 35 minute drive away.

Aoraki - the name.
The first settlers to discover New Zealand were the Maoris. The Maori  name for Mount Cook is Aorangi or Aoraki, meaning cloud piercer.
The reason for the two names is due to the small differences in pronunciation that occurred over time, between tribes (iwi) throughout the country. The iwi local to the area is Ngai Tahu. Their pronunciation is Aoraki.