Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

Hankering for a blissed-out wilderness escape to blow out the cobwebs in the Mackenzie and savour wide open spaces? The year-round beauty, glorious topography and sweet seclusion of the Mackenzie powers its magnetic appeal. Here’s a recommended line-up of tried and tested signature wilderness stays to stimulate your senses and leave you feeling refreshed and revived. Just four hours’ drive south-west of Christchurch, Aoraki/Mt. Cook is permanently cloaked in a glistening snow coat – even in the height of summer, so the promise of postcard scenery is all part of the package. In fact, much of the Mackenzie region, which enjoys an altitude over 700 metres above sea level, boasts snow-draped landscapes deep into spring.Proudly New Zealand & family owned, the Hermitage Hotel, Aoraki/Mount Cook is a hotel legend with a stirring history spanning 137 years. The first Hermitage was built in 1884, under the direction of Frank Huddleston, who was appointed ranger for the Mount Cook area because of fears that local v