List of mountains of New Zealand by height

Named summits over 2,900 m

All summits over 2900 m 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 mi 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 10000 ft. The achievement mentions 27 peaks and it 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 2400 m with a topographic prominence (drop) of at least 300 m, 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

• Mount Green – 2837 m
• Mount Spencer – 2788 m
• The Footstool – 2764 m
• Mount Rudolf – 2743 m
• Te Heuheu – 2732 m- highest peak in the north of the crater rim of Mount Ruapehu
• Mount Thomson – 2642 m
• Mount Jervois – 2630. m
• North Peak – 2628 m
• Mount Isabel – 2598 m
• Glentanner Peak – 2551 m
• Pluto Peak – 2480. m
• Mount Cran – 2444 m
• Mount Strauchon – 2391 m
• Mount Edgar Thomson – 2379 m
• Mount Ross – 2366 m
• Mount Alba – 2360. m
• Mount Bonpland – 2343 m
• Turner Peak – 2341 m
• Mount Franklin (Tasman) – 2340 m
• Mount Travers – 2338 m
• Mount Taylor – 2333 m
• Du Faur Peak – 2330. m
• Double Cone – 2319 m
• Te Wera Peak – 2309 m
• Mount Tūwhakarōria – 2307 m
• Pyramid Peak – 2295 m
• Somnus – 2293 m
• Black Peak – 2289 m
• Mount Ngauruhoe – 2287 m
• Mount Davie – 2280. m
• Mount Hopeless – 2278 m
• Mount Rolleston – 2275 m
• Mount Crosscut – 2263 m
• Mount Aurum – 2245 m
• Taiaha Peak – 2241 m
• Lyttle Peak – 2240 m
• Faerie Queene – 2236 m
• Poseidon Peak – 2229 m
• Mount Harper – 2222 m
• Mount Underwood – 2222 m
• Gloriana Peak – 2218 m
• Mount Paske – 2216 m
• Mount Adams – 2208 m
• Karetai Peak – 2206 m
• Mount Awful – 2192 m
• Mount Hutt – 2185 m
• Ngatimamoe Peak – 2164 m
• Mount Gizeh – 2162 m
• Sabre Peak – 2162 m
• Mount Rosa – 2161 m
• Alice Peak – 2155 m
• Mount Turner – 2150. m
• Mount Franklin (Canterbury) – 2145 m
• Mount Cloudsley – 2107 m
• Mount Talbot – 2105 m
• Dobson Peak – 2095 m
• Mount Suter – 2094 m
• Mount Olympus – 2094 m
• David Peaks – 2093 m
• Tuhawaiki Mountain– 2092 m
• Mount Macfarlane – 2077 m
• Tooth Peak – 2061 m
• Mount Oates – 2054 m
• Mount Gunn – 2044 m
• Mount Guinevere – 2042 m
• Thesis Peak – 2042 m
• Mount Wilson – 2035 m
• Mount Damfool – 2030 m
• Mount Dreadful – 2030 m
• Jane Peak – 2022 m
• Mount Scott – 2009 m

1,000 to 2,000 metres

• Castle Hill Peak – 1998 m
• Mount Chaos – 1995 m
• Mount Elliot – 1990. m
• Mount Tongariro – 1978 m
• Cecil Peak – 1978 m
• Jean Batten Peak – 1971 m
• Mount Belle – 1965 m
• Mount Moir – 1965 m
• Phipps Peak – 1965 m
• Mount Pisa – 1963 m
• Dome – 1945 m
• Mount Cardrona – 1936 m
• Mount Stewart – 1934 m
• Mount Ollivier – 1933 m
• Benmore Peak (Benmore Range) – 1932 m (site of Benmore Peak Observatory)
• Blimit – 1921 m
• Falling Mountain – 1901 m
• Mount Lyttle – 1899 m
• Mount Owen – 1875 m
• Access Peak – 1865 m
• Mount Eglinton – 1854 m
• Mount Balloon – 1847 m
• Sutherlands Peak (Benmore Range) – 1846 m
• Mount Bealey – 1836 m
• Mount Ajax – 1834 m
• Mills Peak – 1825 m
• Totara Peak (Benmore Range) – 1822 m
• Odyssey Peak – 1821 m
• Mount Foweraker – 1804 m
• Walter Peak – 1800 m
• Mount Arthur – 1795 m
• Coronation Peak– 1769 m
• Mount Hikurangi (Gisborne District) – 1754 m (highest peak in the North Island, excluding volcanoes)
• Ben Lomond – 1751 m
• Mount Peel – 1743 m
• Mount Mangaweka – 1730 m (second highest peak in the North Island, excluding volcanoes)
• Kaweka J (Kaweka Range) – 1724 m
• Mount Axford – 1720 m
• Mount Williams – 1718 m
• Brown Peak, Sturge Island (subantarctic island) – 1705 m or 1524 m
• Mount Winterslow – 1700 m
• Mitre Peak – 1692 m
• Mount Somers / Te Kiekie – 1688 m
• Purple Hill (Lake Pearson, above Waimakariri Valley) – 1680 m
• Mount Pisgah – 1643 m (highest peak of the Kakanui Range)
• Roys Peak – 1578 m
• The Mitre (Tararua Range) – 1571 m
• Mount Hector (Tararua Range) – 1529 m
• Angle Knob (Tararua Range) – 1510 m
• Hauhungatahi – 1521 m
• Mount Danae – 1495 m
• Mount Lyndon – 1489 m
• Mid Dome – 1478 m
• Mount Luxmore – 1472 m
• Mount Holdsworth (Tararua Range) – 1470 m
• The Cairn (Benmore Range) – 1464 m
• Summit Peak – 1450 m (highest point of the Rock and Pillar Range)
• Mount Philipps – 1446 m
• Mount Arowhana – 1439 m
• Jumbo Peak (Tararua Range) – 1405 m
• Pouākai (Pouākai Range) – 1400 m
• Mount Alfred – 1375 m
• Mount Oxford – 1364 m
• Young Island (subantarctic island) – 1340 m
• Mount Isobel (Hanmer, South Island) – 1324 m
• The Buscot (Benmore Range) – 1245 m
• Buckle Island (subantarctic island) – 1239 m
• Mount Noble – 1220 m
• Mount Te Kinga – 1204 m
• Mount Grono (Secretary Island) – 1196 m (highest peak in main New Zealand chain not in the North or South Island)
• Mount Pureora – 1175 m
• Mount Tarawera – 1111 m
• Mount Tauhara – 1088 m
• Mount Studholme – 1086 m
• Mount John – 1031 m (site of Mount John University Observatory)
• Mount Thomas – 1023 m

Under 1,000 metres

• Mount Ross – 983 m (highest point in the Aorangi Range)
• Mount Anglem / Hananui – 979 m (highest peak on Stewart Island / Rakiura)
• Mount Pirongia – 959 m
• Mount Te Aroha – 952 m (highest point in the Kaimai Range)
• Mount Matthews – 940 m (highest peak in Rimutaka Range)
• Mount Herbert (Te Ahu Patiki) – 920 m (highest point on Banks Peninsula)
• Wharite Peak – 920 m
• Queenstown Hill – 907 m
• Maungatua – 900 m
• Moehau – 892 m (highest point on the Coromandel Peninsula)
• Mount Graham – 829 m
• Putauaki (Mount Edgecumbe) – 820 m
• Maungatautari – 797 m (site of the Maungatautari Restoration Project)
• Te Raupua – 781 m (highest point in Northland)
• Tutamoe – 770 m (second highest point in Northland)
• Tākaka Hill – 760 m
• Ngongotahā – 757 m
• Mount Karioi – 756 m (overlooks Raglan)
• Swampy Summit – 739 m (highest remnant of the Dunedin Volcano)
• Mount Hauturu on Little Barrier Island – 722 m (highest point in the Auckland Region)
• Mount Wainui – 722 m (highest peak in Akatarawa Forest)
• Mount Pye – 720 m (highest point in The Catlins)
• Mount McKerrow – 706 m
• Mount Dick – 705 m (highest point in the Auckland Islands, on Adams Island)
• Kohukohunui (highest point in the Hunua Ranges) – 688 m
• Patuha (New Zealand) (highest point in the Kaitake Range) – 684 m
• Mount Cargill – 680 m
• Flagstaff (Dunedin) – 666 m
• Mount Clime – 665 m
• Kahurānaki – 645 m Hawkes Bay Region
• Mount Hikurangi (Northland) – 625 m
• Mount Hobson (highest point on Great Barrier Island) – 621 m
• Hokonui Hills – 600 m
• Mount Honey (Campbell Island) – 558 m
• Mount Karangahake (Hauraki District – 544 m
• Castle Rock in the Coromandel Range – 525 m
• Moumoukai – 516 m (highest point in the Kermadec Islands, on Raoul Island)
• Hawkins Hill, Wellington – 495 m
• Te Heru o Kahukura / Sugarloaf (Christchurch) – 494 m
• Kohinurākau (Hastings) – 490 m
• Te Toiokawharu (highest point in the Waitākere Ranges) – 474 m
• Saddle Hill (Dunedin) – 473 m
• Rangituhi / Colonial Knob (Porirua, Wellington) – 468 m
• Kakepuku (Waikato, North Island) – 449 m
• Mount Kaukau (Wellington) – 445 m
• Ruaotuwhenua (Waitākere Ranges, Auckland) – 440 m
• Mount Charles – 408 m (highest point on the Otago Peninsula)
• Mount Manaia (Whangarei) – 403 m
• Te Mata Peak (Hastings) – 399 m
• Signal Hill (Dunedin) – 393 m
• Mayor Island / Tuhua – 355 m
• Pukematekeo (Waitākere Ranges, Auckland) – 336 m
• Whakaari / White Island – 321 m
• Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu – 305 m
• Te Ahumairangi – 301 m
• Brooklyn Hill (Wellington) – 299 m
• Maungatere Hill – 294 m (highest named point in the Chatham Islands)
• Mangere – 286 m (highest point on Mangere Island)
• Bluff Hill / Motupohue ("The Bluff", Bluff, Southland) – 265 m
• Rangitoto Island – 260 m
• Maunganui (Waiheke Island) – 231 m
• Mount Maunganui – 230 m
• Mount Victoria (Wellington) – 196 m
• Maungawhau / Mount Eden (Auckland) – 196 m
• Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill (Auckland) – 182 m
• Paritutu (New Plymouth) – 156 m
• Mount Wellington (Auckland) – 137 m
• Mount Albert (Auckland) – 135 m
• Roys Hill (Hastings) – 134 m
• Mount Roskill (Auckland) – 110 m
• Māngere Mountain – 107 m
• Bluff Hill (Napier) – 101 m

Historical perspective

Prior to the introduction of the metric system in New Zealand, the mountains regarded as tall were those over 10000 ft. 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.

Footnotes

References

References

1. (11 January 1960). "Four ascents of Mt. Cook". [[The Press]].
2. (16 September 2021). "Gordon Hasell". [[Timaru District Council]].
3. (16 January 2014). "Otago-led study revises height of Aoraki/Mt Cook". [[University of Otago]].
4. "NZ". ClimbNZ.
5. "Oceania P5000s". Peaklist.org.
6. [http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/scar/display_name.cfm?gaz_id=122989 Brown Peak], Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. US source.
7. [http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/scar/display_name.cfm?gaz_id=112883 Brown Peak], Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. NZ source.
8. (25 February 1921). "The New Zealand official year-book, 1920". Census and Statistics Office.
9. (1 March 1922). "The New Zealand official year-book, 1921–22". Census and Statistics Office.
10. (15 December 1923). "The New Zealand official year-book, 1924". Census and Statistics Office.
11. (15 December 1930). "The New Zealand official year-book, 1931". Census and Statistics Office.
12. "Defining the highest mountains in New Zealand". Seeking The Light.
13. (2 January 1951). "World climbing record". [[The Press]].
14. (20 June 1957). "The New Zealand official year-book, 1957". Department of Statistics.
15. "The Ten Thousand Foot Peaks". New Zealand Alpine Journal.