Park, western central South Island , New Zealand.
Established in 1953, it has an area of 270 sq mi (700 sq km) and shares a western boundary with Westland National Park. It extends along the crest of the Southern Alps . There are some 27 peaks higher than 10,000 ft (3,000 m) in the park, including Mount Cook, the highest point in New Zealand at 12,349 ft (3,764 m). More than one-third of the park is covered by permanent snow and glacial ice.