This is the spot if you want to wake up right in the heart of Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. It’s $18 a night or free if you’ve got a DOC campsite pass. Bit of a weird system though you can book online but if it says booked out you can still rock up and pay using the self-registration forms and cash at the entrance. Rangers do come around to check you’ve paid, so don’t skip it.

The location is unbeatable. Hooker Valley, Sealy Tarns, Mueller Hut, all the big walks start right from here, so you can roll out of bed and be on the trail in minutes. It’s the perfect base for a couple of nights if you want to explore properly. Facilities are basic but solid. There’s a cooking shelter, drinking water, and actual flush toilets (which feels like luxury after some of the campsites). No power, no showers, and no fires, so come prepared. It gets cold overnight, even in summer, but the mountain views more than make up for it.