Sustainability

Overview

Mt Cook Lakeside Retreat operates within the distinctive and fragile environment of the Mackenzie Basin, beside Lake Pukaki and on the doorstep of Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park and the Southern Alps. Caring for that environment is not separate from our guest experience or our business. It influences how we plan, build, purchase, grow food and manage the estate. We believe luxury does not need to mean excess. It can mean privacy, space, quality and longevity. It can mean buildings created to endure, food grown and sourced with care, water treated as a precious resource, dark skies protected and landscapes actively restored. Our Qualmark Gold Sustainable Tourism Business status reflects a wider commitment to environmental, social and economic sustainability. Sustainability is incorporated into our planning, operating systems and staff induction, with progress measured rather than assumed. 

Caring for the Land

The landscape we care for today is very different from the wilding pine-covered property we first discovered. The removal of invasive trees, followed by the 2020 fire, created both a challenge and an opportunity to regenerate significant parts of the estate. As the land has regenerated, native plants and ferns have returned, creating richer habitats for wildlife across the estate. Native frogs and lizards can be found among the vegetation, while kārearea / New Zealand falcon are seen overhead. This natural recovery, supported by ongoing planting and habitat restoration, is helping to create a more diverse and resilient alpine environment where native species can once again thrive. Replanting continues, with gardens, specimen trees, native and complementary species, productive areas and habitats gradually creating a more diverse landscape. Our approach is long term. Some changes can be seen within a season; others will take decades. It reflects our commitment to kaitiakitanga: the responsibility to care for, protect and restore this place. 

Protecting the Night

Darkness is a natural resource. As part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, we recognise the importance of limiting unnecessary artificial light and protecting the exceptional quality of the night sky. Thoughtful exterior lighting and our astronomy experiences encourage an appreciation of natural darkness — not only for stargazing, but for the wildlife, landscapes and natural rhythms that depend upon it. 

Growing and Sourcing with Care

Our gardens produce seasonal vegetables, herbs, berries, fruit and edible flowers for The Moraine. What we cannot grow ourselves is sourced thoughtfully, with an emphasis on provenance and relationships with farmers, growers and artisan producers from our region and around New Zealand. This estate-to-plate approach reduces the distance between producer and plate while allowing our chefs to tell a food story that belongs to this part of the country. 

The Tiaki Promise in Action

Mt Cook Lakeside Retreat supports the Tiaki Promise — a commitment to care for New Zealand, its people, culture, land, water and natural environment, now and for future generations. Tiaki speaks to caring for, guarding and protecting. For us, that responsibility begins here: caring for the alpine land of the estate, respecting Lake Pukaki and the wider Mackenzie environment, protecting the darkness above us and encouraging guests to experience this landscape thoughtfully. The Tiaki Promise is not simply something we ask of visitors. Its principles align with how we want to operate as a New Zealand-owned business and as guardians of this place. 

Measuring Our Impact

Good intentions need evidence. We have commenced comprehensive measurement of the Retreat’s carbon emissions with an independent carbon reporting provider, covering Scope 1, Scope 2 and selected Scope 3 emissions. Building an accurate emissions inventory gives us a clearer understanding of where our environmental impact occurs and provides a measurable basis for decisions around energy, purchasing, transport, waste and estate operations. Our approach is straightforward: understand our impact, make informed changes and continue to measure our progress. Sustainability at Mt Cook Lakeside Retreat will continue to evolve, just as the estate itself continues to evolve, guided by a responsibility to leave this place in better condition for those who follow.

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