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Wednesday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM


altitude 720 cafe & bar

Refuel at our onsite Altitude 720 Cafe & Bar and take in the beautiful lake and mountain views! In summer you can dine alfresco on the spacious balcony and in winter warm up by the open fire. Try our 720 coffee blend, the highest-altitude roasted beans in New Zealand!

* The café is open daily, opening hours may change without notice due to seasonal demand.

FOOD

Our café offers a full cooked menu with a variety of delicious options that change with the seasons. We have vegetarian and gluten-free options, plus cabinet food, ice-creams and sweet treats. There is no entry fee to our café or any surcharges on public holidays.

DRINK

The Altitude 720 Cafe & Bar is fully-licensed and stocks an excellent range of New Zealand beer, wine and spirits as well as a few international favourites. Our skilled baristas are proud to use our special in-house roasted 720 coffee blend. A range of juices, sodas and smoothies are also available.

our story

Our cafe & bar sits at 720 metres above sea level, perfectly positioned to take in the lake and mountain views as well as the pure alpine air! Our decor pays homage to New Zealand’s “Monarch of the Mountains”, the magnificent Himalayan tahr that live in the grasslands of our alpine environment.

IT STARTED WITH A DUKE

In 1904, the Duke of Bedford introduced Tahr to New Zealand with the intention of hunting them for sport. He supplied three males and three females from his own herd at Woburn Abbey although one reckless spirit jumped off the ship so only five arrived. Later, another eight animals were shipped over and released near Aoraki/Mount Cook.

king of the mountain

With their shaggy coats, exceptional eyesight, excellent hearing and sense of smell the Tahr quickly adapted to their new environment. They thrived on eating snow tussock, alpine herbs including the Mount Cook lily and sub-alpine plants such as the native broom. Numbers grew to pest proportions and the government introduced pest control measures in the 1930s.

A HUNTER’S PARADISE

New Zealand is the only country in the world where tahr are freely hunted in the open. Visitors come from all over the globe for the challenge of hunting these agile beasts; they are often hard to find as they live in rugged country and are adept at moving quickly through steep and rough terrain.

The Department of Conservation operates a tahr control plan with the goal of keeping total numbers below 10,000. Local tahr near Tekapo are monitored for population trends, the effects of hunting and their impact on vegetation.

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