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Itinerary

Winter is one of the best times to hike in New Zealand as the tracks are quiet, and with snow-capped mountains, it’s a beautiful time of year to explore. New Zealand’s maritime climate ensures we have mild winters suitable for outdoor pursuits (typical day temperature is about 45-60°F or 8-15°C). Enjoy two incredible multi-day guided backpacking trips to alpine hot pools, glaciers and remote snowfields. Take on some of the best day hikes in the country and head out for unforgettable sea kayaking and biking, or if you prefer, a couple of days of skiing or snowboarding in the mountains surrounding Queenstown. There are plenty of options so the trip suits everyone. The accommodations vary – for over half the trip you will stay in accommodations of comfortable standards (B&Bs, lodges, etc.) and for the rest of the trip, more rustic accommodations have been chosen in order to be in the most beautiful places in New Zealand.

Day 1.

Monday. Arrive, hike Mt. John
Begin tour in Christchurch in the South Island and be picked up at your accommodation or the airport. Head south for a hike at Mount John. Walk along the shores of Lake Tekapo then head uphill through fragrant wilding pine, before emerging above the treeline for breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Then drive to the remote and beautiful Lake Ohau Lodge. With awesome views of Lake Ohau, Glen Mary Glacier, Aoraki/Mount Cook and the Lake Ohau Range, you’ll see why this is a favourite winter hideaway. The stars here are amazing too, as there is no artificial light for miles in any direction. You will have the rest of the afternoon to relax at the lodge or head out for another short walk to explore your surroundings.

Day 2.

Tuesday. Hike Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park or ski at Ohau Ski Area
Have a leisurely start today. After a late breakfast on the balcony overlooking Lake Ohau, it’s a short drive to Mount Cook village, at the head of Lake Pukaki. Here you will take an impressive hike up Hooker Valley to a glacial lake complete with icebergs! This is a great spot for lunch and on a clear day the views of Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, are stunning. Then you will return to Lake Ohau where you will enjoy a sumptuous dinner. Another option today is to spend the day skiing at the small and friendly Ohau Ski Area, one of the South Island’s more remote backcountry ski fields (additional cost for ski option).

Day 3.

Wednesday. Hike Mount Aspiring National Park
Today you will start the first of two memorable multi-day hikes. This hike is well suited to winter conditions, due to the sheer beauty and unpopulated nature of the area at this time of year. It is a gentle valley walk of less than three hours, but there is a great side hike to Rob Roy Glacier on the way to the hut which is considered one of the best day hikes in the South Island. The trail passes tumbling rivers, towering snowfields, and huge mountain peaks straight from the set of The Lord of the Rings. You will hike up a narrow glacial valley, coming out of the forest in a dramatic alpine cirque, with incredible views of the Southern Alps. When you arrive at the hut you can continue further up the valley or simply head for the fireside and relax. Mount Aspiring Hut is a spacious and modern mountain lodge, albeit in the middle of nowhere, with floor to ceiling windows that perfectly frame Mount Aspiring – one of New Zealand’s tallest peaks at nearly 10,000 feet – at the head of the valley. Numbers on this hike are limited to minimise impact on the area. If you prefer not to stay in the hut there is an alternative option, staying at the more luxurious Lake Wanaka Lodge and doing day hikes into the mountains, or relaxing and enjoying Wanaka’s laid-back, small town atmosphere! The choice is yours.

Day 4.

Thursday. Hike Mount Aspiring National Park
A leisurely start today, enjoying a healthy breakfast and admiring the views, before hiking back out to the trailhead. From here there is a short drive to Wanaka where you will meet up with the rest of the group. Then across the Cardrona Saddle and drop into Queenstown, a picturesque town set in a basin on the edge of Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by snowy peaks. It’s a great place to spend a couple of days, and you’ll find all sorts of options to pique your interest!

Day 5.

Friday. Free day in Queenstown
In Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand, you’ll find all the comforts of civilisation: massage therapists, restaurants, sidewalk cafés, window-shopping, and adrenaline-pumping activities. You’ll also find incredible optional activities here too, such as hang gliding, bungy jumping, jet boating, skydiving, horse trekking, fishing and winery tours. There are great hiking, biking and kayaking opportunities in this region. Also, being winter you can go skiing or snowboarding for the day at one of Queenstown’s nearby ski areas (additional cost – available as snow conditions suit, generally from June to September). Or you can do nothing and just soak up the atmosphere, or lounge about reading a book.

Day 6.

Saturday. Start multi-day options
When you book, you have the choice of a 3-day/2 night cycling and kayaking option in Fiordland National Park or a skiing/snowboarding option in Queenstown. Each is wonderful in its own way, so you decide! After breakfast together, you will head off for your various activities:

CYCLING AND KAYAKING OPTION IN MANAPOURI AND MILFORD SOUND
Today is a cycling day, for the keen cyclists! You’ll be fitted with a 21-speed front-suspension Specialized mountain bike for a spectacular ride near Queenstown, or if you prefer to avoid cycling in winter, you’ll have most of today available for extra Queenstown options. You can do one of the many cycling tracks in the area, and the biking is guaranteed to suit all levels of ability. At the end of the day, there is a two-hour drive to Lake Manapouri, which will be the base for your sea kayaking adventure to Milford Sound. You will stay at Lake Manapouri Inn, with great views over the lake and the surrounding mountains of Fiordland National Park.

SKIING/SNOWBOARDING OPTION IN QUEENSTOWN
With Coronet Peak, the Remarkables and Cardrona ski areas all within an hour of Queenstown, there are plenty of skiing and snowboarding options for novices and experts alike, and your guides will be happy to point you to the best of them! If you want to brush up on your skills, or if you’re relatively new to the sport, private lessons are a great option (additional cost), although not essential. You can bring your own gear, or you can rent gear down here (additional cost). Conditions vary throughout the season, but you can expect good skiing and riding, on and off-piste, with plenty of chairlifts and scenery that will blow you away! If you want to go skiing, but you don’t want to miss out on Milford Sound, you can also use today or tomorrow to take a day trip to the world famous Fiordland National Park. At the time of booking, or up until one month before your trip let us know if you would like to organise a day trip to Milford and we’ll be happy to arrange this for you.

Day 7.

Sunday. Three-day options
CYCLING/KAYAKING
The day starts very early this morning as you head towards Milford Sound. Milford was rated the 8th Natural Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling and it’s easy to see why. Sheer granite walls plunge thousands of feet into calm indigo water, broken only by the reflection of the towering snowy peaks that border the sound. See Milford Sound by gliding along in a sea kayak, causing minimum disruption to the seals and dolphins that are very friendly and often eager to visit. This is an awesome trip, run by specialist kayak outfitters and suitable for beginners or experts. When you finish your paddle you will head back to Lake Manapouri, arriving by mid afternoon for a BBQ dinner.

SKIING/SNOWBOARDING
Now that you’ve got your ‘ski-legs’, today is the day to really carve it up – have fun out there!

Day 8.

Monday. End three-day options
CYCLING/KAYAKING
This morning, cyclists will have another opportunity to stretch their legs, biking through the peaceful rolling farmland surrounding Te Anau. The earlier you set out, the more ground you’ll cover. The rest of the group can enjoy a late-morning start and cyclists will be picked up on the way to Queenstown where you will stop for lunch and meet up with the skiers/snowboarders. You’ll have the chance to do any last-minute shopping, send postcards home.

SKIING/SNOWBOARDING
Spend the morning relaxing in Queenstown, before rejoining the cycling and kayaking group around lunch time and heading north to Makarora.

REGROUP
After regrouping you will head to the tiny hamlet of Makarora, on the edge of Mount Aspiring National Park. Stay in a comfortable family-style homestead and enjoy a beautifully prepared meal.

Day 9.

Tuesday. Hike Copland Valley to hot pools
Hike into a stunningly beautiful mountain basin, set directly underneath the towering peaks of the Southern Alps, with an awesome accoutrement – reliable natural hot pools! It’s a challenging six to seven hour hike (17km/10 miles) up the Copland Valley with a gradual 1,000 foot elevation gain, but it’s worth it to have all of tomorrow to take side hikes, soak in the hot pools and enjoy your alpine surroundings. You don’t have to carry a very heavy pack – your guides will carry the lion’s share of the load. You’ll be carrying a sleeping bag, a few spare clothes, and some food – no need for any more than that. Once you reach the hot pools, you will stay in one of New Zealand’s most modern and spacious backcountry huts.

Day 10.

Wednesday. Hike Douglas Rock or soak in hot pools
Today hike further up the track towards Douglas Rock for even more amazing scenery and views of multiple glaciers clinging to the top of the mountain valley. If you prefer, you can have a relaxing day at the hut – soak in the hot pools, enjoy the stunning scenery, or even just hang out with a book! Either way, the hot pools are without a doubt the star attraction here; closely followed by the spectacular meals you will be served.

Day 11.

Thursday. Hike Copland Valley | Fox Glacier | Okarito
An early start sees you on the track and walking back to the trailhead. It’s a little quicker this time, being slightly downhill, and you will be back by mid-afternoon. With a really early start, there will be time to stop at Fox Glacier afterwards, for a walk up to the glacier’s terminal face. Fox Glacier is an enormous river of ice, unusual in that it comes right down through the rainforest to sea level. Then you will carry on to Okarito Lagoon, a West Coast wetland that is all unmodified. There are no shops, no restaurants, no traffic, and a population of only 31 people! Stay at the Okarito Beach House for two nights. Tonight you can sprawl by the fire with a glass of mulled wine (or hot chocolate!) after your long hike out of the Copland Valley.

Day 12.

Friday. Kayak Okarito Lagoon
Today you can spend a relaxing day in this sleepy but beautiful beach town to recharge your batteries, or get out for awesome hiking and kayaking. Okarito Lagoon is home to the only native white heron colony in New Zealand, as well as lots of other amazing birdlife including the Okarito brown kiwi. You can sea kayak on the lagoon with a backdrop of snow-capped mountains for a few hours, then spend the rest of the day hiking along the beach or in coastal rainforest.

Day 13.

Saturday. Hike Inland Pack Track | Punakaiki
This morning the drive will take you along the coast to Hokitika to check out local art galleries and a pounamu carving workshops (‘pounamu’ is the Maori word for jade or greenstone). After lunch, carry on to Punakaiki, where you will hike among the limestone canyons and lush rainforest of the Inland Pack Track. Start at a classic ‘submergence’ – where the river suddenly dries up mid-stream and goes underground for a mile or so before resurfacing at Cave Creek. The rainforest in this area is unbelievably lush, and the limestone canyons and distant hazy mountains of Paparoa National Park make this an awesome day hike. The trail was originally established by gold miners over a century ago, so there’s plenty of history in the area as well. We’ll also check out Punakaiki’s famous Pancake Rocks and blowholes.

Day 14.

Sunday. Return to Christchurch
This is the last day of your two-week trip around the South Island. Depart after breakfast for the four-hour drive to Christchurch. You can be dropped off at central Christchurch accommodation or the airport. Any flight after 4:00pm is ideal it is possible to make 3:00pm flights with a little notice.

Grading & Fitness

Grade: C
Hiking on tracks. Some uneven terrain.
Carrying backpack of up to 10kg on some hikes.

You must have a reasonable level of fitness to enjoy yourself. You don’t have to be young and extremely fit (although if you are, you won’t be bored) but you should be in the habit of doing at least some exercise. Age and experience is not important. You don’t have to carry a heavy pack. You don’t need to have sea kayaking experience. You don’t need to be a serious cyclist to enjoy the rides. There are many options available so you don’t need to ride at all, if you’d rather hike, fish, or just laze around! It will help if you’re energetic and in reasonable shape. The challenges are there though, if you’re looking for them.

Guides & Safety

Your experienced guides are highly trained, and will look after you! Guides will manage the level of commitment to suit your experience. The operator holds all relevant government licenses and permits required to operate commercially.

What to take

Essential Items