See New Zealand at its most dramatic – hiking under endless crisp blue skies and trekking amongst jagged snow capped mountains. We'll backpack into some spectacular spots we can only do this time of year after the summer crowds have left. It's a great time for a vacation! Most trips will have a chance to ski or snowboard while in Queenstown.
Off-season is one of the best times to hike as we'll almost always have the trails to ourselves. We've adapted the Winter Rimu for the cooler climate, and it's a great way to see New Zealand at its least crowded and most beautiful! We'll start by heading over the Southern Alps to the milder temperatures of the West Coast (50-60°F or 10-15°C). We'll then do a number of awesome day hikes and sea kayak trips, followed by a two-night backpacking trip up to the winter wonderland and hot springs of Welcome Flat.
A comfortable night at Makarora follows, before we head up to the stunning alpine environment of Mt. Aspiring Hut. A couple of days in Queenstown follows, and then your choice of a three-day biking and sea kayaking option in some of New Zealand's most beautiful places, or skiing/snowboarding option at Queenstown's nearby skifields. We'll then go hiking near Lake Ohau before finishing back at Christchurch after two weeks of incredible action! We maintain plenty of options so we can make sure the trip works for everyone and we have two guides to take good care of you.
The Winter Rimu is an awesome way to see New Zealand if you enjoy the outdoors and like a bit of a challenge. The accommodations vary – for over half the trip we stay in accommodations of high standards (B&Bs, lodges, etc) and for the rest of the trip we have chosen more rustic accommodations in order to be in the most beautiful, isolated, and off-the-beaten-track places in New Zealand.
Your Itinerary:
Day 1: Monday - Arrive & hiking Temple Basin
Most people leave the Northern hemisphere on a Saturday evening, and arrive in Auckland early on Monday morning. You'll lose a day to the dateline – but you get it back on the way home! If you haven't flown direct into Christchurch, you'll immediately take the short flight to Christchurch, arriving by 10am or so, then we'll meet you and head west to the Southern Alps. We'll stop for lunch at a small alpine lake, before continuing to Devils Punchbowl Falls at Arthur's Pass, for a short leg-stretching walk.
Then we'll head through to Greymouth and up the coastal road to the gorgeous seaside village of Punakaiki. We always make sure the first day of our trip is relaxing and undemanding so you can recover from your flight. Depending on where you're coming from, you'll probably find jetlag is no big deal. For instance, it's a 12-hour direct overnight flight from the West Coast of the USA to Auckland, and there's only a 5-hour time difference between New Zealand and US Pacific time. If you have more time, by all means try to arrive in New Zealand a day or so early, especially if you're coming from further field! Accommodation: Paparoa Park Motels, Punakaiki. Included: (L), (D).
Day 2: Tuesday - Rainforest and Beach Hiking in Punakaiki
We'll take most of the day in Punakaiki to hike amongst the limestone canyons and lush rainforest of the Inland Pack Track. We 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 gold miners who first opened up the area over a century ago established this trail. We'll also check out the Pancake Rocks and the blowholes.
This is one of our favorite places in the world, and you'll see why. Finally we'll leave in the afternoon to drive down the scenic coastal road and stop at Hokitika to check out the local art galleries and a pounamu carving workshops (“pounamu” is Maori for jade). Then we'll carry on to Okarito Lagoon, a gem of the West Coast that is all but untouched due to it being 10 miles down a one-way road from an obscure highway turnoff. There are no shops, no restaurants and no traffic here – and a population of only 31 people! We stay at the Okarito Beach House, and you'll love this place. There's plenty to do here so we'll stay two nights, to catch our breath and relax. Accommodation: Okarito Beach House, Okarito. Off-the-beaten-path, and very cosy. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 3: Wednesday - Kayaking in Okarito Lagoon, Hiking & Beach
You've got a lot of options in Okarito. You can spend a cruise day in this sleepy but beautiful beach town to recharge your batteries, or do some awesome hiking and kayaking. The Okarito Lagoon is unique in that it hosts the only white heron colony in New Zealand. 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 exploring the deserted beach or hiking in the rainforest. In the evening - after a traditional Kiwi roast dinner (with vegetarian options of course) - we can head out to listen for New Zealand's most famous bird, the rare and elusive kiwi.
You'll almost never see a kiwi, as they are nocturnal and very shy, but they have a very distinctive call, so it's great fun to go out and listen for them. And the sunsets around here are definitely not to be missed. Accommodation: Okarito Beach House, Okarito. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 4: Thursday - Fox Glacier then Hiking up to Welcome Flat
We are very privileged to be able to hike up to the Welcome Flat area. This is a stunningly beautiful mountain basin, set directly underneath the towering peaks of the Southern Alps, with one awesome accoutrement – reliable natural hot pools! We'll spend the day hiking up the Karangarua Valley and have all of tomorrow to take short side hikes, soak in the hot pools and just enjoy the alpine atmosphere. With a really early start, we'll have time to stop at Fox Glacier, for a short walk up to the terminal face of the glacier.
The Fox Glacier is an enormous river of ice, unusual in that it comes right down through the rainforest to sea level. Then it's up to the trailhead, to hike into Welcome Flat. This is about a six to seven hour hike of about nine miles, with a 1,000-foot elevation gain over that distance. Our guides will carry the majority of the load, so you'll just be carrying your sleeping bag, clothes for two days and a little food. Once we get to Welcome Flat, we stay in one of New Zealand's most modern and spacious backcountry huts. It's a hut in name only – it's a comfortable two-storied building (a palace compared to many New Zealand huts) and you'll love it here, especially since, at this time of year, we may well have it all to ourselves! Accommodation: Welcome Flat Hut. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 5: Friday - Hiking to Douglas Rock & Soaking in Hot Pools
Today we'll have a very easy day, for soaking in the hot pools, enjoying the stunning scenery and maybe just hanging out with a book! We can also hike further up the track towards Douglas Rock for even more stunning scenery. But the hot pools are without a doubt the star attraction here; closely followed by the spectacular meals we'll be serving up. Accommodation: Welcome Flat Hut. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 6: Saturday - Hiking out & relaxing in Makarora
Another early start sees us on the track and walking the nine miles back to the road. It's a little quicker this time, being slightly downhill, and we'll be back at our vehicle by mid-afternoon. Then we'll drive south to the tiny hamlet of Makarora, on the edge of Mount Aspiring National Park. Here we stay in a comfortable family-style homestead, where we'll load up on a beautifully prepared meal and sprawl by the fire with a glass of mulled wine, before heading into the backcountry again tomorrow. Accommodation: The Homestead, Makarora - very comfortable and spacious. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 7: Sunday - Hiking in Mount Aspiring National Park
Today we have another spectacular hike which is, again, most suitable in winter conditions, due to the sheer beauty and unpopulated nature of the area at this time of year! We're going to be hiking up to Mount Aspiring Hut. The hike itself is less than three hours, but we have a great side hike to the Rob Roy Glacier on the way to the hut. Because all our trips have two guides, we can split into two groups – one can head for the fireside and one can stretch their legs still further!
Mount Aspiring Hut is also a spacious and modern mountain lodge, albeit in the midst of nowhere, and the scenery is arguably even more spectacular than that on the West Coast. Here Mt. Aspiring itself rears nearly 10,000 feet straight up from behind the hut. For such a short walk in, it's amazing how far you'll feel from civilization! Accommodation: Mount Aspiring Hut. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 8: Monday - Hiking in Mount Aspiring National Park
We can have a leisurely start today, enjoying a healthy breakfast and admiring the view, before hiking back out to the trailhead. From here we have a very short drive down the road to Wanaka, then we'll cross the mountains at Cardrona Saddle to drop into Queenstown. A picturesque town set in a basin on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is surrounded by mountains rearing up all round. It's a great place to spend a couple of days, and you'll find all sorts of options to pique your interest! Accommodation: Queenstown apartments, Queenstown. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 9: Tuesday – Free Day in Queenstown
Our company is based in Queenstown for a good reason – it's the adventure capital of New Zealand – and you'll find all the comforts of civilization, adrenaline, restaurants, sidewalk cafés and window-shopping. But don't lose sight of the fact that there are also some fantastic hikes and bike rides at your doorstep, and all sorts of incredible options such as jet boating, whitewater rafting, river surfing, skydiving, off-road motorcycling, horse trekking, fishing, wine tours – it's all there!
Your guides can help you during the trip to book any of these optional activities. Queenstown is not a big place – the population is about 8,000 – but there's plenty to do! Or you can do nothing, if you prefer, and just soak up the atmosphere. Many of our clients enjoy lounging about just reading a book after the hiking and paddling on the West Coast. Of course, being winter, many people will choose to take advantage of the snow and go skiing for the day at one of Queentstown's nearby ski resorts, such as Coronet Peak or the Remarkables (approximate cost US$100 for ski/snowboard hire, transport and lift passes). Accommodation: Queenstown apartments. Included: (B).
Day 10: Wednesday - Multi-day cycling and kayaking or skiing/snowboarding options
At the time of booking, you have the choice of the cycling and kayaking option or staying on in Queenstown for a skiing/snowboarding option. Each is wonderful in its own way, so we'll let you decide! After breakfast together, we head off for our various activities:
Cycling and kayaking option in Te Anau and Milford Sound:
Wednesday (Continued)
Today is a cycling day, for the keen cyclists amongst us! In order to adjust to the winter conditions, we'll be doing this close to Queenstown, so if you prefer to avoid cycling in winter, you'll have most of today available for extra Queenstown options. We'll 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, we have a two-hour drive down to Lake Manapouri, which we use as a base for our sea kayaking adventure to Milford Sound. We'll stay at the Lake Manapouri Inn, beautifully placed on the lake's edge. You'll love the great views out over the lake and the surrounding mountains of Fiordland National Park. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 11: Thursday - Sea kayaking in Milford Sound
The day starts very early, as we head into Milford Sound to go sea kayaking. Milford Sound, rated the 8th Natural Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling, is breathtaking. Sheer rock walls plunge thousands of feet to the sea, surrounded by snow-capped mountains! Most people see Milford Sound from the deck of a cruise ship, but we've got a better way – 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 get back from your morning's paddle we'll head back through to Lake Manapouri, arriving by mid afternoon so you can relax and enjoy the surroundings or take the bikes out to explore the countryside before a BBQ dinner. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 12: Friday - Cycling near Te Anau
Keen cyclists this morning will have another opportunity to get more miles under their belt, exploring some of the farmland around Te Anau by bike – the earlier you start the more ground you'll cover. The rest of the group can enjoy a sleep-in and have a gentle, late-morning start. We'll pick up cyclists along the way to Queenstown, where we'll stop for lunch and meet up with the skiers/snowboarders. You'll have the chance to do some last minute shopping, banking, or whatever you need before heading back into the wilderness for the rest of our trip.
Skiing/Snowboarding option in Queenstown (available as snow conditions suit – generally June - Sept):
Wednesday (Continued)
If you'd like to try skiing or snowboarding downunder, we've got just the thing! With Coronet Peak and Remarkables ski areas close to Queenstown, and Cardrona ski area just an hour away, there's a huge variety of terrain for beginners and experts alike. You can bring your own gear with you on the trip, or if you'd prefer, you can rent gear down here. After breakfast, you'll head up to the ski area for a day on the slopes. 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 your mind. Included: (B).
Day 11: Thursday - Skiing/snowboarding
Now that you've got your “ski-legs” back, today's the day to really carve it up – have fun out there! Included: (B).
Day 12: Friday - Skiing/snowboarding
We'll spend the morning relaxing in Queenstown, before rejoining the cycling and kayaking group around lunch time and heading inland to Lake Ohau.
Friday (Continued) - Finish multi-day cycling and kayaking or skiing/snowboarding options;
After regrouping in Queenstown we'll head to Lake Ohau, near Mt. Cook, where we'll stay at the remote and beautiful Lake Ohau Lodge. With majestic views of Lake Ohau, Glen Mary Glacier, Mt Cook and the Lake Ohau Range, the views out the window are hard to beat. With no lights for miles around, the stars on a clear night are like nothing you've ever seen – the perfect place for your last couple of nights in New Zealand! Accommodation: Lake Ohau Lodge, Lake Ohau. Included: (B), (D).
Day 13: Saturday - Hiking at North Temple Valley / skiing Ohau
We'll have a leisurely start today! After a late breakfast on the balcony overlooking the lake, it's a short drive to the trail head for a spectacular hike up the North Temple Valley. This beautiful and little known trail is true high-country hiking, with large areas of native tussock as well as beech and rainforest. Then we'll return to Lake Ohau in the shadow of the Southern Alps, where we'll enjoy a sumptuous dinner on our last night together. An option today is to spend the day skiing at the small but exciting Ohau Ski Field, a truly unique kiwi experience (Skiing option approximately US$100). Accommodation: Lake Ohau Lodge, Lake Ohau. Included: (B), (L), (D).
Day 14: Sunday - Depart for home
This is the last day of your two-week trip around the South Island. We'll leave after breakfast for the four-hour drive to Christchurch, and arrive early afternoon for the flights back to Auckland. Any international flight after 4pm is ideal, and we can make domestic flights after 2.30pm with a little notice. Flights between Auckland and North America usually leave early evening, so we'll get you back home some time on Sunday, even though you left on Sunday evening! Flights back to Europe, of course, take a little longer. You'll be refreshed and invigorated from the good food, exercise, rest and great times you'll have had with us in New Zealand! Included: (B), (L).
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
The trip fare includes just about everything, specifically:
- All guiding services.
- Comfortable accommodation for the entire period you are with us.
- All your meals, except in Queenstown where we've found people prefer to check out the wide range of restaurants. Alcohol is not generally included, although we do spring for a few drinks here and there!
- All hiking, cycling, and kayaking described in the itinerary, except the optional extra activities. There are many optional activities available at extra cost, particularly in Franz Josef and Queenstown. None of these activities are compulsory.
Not included: This is your holiday, and we are serious about not nickel-and-diming you! You'll have a few meals and drinks to cover, extra activities if you choose them. The trip does not include NZ taxes of 12.5%.
Also see tour packages in:
Australia and Oceania
New Zealand
Hiking & Trekking
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