Make your way to the hotel in Nelson and explore this charming town on our own. Meet our guides for a group dinner and brief about the days ahead.

Nelson is a city on the South Island of New Zealand, facing Tasman Bay. It’s known for local arts and crafts stores, and art galleries. It’s also a popular base for nearby caving sites, vineyards and Abel Tasman National Park.

Dinner is included. Overnight at 4-Star Hotel in Nelson.

Set off for our hike in Abel Tasman National Park. At the beach resort of Kaiteriteri, board a water taxi and cruise the coastline past golden sand beaches, rugged granite headlands, and bush-clad islands.

Step ashore at Bark Bay and follow the famed Abel Tasman Coast Track through native forests and past cascading streams. A well-formed trail leads us up and over gentle ridges to Torrent Bay, where the lovely clear fresh waters of Cleopatra’s Pool may tempt some in the group to take a dip or for those more daring – a slide down the naturally formed hydro-slide! At Anchorage, we will meet the water taxi for a return journey to Kaiteriteri before heading back to Nelson in the late afternoon.

Hike Duration: 12k 4-5 hours

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. Overnight at 4-Star Hotel in Nelson.

Nelson Lakes National Park Hike

Hike 1 Duration: 9k – 5+ hours

Hike 2 Duration: 4-6k 2.5 hours

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight at 4-Star Hotel in Nelson.

Traveling southwest from Nelson, we drive over Hope Saddle and then alongside the mighty Buller River as it follows the southern boundary of Kahurangi National Park. We’ll drive the spectacular Buller Gorge road before reaching the West Coast at Westport.

At Cape Foulwind we’ll hike for about an hour past an old lighthouse to a viewing platform looking down into New Zealand fur seal rookery. A spectacular place to watch young seal pups learning to swim in the sheltered rocky pools while their mothers bask on the rocks. After a picnic lunch at Tauranga Bay, we’ll drive to Punakaiki, home to the well-known Pancake Rocks.

Our afternoon hike follows a path through an unspoiled subtropical forest where podocarp and rātā trees tower above thickets of vine and nīkau palms. Emerging out of the forest onto a spectacular coastline with cliffs, caverns, a blowhole, and a waterfall that plummets straight onto a rock-strewn beach. If the tide is low we can access the beach and explore this area further, and hike past sea caves that were used by Māori while harvesting the plentiful seafood (kai moana) in this area many years ago.

Before Lunch Hike Duration: 1 hour
After Lunch Hike Duration: 2kms / 1.5 hrs

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. Overnight at 4-Star Hotel in Punakaiki.

This morning we explore a lesser-known but exquisite corner of the World Heritage area of Te Wahi Pounamu, and hop into sea kayaks to explore New Zealand’s largest unmodified wetland, the Okarito Lagoon.

It’s just a short drive to the historic seaside village of Okarito, bounded by estuary, sea cliffs, lush rainforests, and superb views of the Southern Alps. Once a gold mining boom town, now a place to be immersed in nature. In Okarito we meet our expert local kayak guides and take our time to explore this ancient and pristine wilderness. Watching out for the many species of wading birds that are found here as we make our way across the delta and into virgin a rainforest of towering Kahikatea trees, some hundreds of years old. After the hike, there is time to wander around the village and learn more about its storied past and check out the wild and driftwood-strewn Okarito beach. There is also the option of a hike up to the Okarito Trig, if the weather is clear, this high point affords spectacular views of the Southern Alps.

Note- to offer the best kayaking experience, kayaking departure time will set according to the tide times, so the timing of this day may change, and kayaking may take place later in the day, giving us more time in the morning for the longer lagoon and trig hike at Okarito (3.5hrs) or other activities*

Kayaking: 2 hours

Trig Hike Duration: 4.2 kms / 1.5 hrs

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. Overnight at 4-Star Hotel in Franz Josef Westland.

We take a short drive to the Waiho Valley and hike Robert’s Point Track into a dynamic glacial landscape of sheer rock walls, waterfalls, and mountain peaks. The walk over ice-carved rock, across many side streams, leads eventually to a viewpoint high above the ice of Franz Josef Glacier. The historic Hende’s Hut and Gallery – a cantilevered walkway, high suspension bridges, and opportunity to learn about the glacier and the effects of its rapid retreat make this hike much more about the journey than the destination.

A remarkable afternoon drive to Wānaka, takes us through the rainforests and coastal grandeur of South Westland and across the Alps via Haast Pass into the Southern Lakes region of Central Otago. We’ll take the opportunity to break the journey by sampling one or two of the many short coastal forest or mountain walks along the way.

Hike Duration: Up to 11km km / 3-5 hrs

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. Overnight at 4-Star Hotel in Wanaka.

The group either start or finish the day with the opportunity to relax in the lakeside environs of the hotel or venture into town. A morning or afternoon hike to the Rob Roy Glacier starts off with a beautiful drive up the Matukituki Valley, through large sheep, cattle, and deer farms along the way. 

Our hike starts from Raspberry Flat and crosses a suspension bridge across the Matukituki River before climbing through Beech forest alongside the raging boulder strewn stream of Rob Roy. The midway viewpoint is reached after about 1.5 hrs; some may choose to make this their turnaround point if wanting an easier day. Eventually, the track emerges above the tree line in a delightful alpine meadow with a superb vista of the Rob Roy glacier. We take a break here to soak it all in before wandering back down the valley to the vehicle and returning to our accommodation in Wānaka.

Hike Duration: Up to 10km km / 4 hrs

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. Overnight at 4-Star Hotel in Wanaka

Day to Do YOU! For those wanting more independent time off, Wanaka is the perfect place to have it. Stroll around the many shops and cafes and soak up the spectacular views of the lake and mountains. Or you may want to experience some local adventures;

Tonight is a free night to enjoy as you wish. Your guides will arrange some group shuttles to the lakefront so you can dine at the lake edge or one of the many restaurants and cafés in the township.

Breakfast and lunch are included. Dinner on your own. Overnight at a 4-star Hotel in Wanaka.

Today we hike amongst the post-glacial features of Diamond Lake and the Rocky Mountain area. The spectacular views of Glendhu Bay, Roy’s Peak, and Lake Wānaka encompass the patchwork of surrounding farmland and wilderness areas.

Our day excursion takes us through magnificent mountain scenery to the famous Milford Sound, one of New Zealand’s most iconic visitor destinations. We stop at The Divide to start our morning walk along a section of the Routeburn Track to Key Summit. From the summit we enjoy the panoramic views of the Fiordland landscape.

Option to Extend Your NZ Adventure with the Queenstown Race Package or Hotel Nights Stay.

Today is the day to enjoy the world’s most beautiful marathon. With four distances to choose from – Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10k, the Queenstown Marathon offers something for everyone. The combination of hard-packed trails and roads takes you around picturesque lakes and through gorgeous countryside with a backdrop of impressive mountains.

Spend the early afternoon at your leisure before we reunite for a gourmet barbeque on the Walter Peak High Country Farm. It is a scenic cruise on board the historic TSS Earnslaw Vintage Steamship from central Queenstown across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak.

You’ll have the option to extend your stay in Queenstown with the hotel night package option (no racing in this one 🙂