Summer Rimu
14 days, South Island
Monday - Arrive, snorkel with seals in KaikouraMost people leave the Northern Hemisphere on a Saturday evening, arriving in Auckland early Monday morning. You’ll lose a day crossing the dateline – but you get it back on the way home! You’ll immediately take a short flight to Christchurch in the South Island arriving by around 10am. We’ll meet you there and travel up the coast to the seaside town of Kaikoura where you can snorkel with friendly New Zealand fur seals. You’ll be supplied with a wetsuit, mask and snorkel, and have the chance to swim to within a couple of feet of seals as they cavort in the water. If you prefer not to snorkel, you can hike out to the scenic Kaikoura Peninsula past weather-sculpted limestone cliffs to watch another local seal colony bask on the rocks and play in the eddies, all from the comfort of dry land. Today is a relaxed introduction to New Zealand giving you the chance to recover from your flight.
Accommodation: A cosy Bed & Breakfast, Kaikoura (L,D)
Tuesday - Visit vineyard, start multi-day options
From Kaikoura we’ll travel north for a couple of hours to Blenheim, in the Marlborough wine region, and visit Forrest Estate Winery to sample some of their fantastic wines and enjoy a picnic on the vineyard lawn. When you book, you have the choice of one of three 3-day/2-night options – a backpacking trip in Nelson Lakes National Park, a sea-kayaking trip in the Marlborough Sounds, or a biking trip on the Queen Charlotte Track. The backpacking trip stays in mountain huts while the cyclists and sea kayakers stay in more conventional lodgings with private rooms.
Tuesday to Thursday - Multiday options continued
Hiking Option in Nelson Lakes National Park
Sea Kayaking Option in the Marlborough Sounds
Biking Option on the Queen Charlotte Track
Thursday (continued) - Finish 3-day backpacking, sea kayaking or biking.
After regrouping in Saint Arnaud we’ll head to the West Coast – 500 miles of gorgeous coastline with a population of only 40,000 people along its entire length. For dinner this evening, we’ll stop at the tiny seaside settlement of Charleston to pick up the quintessential Kiwi dinner – fish and chips! If it’s a fine evening, we’ll enjoy our dinner on the beach before heading south along the stunning coastline towards the coastal village of Punakaiki.
Accommodation: West Coast lodgings – comfortable and quiet (B,L,D)
Friday - Hike in Punakaiki Rainforest
We’ll spend most of the day in Punakaiki hiking among the limestone canyons and lush rainforest of the Inland Pack Track. Gold miners established this trail over a century ago, so there is a lot of pioneering history in the area. While we’re in Punakaiki we’ll also head to the famous Pancake Rocks and blowholes – bizarre limestone formations which have been sculpted by the relentless pounding of the Tasman Sea to resemble giant stacks of pancakes. Then we’ll head down the scenic coastal road to Hokitika to check out local art galleries and pounamu carving workshops (‘pounamu’ is Maori for jade) before carrying on to Okarito Lagoon. Okarito is a hidden gem that is all but untouched due to it being 10 miles down a one-way road from an obscure highway turnoff. With a population of only 31 people, there are no shops, no restaurants and no traffic – and watching the sun set over the Tasman Sea is definitely not to be missed!
Accommodation: Okarito Beach House, Okarito – off-the-beaten-path, isolated and comfortable (B,L,D)
Saturday - Kayak Okarito Lagoon
You have a lot of options 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 is home to the only native white heron colony in New Zealand, as well as a host of other interesting birds including the Okarito brown kiwi. You can sea kayak on the lagoon with a backdrop of snow-capped mountains for a few hours, then hike through lush coastal forest to Three Mile Lagoon, and walk back along deserted beach next to crashing waves. Okarito is also a great spot just to hang out and enjoy a good book, or talk philosophy with some of the locals!
Accommodation: Okarito Beach House (B,L,D)
Sunday - Hike at Franz Josef Glacier
Just south of Okarito there are two formidable glaciers descending from the mountains to the sea. In terms of scenery, this place is off the charts, and we’ll spend most of the day hiking at Franz Josef Glacier. We’ll hike up through the rainforest to either Alex Knob or Roberts Point, both of which give great views of the terminal face, lower reaches and lateral moraines of Franz Josef Glacier. We only do these hikes in good weather, as the rocks get very slippery in the rain. If it’s raining, we’ll do a shorter walk to the terminal face of Fox Glacier, hike around Lake Matheson and visit the Blue Pools near the Haast Pass.
Heli-hike option A less strenuous, but outrageously scenic option today is to heli-hike on Franz Josef Glacier itself. After being fitted with crampons, ice axes and so on, you’ll board a modern turbine helicopter and fly towards the highest peaks of the Southern Alps, landing on the glacier at 4,000 feet (1300m) above sea level. Led by specialist glacier guides, you’ll hike through the grand ice formations of the glacier, checking out its crevasses, seracs and tunnels – no previous experience required! The constant movement of the glacier means every day is different, so your guides will cut steps in the ice, and make sure you make the most of the conditions. At the end of your hike on the ice, you’ll take another helicopter ride out of the mountains, and back to civilisation.
Heli-hikers generally return a little earlier, so we’ll rendezvous at a local café before heading south. From Franz Josef it’s about three hours down the coast to Makarora (pop. 30), a small farming village bordering Mt. Aspiring National Park. We’ll stay at a beautifully landscaped, family-style homestead on the edge of the village with incredible views of the mountains right outside your window.
Accommodation: The Homestead, Makarora – very comfortable and spacious (B,L,D)
Monday - Mt Aspiring National Park to Queenstown
We’ll head inland to Lake Wanaka for a hike overlooking the lake and surrounding mountains, then stop in Wanaka township for lunch. From there, it’s a short drive over Cardrona Saddle to Queenstown, on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand – and you’ll find all the comforts of civilisation: massage therapists, restaurants, sidewalk cafés and window-shopping. You’ll also find incredible optional activities here, including hang gliding, bungy jumping, jet boating, skydiving, horse trekking, fishing and winery tours.
Accommodation: Queenstown apartments, Queenstown (B,L)
Tuesday - Free day in Queenstown
It’s all up to you today – Enjoy!
Accommodation: Queenstown apartments (B)
Wednesday - Hike Routeburn Track, cycle Hollyford Valley
This morning we head down to Te Anau for lunch, before continuing on to The Divide where we’ll hike part of the Routeburn Track. This hike gives us unsurpassed views of the Hollyford Valley, from mountains to sea, as well as Lake Marian and Mt. Christina. When we get back to the trailhead, you’ll be fitted with a 21-speed front-suspension Specialized mountain bike for a spectacular ride through the Hollyford Valley. This remote and gently-rolling backcountry road is lined with unspoilt beech forest and surrounded by towering peaks – take your time or go as hard as you want – either way, this is a ride you’ll never forget! If cycling isn’t your thing, you can skip it and just enjoy the scenery. All our activities, including cycling, are optional. We’ll end up at Hollyford Camp, an isolated and rustic establishment, originally set up in the 1930s for the workers who built the nearby Homer Tunnel and Milford Road. This is a beautiful, tranquil place with a dozen cabins scattered around a museum and historic general store, still operating to this day. Hollyford Camp is right next to the Hollyford River and is surrounded by the mountains of Fiordland National Park. It’s definitely not a 5-star hotel, but it’s a great little place, and a wonderful location to hang out at the end of such an adventurous day!
Accommodation: Hollyford Camp, Hollyford Valley – rustic but idyllic OR Milford Lodge, Milford Sound (B,L,D)
Thursday - Sea kayak Milford Sound, cycle to Lake Manapouri
It’s an early start today. We’ll have a short drive through the Homer Tunnel, emerging at the top of a spectacular alpine road winding its way down to Milford Sound. The lush rainforest carpeting the lower slopes of the mountains gives way to the massively steep, glacier-carved slopes and waterfalls of the Darren Range. Milford Sound, rated the 8th Natural Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling, is breathtaking. Sheer rock walls plunge thousands of feet to the Tasman Sea and waterfalls cascade into the deep blue water. 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, which are very friendly and often eager to visit. This is an awesome trip, run by specialist kayak outfitters, and it’s equally suitable for beginners or experts. After your morning’s paddle, we’ll have lunch before continuing on to Lake Te Anau. You’ll have a chance to cycle along the peaceful country road that meanders its way through southern farmlands to Lake Manapouri Inn, beautifully located on the lake’s edge. Again, if you prefer, you can skip the cycling and just enjoy the great views out over the lake and the surrounding mountains of Fiordland National Park.
Accommodation: Lake Manapouri Inn, Lake Manapouri (B,L,D)
Friday - Explore high-country sheep farm
Today we have a relaxed start and head back up the road to Queenstown, where you’ll have a couple of hours to get some lunch, do any last minute shopping, send postcards home, or whatever you might need to do before heading back into the wilderness for the remainder of your trip. Then we’ll drive up to Lake Pukaki, near Mt. Cook, where we stay on Duncan and Carol McKenzie’s 60,000 acre high-country sheep farm, called Braemar Station. (‘Station’ is the New Zealand word for a big ranch.) While we’re here, we stay in the shearers’ quarters. It’s not a 5-star hotel but many of our clients have told us this was one of their favourite places on the whole trip! The view out of the kitchen window in the morning will knock your socks off – the biggest mountains in New Zealand piercing the sky on the far side of a gorgeous cobalt-blue lake. With no lights for miles around, the stars on a clear night are like nothing you’ve ever seen – just the place for your last couple of nights in New Zealand!
Accommodation: Shearers’ quarters, Braemar Station – the views are breathtaking! (B,D)
Saturday - Hike Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park
This morning it’s an hour or so to Mt. Cook village, at the head of Lake Pukaki. Mt. Cook, known as Aoraki or ‘cloud piercer’ by the local Maori, is the highest mountain in New Zealand and we have a stunning and little-known day hike (weather permitting) to the main ridge above Mueller Glacier – directly opposite Mt. Cook. It’s a tough slog up, but you’ll remember the view of the Mueller Glacier and the surrounding peaks of the Main Divide forever! There are also other hiking options if you’d like to take it a little easier. The weather conditions are very important in this area, as it’s a true alpine climate notorious for sudden weather shifts. If we aren’t able to do the Mueller hike, we’ll take an impressive hike up the Hooker Valley to a glacial lake at the base of Hooker Glacier, complete with icebergs! Then we head back to the shearers’ quarters for the last night of the Rimu. We’ll enjoy a traditional Kiwi BBQ and a cold drink as we sit outside and watch the sun set over Mt. Cook.
Accommodation: Shearers' quarters (B,L)
Sunday - Depart for home
This is the last day of your two-week trip around the South Island. See the itinerary for the Kauri trip if you want to take a few more days to see the North Island as well. We’ll leave after breakfast for the three-hour drive to Christchurch, and arrive in the afternoon in time for the flights back to Auckland. (B,L)
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