Landsborough River Rafting |
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Raft the Landsborough River - 3 Days from Queenstown |
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Imagine visiting one of New Zealand's most remote areas - untouched, unspoiled and visited by only a privileged few... Paddling and camping your way down the magnificent Landsborough Valley, you will glide past 10,000 ft mountains, hanging glaciers and through dense rainforests. A perfect mix of tranquility and pure adventure. The Landsborough River is unique, running 60kms parallel to New Zealand's Southern Alps before meeting the sea at Haast in South Westland - a World Heritage Area. Its upper reaches are protected wilderness and provide spectacular glaciers, bush, river and mountain scenery. This three day, two night trip will give you incredible views of the stunning New Zealand scenery, there is something new to look at around every corner. Make your trip a memorable one, join us on the Landsborough river rafting experience. Gourmet Menus One of the aspects most critically acclaimed is our delicious cuisine, expertly prepared by specially selected guides with exceptional cullinary talent - all over an open fire! All agree, the gourmet meals contribute to an unforgettable experience... ItineraryDay 1 Queenstown to Burke's Flat Set up camp and then enjoy free time to bush walk or relax in magnificent surroundings. A delicious four-course meal will then be served. Day 2 Burke's Flat to Harper Bluff After breaking along the way for a tasty and filling lunch, we continue our journey to Harper Bluff to set up camp for the night amongst this stirring wilderness. Before bed you can take a visit to see glowworms and enjoy some star gazing. Day 3 Harper Bluff to Queenstown An another day dawns, a huge cooked breakfast sees you ready for a further three hours of rafting through majestic scenery. With a stop at the crystal clear Purple Creek for lunch, our guides have some action in store for you! Eventually, its time to farewell the mighty Landsborough Valley and return to Queenstown by approximately 7.00pm Flora and FaunaThe Landsborough is a major tributary of the Haast River and is unique in that it runs roughly north/south for 70 kms, parallel to the main divide. Like many other New Zealand valleys, the sides are steep and of glacial origin with large fans and terraces occurring on the valley floor. The valley is bounded by the Solution Range to the west and its headwaters lie in the permanent snowfields of the Hooker range and the main divide near Mt Cook. From our Toetoe Flat Camp, Mount Dechen and Mount Strachan can be seen up valley on the left side with their associated Glaciers. Mount Dechan (behind the first glacier) is 8,670 feet high and Mount Strachan is 8,400 feet high. The size of the Glaciers varies year to year depending on winter snowfall, however they remain permanent features. The Landsborough river is frequently discoloured by fine particles of glacier dust released by snowmelt. All forests are dominated by silver beech, however southern rata occurs on the upper slopes of Clarke Mound and on Strutt Bluff. Near the confluence of the Clarke and Landsborough Rivers there are occassional strands of rimu and miro and matai as a rare canopy species. Halls totara and kamahi appear as a sub-canopy species throughout. The valley is one of the richest bird faunas in South Westland. Surveys have identified 36 species. The most numerous species being the Kaka, Rifleman, Brown Creeper, Grey Warbler, Tit and Bellbird. Of special significance are the endanged Blue Duck (Whio) and the Yellowhead (Mohua). |
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