Best of Southern Alps Trek

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Southern Alps Hiking Tour - 6 Days Christchurch to Queenstown

A spectacular itinerary featuring some amazing mountain walking, one night  camped in comfortable back country huts, with the chance to rest up at quality accommodation after your alpine experiences. The Southern Alps Trek is a mixture of remote untracked terrain coupled with friendly trails of a relaxed grade.

Maximum 16 participants

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1:  Tour begins Christchurch            3-4 hours walking

We collect you from your accommodation site at 8.30am and drive south to Fairlie and inland to Lake Tekapo for lunch. We drive along Tekapo's lakeside to Mt Gerald station and then hike 3 hours into the Rex Simpson Hut, (a 12 bunk private hut on the station). To greet us are stunning vistas across the lake and into the rolling tussock landscape that surrounds the area. (L, D)

Day 2:  Mt Hope                                         6-8 hours walking

From the hut we climb onto a broad easy spur which gradually gains height showcasing breathtaking views back down the lake and across to the Southern Alps with the prominent east faces of Mt Cook and Tasman. For the strong trekker, the summit of Beuzenberg Peak at 2070m is a just reward. Back at the hut we pack up and return to our vehicle for the short drive back to Lake Tekapo and our motel accommodation. (B, L)

Day 3: Mt Cook National Park                    4-5 hours walking

Mt Cook beckons as we drive 90 mins to the heart of Mt Cook National Park. From here a number of hikes are available dependant upon fitness levels from the previous day. Mt Sebastopol and the mountain tarns are a favorite as is the Hooker Valley with its profuse vegetation. In the late afternoon we coach back to our accommodation in either Twizel or Ohau Lodge for the next two nights. (B, L, D)

Day 4:  Mackenzie Basin                     up to 7-8 hours walking

High on the range our ski field road takes us to the base and today's hike. Over the range lies a hidden lake and today's full day hike takes us as part of a hike providing expansive views back to Mt Cook and across the Mackenzie Basin. We explore the untracked landscape and lunch at the lakeside, far removed from any others! Climbing back to the crest of the range, we eventually drop down to our coach and return to our accommodation.  (B, L, D)

Day 5: Wanaka                         4-5 hours walking with options

Leaving the Mackenzie basin we cross-watersheds and drive through to Wanaka. After lunch, we take a boat trip to land on a remote beech and enjoy the next 3 hours hiking on the trail with stunning views back to Wanaka and the mountains that surround it. In the late afternoon we drive the short distance back to our accommodation. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Tour ends Queenstown 

From an early start we drive to the helicopter base for today's heli-hike. Across the Matukituki Valley at 1500m is a series of small mountain lakes with great reflections of and views Mt Aspiring. After a time to take in the spectacular views we head up through the tussocklands to the ridgeline and then make our way across to the summit of the Buchanan peaks at 2004m. Around us the views are amazing as we look into neighbouring valleys and the headwaters of lake Wanaka. Slowly returning to our welcoming tarns we have time to swim and relax and enjoy a late snack before its time to rejoin our helicopter for the short flight back to base and a drive across to Queenstown and your accommodation of choice. (B, L)

(B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)

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Accommodation

This trip stays in remote but comfortable mountain huts, interspersed with nights at quality lodgings. Our accommodations are equipped with private facilities, except for the rare occasion where their location and charm outweigh the privacy factor. Our evening meals are taken at the lodge or a local restaurant. A chance to relax and reflect. Our small numbers allow us great flexibility. 
A single supplement is available if you would like to have your own room. By paying the extra single supplement price we will guarantee you your own room where available.  Trips are organised and priced on a twin/double share basis - single supplement accommodation is available (except in alpine huts on Southern Alps Treks) at an extra price. 
If you book as a single and request a room mate we will arrange for you to share with a person of the same sex.  If we cannot match you up with another person on the tour, a 50% payment of the advertised single supplement price is required and you will get a room to yourself.

Supporting us over the summer months is a team of some 10-15 guides with some exciting, specialist skills. Amongst other things our guides have cycled around the world, climbed to the highest peaks in New Zealand and the Himalayas, worked in Antarctica, have degrees in Botany, are qualified chefs, have had their photographs published world-wide and have written travel journals and hiking guide books. As guiding work is seasonal a tour guide needs to be multi talented and during the off-season our guides are involved in many diverse activities from managing ski-fields to courier driving to teaching and consulting. Of-course to be a guide you must be a traveller at heart and many of our guides use the New Zealand winter period to travel, hike and cycle overseas.

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Transport

No matter how much exercise we have planned or how good our itinerary is, we can't escape the need for some distance each day to be traveled by vehicle. We own our own vehicles - 8 small buses and 6 vans to be exact. This has proved to be the only way we can ensure we retain the level of quality expected. Our vehicles are, comfortable, air-conditioned and 'intercommed' to enable us to provide a quality interpretation for you. The seating has been designed so that you have heaps of legroom and lots of personal space. Where we have a small group of 6-8 we will use whatever vehicle is appropriate from our fleet. We accept the responsibility that comes with such a fleet of vehicles and blong to the carboNZero programme. We are the first activity-based operator to achieve carbon neutral certification in New Zealand and hope others join us in our efforts to protect the environment in which we work and play.

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Food

Don't come if you want to lose weight! Our guides love to show off the variety of New Zealand foods and in the course of your trip you will get plenty of it, our picnics are legendary! We dine at friendly restaurants on many evenings enjoying New Zealand's Pacific Rim cuisine, which combines culinary influences from around the world. On booking we do ask about dietary needs so this is your chance to tell us about your food intake, vegetarians and lactose intolerant diets are easily accommodated. Probably our biggest complaint has been that despite the exercise our clients have still put on weight.

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