New Zealand: Hike, Cycle, and Paddle South Island

Arrive in Queenstown, New Zealand

Arrive in Queenstown, New Zealand (ZQN) today before 4pm. Please note: connecting flights from the U.S. can be over 24 hours, including layovers. Plan to depart the U.S. at least a day prior to the start of the trip.

Taxi cabs and Uber are readily available outside Queenstown Airport. The ride to the Heritage Hotel (91 Fernhill Road) is around 15 minutes and will cost approximately NZ$30-$40 ($18-$25).

After checking into the hotel and relaxing, meet your guide in the hotel lobby at 6:30 pm. Enjoy a lively welcome dinner and drink as you get to know your fellow travelers this evening. Share stories and learn about why each woman on your trip is excited to explore New Zealand!

Dinner

Overnight: Heritage Hotel

Queenstown to Milford

Depart at 7:30 am for a 4-hour drive to Milford where you’ll meet your guide for the Hollyford Track and board a helicopter for a spectacular and dramatic flight from Milford Sound to Martins Bay.

Enjoy a delicious lunch in a safari-style tent, and then set off on a walk into a dense coastal forest, rich with bird song. Along the way, your guide will bring to life the unique ecosystems and stories of early Māori and later Europeans that settled in this environment. Thunderous surf is a prelude to a bay of boulders where the rare Fiordland crested penguin is a seasonal visitor. A little further on, Long Reef plays host to a rookery of native New Zealand fur seals.

You will return via jet boat to Martins Bay for a hot shower before enjoying a delicious three-course dinner. Then, sit back and relax with a drink while reflecting on a great first day.

Today’s Hike: 4 miles, 2-3 hours

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Martins Bay Lodge 

Fiorland National Park and the Hollyford Valley

Wake up to the most beautiful and raucous birds dawn chorus you have ever heard, then enjoy a hearty breakfast before you board your jet boat for a captivating scenic ride up Lake McKerrow to the Hollyford River. As you travel up the river, the mountains rise dramatically until you reach the Pyke River confluence.

Begin your 18-km walk heading up the Hollyford Valley. You will be required to carry your main pack for the duration of the day. Once over Little Homer Saddle, you will make a brief stop at Hidden Falls before arriving at your lunch spot. Shadowing the Hollyford River and beneath the gaze of the peaks of the mighty Southern Alps, you will retrace the footsteps of early Māori explorers. The track undulates gently through native beech forest and beside tumbling waterfalls. Enjoy a captivating interpretation of the forest and bird life on the way to the Hollyford Road end.

Today’s Hike: 11 miles, 6-8 hours, elevation 143 m/470 feet

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Distinction Te Anau Hotels and Villas

Hiking in Aspiring National Park

Depart Te Anau this morning and drive three hours through to Wanaka. Indulge in a delightful picnic lunch by the shores of Lake Wanaka. Then drive a further hour to the start of the afternoon hike.

Hike up the majestic Matukituki Valley before turning towards the Rob Roy Glacier. This gorgeous trail meanders through virgin beech forest and then emerges into a splendid alpine basin below the fractured ice of the glacier. Watch water tumble off the vertical rock walls as you relax. Retrace your steps back to the vehicle.

Enjoy dinner on your own tonight.

Today’s Hike: 6 miles, 4-5 hours, elevation 398 m/1,305 feet

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Oakridge Resort Wanaka 

Aoraki/Mount Cook and Boat Ride

Drive through the Lindis Valley and arrive at the breathtaking region of Aoraki/Mt Cook. Travel up the Tasman Valley towards the Tasman Glacier, the longest glacier in New Zealand.

Take a short walk through glacial moraine and board a custom-built boat for a unique spin around the terminal lake. Like most glaciers in the world, the Tasman Glacier is retreating, and the terminal lake increases in size every year. This dynamic environment is dotted with icebergs of all shapes and sizes from the collapsing terminal face of the glacier. The Glacier Explorer experience offers a rare opportunity to witness the raw power and delicate beauty of a glacier up close.

Today’s Hike: 1-2 miles, 1 hour

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Hermitage Hotel

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

Hike up to Sealy Tarns and enjoy the awe-inspiring views of Mt. Sefton, Mueller Glacier, and the Hooker Valley to Aoraki/Mt Cook. If you’re feeling energetic, join the guide for an extended ascent beyond the tarns to the crest of Mueller Ridge for even wider views of this spectacular alpine landscape. For those seeking a more relaxed option, spend the day exploring the charming alpine village and expand your knowledge of the national park’s wonders by visiting the world-class visitor center.

Today’s Hike: 3-5 miles, 4-6 hours, elevation Sealy Tarns: 516 m/1,692 feet, Mueller Ridge: 946 m/3,100 feet, walking poles recommended

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Hermitage Hotel

Aoraki/Mount Cook to Methven

Enjoy views of the Mueller and Hooker Glacier terminal lakes and the towering south face of Aoraki/Mt Cook in the morning before departing Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park.

Drive through the sweeping McKenzie Basin to Lake Tekapo and her shimmering blue waters. Enjoy lunch by the lake then take an optional 3-hour hike to the summit of Mt John for 360-degree views of a Patagonia-like landscape before returning via the lakeshore.

Transfer to Methven, a ski town by winter and a laid-back rural town the rest of the year, for dinner and a comfortable night’s sleep.

Today’s Hike: 3-9 miles, 4-6 hours, elevation 115 m/370 ft

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Ski Time Resort

Methven to Punakaiki

After a 1.5-hour drive, head over to the West Coast with a chance to stretch your legs and stroll around the enchanting limestone outcrops at Kura Tawhiti (Castle Hill). This area was an important meeting place and food gathering area for early Maori people. It was named the “Spiritual Centre of the Universe” by the Dalai Lama when he visited in 2002.

Pass through the alpine village of Arthurs Pass, and if the weather behaves, you can hike to Punchbowl Falls or enjoy the Centennial Hike (1-hour hike approx.).

Once you arrive on the West Coast (after another 2-hour drive), hike the Inland Pack Track from Punakaiki River to Pororari passing through deep limestone canyons and Nikau Palms.

Today’s Hike: 7 miles, 3-4 hours, elevation 293 m/960 feet

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Scenic Hotel Punakaiki

Punakaiki to Nelson

Indulge in a leisurely stroll through the world-renowned Pancake Rocks, marveling at their unique geological formations. As you traverse the pathways, witness nature’s artistry etched into the rock formations, creating a sight unlike any other.

Embark on a scenic drive through to Murchison where you join a local guide and hike through lush forests adorned with majestic tree ferns, creating a verdant canopy overhead to the mesmerizing natural flames which have been burning since the 1920s. You access this through a privately owned deer farm.

Drive 4 hours to Nelson and enjoy dinner on your own.

Today’s Hike: 2 miles, 3 hours

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Tides Hotel

Cycling Abel Tasman National Park

After breakfast, take a short 30-minute drive around the scenic Tasman Bay and into the hills of the historic village of Moutere, where your e-bike ride on the Great Taste Trail begins.

Ride through a patchwork of rural and coastal landscapes. You will pass by sheep and cattle farms, with spectacular views down to the coastline. On the ride, you’ll visit the town of Mapua. This is a great little village to have a snack and stroll around, visiting a cluster of boutiques, cafes, and galleries.

A short ride on the ferry brings you to Rabbit Island where the trail continues. You will then cycle through to Seifried winery, where there is the opportunity to taste and buy some local wines. Here you will be met by your guide and driven back to the hotel in Nelson.

Enjoy dinner as a group tonight.

Today’s Cycling: 16 miles, 4 hours

Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Tides Hotel

Hiking and Paddling in Abel Tasman National Park

What better way to experience Abel Tasman National Park than paddling a waka (double-hulled outrigger canoe) off the beach at Kaiteriteri into the sparkling blue waters of the national park for sunrise. After a karakia (blessing), you will learn the etiquette (tikanga) associated with waka before becoming familiar with the boat and embarking on an unforgettable journey with our local host. You’ll stop along the way for some kai (breakfast) and to learn some traditional harakeke weaving skills with local wahine (women) in paradise.

After the waka experience and the Poroaki (finishing off ceremony), take a water taxi further into the park for a hike on the famous Abel Tasman Coastal Track from Bark Bay to the Falls River suspension bridge. There is time for a swim in the Bay before boarding the water taxi again and returning to Kaiteriteri and on to the accommodation in Nelson.

Enjoy a delicious farewell dinner and toast to your new AdventureWomen friends and prepare for flights home in the morning.

Today’s Hike: 5 miles, 2-3 hours, elevation 200 m/650 ft

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Tides Hotel

Depart Nelson

Say goodbye to your new AdventureWomen friends as you transfer to the Nelson airport (NSN) after breakfast. There will be one group transfer to the airport early morning. You can book your return flight anytime after 12:00 PM.

Breakfast

Please note: AdventureWomen will attempt to adhere to the itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (political, climatic, environmental, and cultural) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. AdventureWomen reserves the right to alter any itinerary at any time if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participants.