Lakes2Mountains Pure Kiwi Adventure

With stunning views of Lake Hawea, Mount Aspiring, Hunter Valley and the breath-taking Ahuriri Conservation Park.

Only 2 days of internet /Wifi services available at Hunter Valley Quarters and  the Lake Hawea Hotel. For most of this trail, it is
a great opportunity to do a digital detox.

Allow 10 days for this trail including 8 days riding and 1 day exploring Wanka with a free wine tour and 1 day returning to Queenstown.

Wifi is available at Hunter Valley Quarters, Lake Hawea Hotel and Wanaka Information center and library.

10 easy payments are available on this wonderful trail by arrangement email adventurehorsetrekkingnz@farmside.co.nz

Riding day 1 _2 hours riding Pickup by Mini buss in Queenstown 12>12:30pm We meet at our quarters for the evening. Time to enjoy afternoon tea, change into riding gear and away to team up with our adventure horses to explore this amazing iconic station. We returning to the shearer’s quarters for afternoon drinks and nibbles on the deck.

There are some lovely walks around the lake if you so desire after dinner or you could just enjoy a wine sitting on the deck soaking up the view.  Enjoy
relaxing in this amazing environment after your travels across the world. There is an opportunity to chat to those who live and work on Hunter Valley station.

Don't forget to charge your phones, batteries tonight as this is our last night of power for three days.

Riding day 2 - 5 hours riding 

Packing our saddle bags after a full farm breakfast, we say goodbye to Hunter Valley Station. Today we ride
through native Beech forests and glacial rivers. Travelling alongside this imposingly beautiful lake side we head towards Hunter Valley Boundary Hut.
Today we will see Hereford cattle and Merino sheep roaming freely. Enjoying lunchtime in a wonderfully picturesque spot along the way.

There are so many photo opportunities.

The next two nights we are in a historic musterers hut with 10 bunks in two separate
bunk rooms, solar lighting, has a long drop toilet and a wonderful horse paddock with stables and tack room. The hut enjoys spectacular views of the Hunter Valley and delightful

sense of isolation. 

Dinner we can sit out on the expansive decking with an incredible mountain backdrop. or by the open fire.There is an

opportunity to sleep out under the stars tonight if you so wish. 

Tents are also provided for those riders who require a little more privacy.

Riding day 3
– 9:30am start – 6 hours riding 

Today you can choose what you would like to do
can either enjoy a rest day at Boundary Hut or ride into the magnificent Hunter
Valley

This is one of New Zealand’s best fly-fishing rivers, those fly fisher Women among us may
wish to spend the day out on the river. You will need a New Zealand license from fish and game (It is important to clean your fishing gear thoroughly, as
we are a “didymo aware” company)

The Hunter
River is a beautiful location to do watercolor painting, go walking or just enjoy reading a good book lying beside the river or sitting on the porch with a
nice glass of wine     

After we enjoy a hearty breakfast and pack our lunches (those who are riding saddle up and ride deep into the Hunter
Valley) This trail meanders through an ice blue glacial river flanked by magnificent mountain ranges. Riders can enjoy seeing trout playing in the river
or rare New Zealand Falcons flying high overhead. This is a ride you will not forget for a long time as the incredible isolation and beauty is
overwhelming.   Returning to the Boundary hut for the evening we enjoy wine and nibbles before dinner on the
deck (weather permitting).

There is an opportunity to sleep out under the stars here if you so desire. There is no electricity in this hut but
we do enjoy limited solar lighting.

We enjoy an evening singing around the fire to the ukulele.

Riding day 4 – 9:30am – 6 hours riding 

Tummies full of breakfast, tucker boxes packed we head out to cross the crystal-clear Hunter river into the
Dingleburn station. We will spend the day feeling as though we are riding in a postcard as the views throughout the day are spectacular and day dreamy. The
lake acts as a mirror, reflecting the stunning views. We will be looking back across the lake at Hunter Valley Station and Lake Hawea that we rode around the
previously. Our accommodation for the evening is the Dingleburn shearers quarters, located in an amazing mountain setting. Dingleburn station is known for its
production of some of the finest merino wool in the world. Here we have hot showers, flushing toilets, electricity from the station generator /hydro power
scheme and a wonderful cookhouse where we will enjoy a farm cooked meal and relaxing evening. There is a washing machine at the station for those who wish
to catch up on some washing.

We often enjoy watching station life, as shepherds herd sheep with their dogs at this iconic station. The stock
manager and owner of this station is Nikki Meads, who often drops in for a chat if she is not too busy. It is great opportunity to enjoy find out about
station life.

Riding day 5– 11:30am start – 4 hours riding This is a relaxing morning at the station. Today we ride out along the bluff towards our destination the Hawea Hotel. you will be amazed at the pioneering Kiwi ingenuity that constructed this access way into such a stunning and remote station. We will pass the waterfall that provides the hydro power for the
station. This is a wonderful picturesque gentle days riding. 

En-route we will ride up onto the peninsular and look back up through the Hunter Valley. Keep the camera handy as views of Mount Aspiring, Lake Hawea and the bluff will take your breath away. 

Weather permitting; we enjoy lunch on the reserve at the base of the mountains.

We leave the horses in the Dingleburn Cattle yards for the night. The horses will enjoy a good night on the hay
whilst we will be transported to the Lake Hawea Hotel for our nights’ accommodation and evening meal.  We arrive at the Hawea Hotel around 4pm. There is a laundry at the hotel for those
who wish to do some washing. This Hotel overlooks Lake Hawea and we can enjoy the luxury of dinner looking out over the lake. Dinner is a set menu (you will
need to bring your wallet for alcohol which is not included)

Day 6
– Relaxing day in Wanaka: After breakfast, you will be transported to Wanaka by the Lake Hawea Hotel staff to enjoy a relaxing morning exploring Wanaka township and the beautiful Wanaka lake.

Our taxi will pick riders up in Wanaka 1:30pm at the information centre. We enjoy a winery tour en route to the Birchwood Station Homestead.

Whilst you enjoy your relaxing day the horses are being transported to the Birchwood Station for the remainder of our trail.

The Birchwood Homestead is beautifully restored historic building. We enjoy soft beds, hot showers, snug, washing machine, electric blankets, shared bedrooms, large farmhouse kitchen. We will be staying here for the next four nights.

We enjoy a two course farmhouse cooked meal in the formal dining room of the beautiful Birchwood Station homestead.

Day 7 enjoys _5 1/2  hours riding exhilarating mountain riding

After breakfast, lunches packed the horses are saddled cameras into the saddle bags, we are off on the first of our wonderful adventures into this picturesque
National park. The mountains flank our trail making us feel very small in comparison as we head into the valley following the meandering Ahuriri River. Meeting
the Dingleburn track we climb to the top of the Mnt Gladwish mountain range to a height of 1600 meters above sea, on an old pack trail. This is an
exhilarating ride through native bush and into the high golden tussock to the top of the ridge. At the mountain peak we look down to the West, the Dingleburn
River and  to North East we see the headwaters of the Ahuriri River and the Barrier mountain ranges stretching out
before us. We enjoy lunch in this heady and breath-taking environment before heading back down the track following our footsteps to the homestead where hot
showers and warm fire await us. Back at the homestead the horses enjoy a beautiful grassy paddock right outside the homestead so we can watch them all
evening. 

The humans enjoy a laid back evening, swimming, walking, relaxing and reading a book or chatting to friends made on the trail.

Day 8 – 6 ½ hours riding 9:30 am start 

A hearty cooked farmhouse breakfast to set us up for the day, lunchboxes packed, and  cameras charged we head down to saddle up the horses. Today’s ride see’s our
adventure head deep into the magnificent Ahuriri Valley. The valley is filled with waterfalls and the glacial fed river tumbles its way over the river bed stones that the South
Island is so famous for. This is an area where Department of Conservation have spent a great deal of time and money on the preservation of the Black Stilt. We
will be sticking to the tracks to prevent any disturbance to these wonderful birds. DOC is doing such a wonderful job and the numbers of mating pairs has
increased significantly under their care. After three and half hours we enjoy lunch at one of the many huts in the valley, boiling a billy for a nice hot
cuppa. 

We retrace our footsteps to the homestead; the view looking down the valley is so very different on the return journey in such imposing mountain country. Our second
evening at the homestead sees us enjoy a Kiwi barbecue in the garden with its natural landscape setting.

Day 9 – 5 ½ hours riding

After breakfast, lunch boxes filled we saddle up and make our way down the valley to today’s destination the green lake at 1200 meters above sea. This is a beautiful
crystal-clear tarn set in the heart of the mountains. Large trout cruise the edges of this wee tarn. There is a small bivi hut where we will enjoy our lunch
and hot drinks. We enjoy outstanding views of the snowy gorge and surrounding  snow-capped mountain ranges.

After lunch we ride out of the mountains to the Ben Avon station road and back to the Birchwood Station homestead for dinner on our final evening, a celebration of
our time together in this idyllic location.

Day 10
– Breakfast is provided and then you will make your way home. Transportation to
Queenstown airport is provided.

Taxi will pick you up at 10am and returned to Queenstown 1:30pm