7 Day - High Country Wild West 4WD Adventure

Our Convoy heads North out of Fairlie taking Clayton Road through Sherwood Downs and Clayton with beautiful views of Mount Fox on our Left, the Four Peaks Range on our right and the Clayton and Ben McLeod Ranges to the North. As we progress North you will also get great views of the Two Thumb Range in the Southern Alps. We cross the Orari River into a private High Country Station and follow the river through open country dotted with native bush, poplars and willows. The track heads East into the gorge of the Orari River with views of Mt. Peel (1717m) in the north and the Four Peaks Range now South as we follow the river to finally head out to Tripp Settlement at tracks end. Our accommodation this evening is in Geraldine where we relax, and discuss the days events over an evening meal.

Heading to to Mt. Somers where we turn off into Ashburton Gorge Road to go through the Ashburton Gorge and into a private High Country Station. The scenery is breathtaking with mountains on all sides as we explore alpine country very few people in New Zealand and particularly overseas visitors have ever experienced. The track takes us across an alpine flat with views of Cloudy Peak (2399m), and Potts and Big Hill Ranges to the West in the Southern Alps. Skirt Maori Lakes to enter the Rangitata Gorge, then out to the pristine Lake Heron, all the while taking in the magnificent views of the Main Divide and Mt. Arrowsmith (2795m) immediately to our left. Our track takes us along the picturesque Lake stream to the Station Homestead where our hosts tonight are the Station Owners who will give us a taste of life in the High Country and enjoy a traditional home cooked New Zealand meal.

Our route today takes us East along the edge of the mighty Rakaia River, the Rakaia Gorge, west to Lake Coleridge and North to Lake Lyndon where we join the main highway to cross the Southern Alps through Arthurs pass to the West Coast. We wil stop at the Arthurs Pass lookout to observe one of New Zealand’s most ambitious Civil Engineering Projects undertaken to the present time. If the conditions are suitable once on the West Coast we will climb the ridge to access some classic West Coast scenery in the Taipo Valley before heading out to our Motel in Greymouth and a relaxing meal in anticipation of tomorrows highlights.

Heading North towards Reefton, our track today is classic West Coast scenery in stark contrast to the previous three days with limestone cliffs, tea colored streams and stunning Beech Forests. A climb up and over a ridge once inhabited by a mining town takes us into Nobles Creek stream bed which winds it’s way between

limestone cliffs and Beech Forest full of native birds. The creek exits through two natural tunnels formed by the stream and later expanded by the miners so they are just big enough to drive through, so with lights on we travers these very unique features to exit into the Waipuna River. A fun drive down the river gets us to the Main Highway and on to Reefton for a well earned meal and nights rest.

Reefton to Westport and Waimangaroa on the coast where we take the road to the Denniston Coalmine made famous by the incredibly steep Denniston Incline rail road which for many years was the mines only access. Magnificent views of the West Coast Stretch North and South as far as the eye can see while reading the history and studying the huge array of relics from the mine’s colorful past. The track passes seams of coal smouldering away under the surface and winds it’s way into Beech Forests and the familiar rugged terrain of this area. Weather permitting we will cross the Mackley River and continue out through a very pretty track to the Iron Bridge and Murchison, a classic West Coast town born out of the gold mining era of the late 1800’s and now serving the substantial dairy farming industry that has prospered in more recent times.

After the morning briefing we depart for thick bushclad ranges in every direction which form our playground today as we venture South from Murchison along a verdant river valley and acees the remote area to the North of the Lewis Pass, the Northernmost Pass through the Southern Alps. After exploring a private Station we wind our way up the valley beside the Tutaki river with Mt.’s Sutton and Baring to the East before arriving at the lovely Lake Rotoroa. A steep switchback climb up to 950m rewards us with an amazing view of the Lake as we work our way past old gold workings and into the Howard River Valley. Our destination this evening is St. Arnaud where a meal and glass of wine can be enjoyed on this the night of prizegiving where we can share the experiences of the last 6 days and enjoy some good humour.

The Rainbow Road takes us from just North of St. Arnaud to Hanmer Springs, it follows old tracks formed by the first Maori settlers and then later by graziers moving stock between Canterbury and Marlborough who built a series of Cobb houses along the way. The scenery varies enormously from the bushclad hills of the West Coast to the mountains and barren tussock of the South Island Alpine terrain where snow and biting winds can strike at any time, a fitting track for our last day . From Hanmer to Christchurch is approx. two hours drive for those wishing to return to Christchurch that day, or a stay in the incomparable village of Hanmer is well worth considering.