Check into our hotel and then dinner and briefing about your adventure. Includes dinner. (D).

We depart from our hotel at around 8.00 am and commence our drive south to Lake Tekapo, famous for its stunning turquoise waters and the quaint Church of the Good Shepherd. On arriving at Lake Tekapo we will hike up through wilding conifers and tussock grasslands to the summit of Mt John and revel in the 360-degree views of the Patagonia-like landscape. The sweeping Mackenzie Basin is a sparsely populated region with tawny-brown drylands, braided riverbeds and startling glacial lakes extending to the horizon.

We arrive at Mt Cook Village in the late afternoon and then relax and enjoy breath-taking views of New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki/ Mt Cook (3,724 metres). Here we will spend the next two nights in the heart of the Southern Alps surrounded by that special kind of silence that only big mountains can command.

Tonight we will overnight in a very cozy mountain lodge. (B.L,D).

Today we will hike to Sealy Tarns and onto Mueller Ridge. Just when you think you have taken the most impressive photo possible of the Hooker Valley and Mt Cook Range you will be rewarded with the mirror reflections of the peaks in the glorious Sealy Tarns. Take some time to rest at the tarns and absorb the impressive peaks and valleys. From the tarns, we then hike steeply onto Mueller Ridge. From here the vista encompasses the Mueller Glacier and Mt Sefton. As we return to the village by the same route we will meet up again with anyone who stayed on at the tarns, for the descent.

There is time in the afternoon to visit the Information Centre. This is a great place to be inspired by the courageous stories of pioneering mountaineers and to learn about the park’s natural history.

Overnight in the same cozy mountain lodge. (B,L,D)

Optional Heli Hike on the Tasman Glacier, price $620 per person. Trip duration of 3-4 hours, weather dependent. It is possible for some guests to join this heli hike then complete the Sealy tarns hike in the afternoon.

After breakfast, we hike steep glacial moraines to the Red Tarns, so named for the colour of their pondweed. The vegetation changes as we climb from the valley floor to a superb panoramic viewpoint of the valleys below, the village and Aoraki/Mount Cook. On our return to the village, we will drive to Wanaka following the Mackenzie country south before climbing over the tussock lands of the Lindis Pass into the southern lakes district.

Wanaka is a lovely holiday town on the lakeside where will have time for a walk around the town or have a coffee as the guide restocks for the next few days. It is then just a short drive to Makarora at the head of Lake Wanaka. Tonight, we will sleep in cabins at Makarora, beside Mount Aspiring National Park. We have a big day tomorrow, so we will eat dinner and play a game of pool in classic West Coast style at the adjacent pub before heading back to your cabin to pack for the multi-day hike.

The cabins are right on the lake with great views of the surrounding landscape. (B, L)

Once across the Makarora River, we follow the Young River. The Young Valley is a wonderland of dense native forest and high peaks. Beech and fern trees dominate the landscape. Finally, after 7 hours of hiking, we climb steeply for 100m and then sidle through a series of slips to reach Stag Creek. From there, it’s a steady climb to Young Hut.

Tonight we will be staying in a basic mountain hut. (B,L,D)

After a short forest walk, we will come out into a spectacular vista of Mt Awful. Don’t let the name fool you as the view is far from awful. This is really an alpine paradise with towering mountains as our backdrop. The track climbs steeply alongside a rock bluff onto a snow grass spur that after 3 to 4 hours, leads to the pass. The final 90 minutes or so is a little scrambly but the climbing ends at Gillespie Pass and one of the great viewpoints of the Southern Alps. From here there’s an impressive view, with Mount Alba dominating the skyline.

The track descends steeply before sidling down through a series of snow grass basins. The track leads down to Gillespie Stream before descending in a series of zigzags to Siberia Stream. From the Siberia Stream, it is an hour to Siberia Hut.

Tonight we will be staying in the cozy Siberia Hut. (B, L, D)

Today is a little slower with a great hike up to Lake Crucible. No need for a heavy pack either, as we are staying another night at Siberia Hut. So once we make our lunch, we will head out up the Siberia valley before heading toward the hanging valley of Lake Crucible.

The first 45 minutes up the hanging valley is tough and steep, but once through this, we come out into a wonderful valley with a view of the moraine dam forming the lake wall just below the summit of Mt Alba.

The lake itself is a beautiful blue and a very inviting place to swim. It is cold though, as it is snow melt from the mountain above. We will have lunch here before heading back to Siberia hut for the night. (B, L ,D)

Today we head down the valley – sidling above the Siberia River. We gain spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and waterfalls of the lower Siberia Valley. A jetboat will pick us up at the confluence of the Siberia and Wilkin valleys, on the Wilkins river and carry us on a thrilling 45-minute journey downstream to Makarora.

Tonight we are back in Queenstown and a wonderful hotel and hot shower. (B,L)

Kia Ora and we are sure you will return to wonderful New Zealand one day soon.