OUR NEW ZEALAND HIKING TOURS  

Enjoy hiking bliss in three different locations  -  New Itinerary in 2025/26

 

This tour combines hiking in some of our favourite regions in the South Island. First, we enjoy a day walk in the stunning Nelson Lakes National Park offering spectacular views over picturesque Lake Rotoiti and the surrounding mountains.
Our journey continues to some of the best parts of the Marlborough Sounds where a water taxi takes us deep into the ocean realm, with low lying forest-covered saddles and crowd-free bays and beaches. Two days in a remote nature retreat beckon.
Then we head to one of Aotearoa’s best-known walkways, the beautiful Queen Charlotte Track. We will enjoy a great mix of terrain – from beach to farmland, native bush gullies and stunning hilltop views.

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Day 1: Christchurch - Lewis Pass - St Arnaud / Nelson Lakes

Pick up in Christchurch between 9:30 and 10 am, then we drive North towards the stunning Nelson Lakes region, our first base. To get there we make our way over Lewis Pass, the northernmost of the three main passes across the Southern Alps. This is one of the scenic inland drives in New Zealand and provides us with plenty of opportunities to stretch our legs.
Our only lunch option is around 2pm in Murchison (not included), so we recommend you bring a snack for morning tea. We spend our first two nights in St Arnaud at the edge of Lake Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes National Park. A two-course dinner in the restaurant of the historical inn we are staying in is included on both nights.

Driving time: ~ 4 hours 50 mins / ~ 350 km

Accommodation: St Arnaud – Cottages
Meals: D

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Day 2: Day Walk Nelson Lakes National Park

Our first hiking day! We explore gorgeous Nelson Lakes National Park on the Mount Robert Circuit.
The loop track takes us up Pinchgut Track which zigzags up the steep, bare face of Pourangahau/Mt Robert on a well graded track before entering beech forest. After climbing for about 1 hr 30 mins we reach the tree line where forest gives way to alpine herbs and shrubs. From here the track continues across the open ridge top and reaches Relax Shelter a few minutes on. At a junction just past this shelter, Paddy’s Track begins and heads east to Bushline Hut, a great place to stop for lunch as it enjoys all-day sun and allows sweeping views toward St Arnaud township and the head of Lake Rotoiti.
We have done all the hard work, so on the decline down Paddy’s Track we can simply enjoy the magnificent views of the St Arnaud Mountain Range. All up this is a great day walk with varying terrain, some exposed parts but also nice shady spots in the forest, and amazing views nearly all the way around.
Hiking time: ~ 4-5 hours / ~ 9 km

Accommodation: St Arnaud – Cottages
Meals: B, L, D, S

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Day 3: St Arnaud to Nydia Bay - Tramline Walk

We drive via Havelock into the heart of the Marlborough Sounds. A water taxi takes us to Nydia Bay in the beautiful Pelorus Sound. Here we spend two nights at a unique beachside lodge where we stay in a delightful yurt (or upgrade to a twin room chalet).
Please note that there is a 15-minute walk to the lodge from the Nydia Bay jetty and you will need to carry your own bag/luggage (no sleeping bag necessary). We can provide you with a small bag for the luggage you would like to take to the lodge (if your daypack is too small).
In the afternoon we go for a first walk to take in the beautiful natural surroundings. The Tramline Walk starts just outside the lodge at beach level and takes us up into pristine Punga forest (1.5h/3km return trip). There are small easily fordable streams to cross along the way (your boots might get wet, but the rest of you won’t). We will see signs of timber milling from the nineteenth century, old timber sleepers and tracks partly submerged in native bush. In time we will come to a beautiful natural clearing with Rimu, Beech and Pohutukawa trees. Then we head back for the first of our two-course dinners which will be waiting for us each night at the lodge (incl). We will feel like we are on a retreat!

Driving time: ~ 1.5 hours

Hiking time: ~ 1.5 hours / ~ 3 km

Accommodation: Nydia Bay - On the Track Lodge

Meals: B, L, D, S

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Day 4: Nydia Track - Hiking Day to Nydia Saddle

We wake up to our first hiking day on the Nydia Track, exploring the magical Marlborough Sounds on foot. Our lodge sits halfway along the track, so we will go explore in both directions. Today we head up to Nydia Saddle (370m) to enjoy great views over Pelorus Sound. As we are on the Southern side of the Nydia Saddle the track might be damp and perhaps a bit muddy. But this doesn’t matter as we are looking forward to getting to the top through a variety of regenerating native bush and beautiful untouched forest. On our way we will cross streams (on bridges) and have the opportunity to watch giant pet eels.
From Nydia Saddle we return to the lodge and can enjoy some relaxing time around the lodge (free kayaks available) before it’s time for another scrumptious dinner prepared by the lodge for us.

Hiking time: ~ 5-6 hours / ~ 13 km

Accommodation: Nydia Bay - On the Track Lodge

Meals: B, L, D, S

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Day 5: Nydia Track – Hiking Day to Kaiuma Saddle and transfer to Havelock

Today we head into the other direction. From the lodge the track leads across open farmland beside a stream, crossing it twice. The climb to Kaiuma Saddle (387m) through beech forest and regenerating scrub offers more great views. We might even see Marlborough’s highest mountain Mt Tapuae-O-Uenuku (2885m), in the distant Inland Kaikoura Mountains.
From the saddle, the track drops quickly to cross a stream and then climbs a little into the forest and sidles around to a point above Kaiuma Bay, before dropping down to the car park. Arriving in Kaiuma Bay means saying a reluctant goodbye to this tranquil place. We will be transferred back to Havelock where we spend our next night. How about going out for dinner (not included) to celebrate our hiking days so far?
Hiking time: ~ 5 hours / ~ 12 km

Accommodation: Havelock - Motel

Meals: B, L, S

 

Day 6: Havelock - Hiking Day on Queen Charlotte Track: Anakiwa to Mistletoe Bay

It’s only a short drive to get to Anakiwa in the morning (~ 30mins), from where we will start our next hiking adventure, again only with small daypacks on our backs. Today’s walk from Anakiwa to Mistletoe Bay via Queen Charlotte Track provides spectacular scenery, historic sites and flightless Weka a bonus. The first hour’s walking is on an easy path through mature beech forest, then it follows an old bridle path high above the water. As with most sections of the Queen Charlotte Track there are outstanding views on clear days from along the track, especially at the Grove Arm Lookout. We get picked up by a water taxi in Mistletoe Bay, which takes us back to Anakiwa. From here we drive to Picton (~ 45mins), our base for the next two nights.

Driving time: ~ 1 hour 15 mins

Hiking time: ~ 4 hours / ~ 13 km

Accommodation: Picton – Motel or Holiday Home

Meals: B, L, D, S

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Day 7: Picton - Hiking Day on Queen Charlotte Track: Ship Cove to Furneaux Lodge

Our second day on the Queen Charlotte Track begins with a water taxi ride to the top end of the track at Ship Cove/Meretoto. We take our time to explore the historic site before we head off on the track which takes us along stunning coastline and bush to Furneaux Lodge at the head of Endeavour Inlet. First the track climbs away from the beach, passing through a largely unmodified forest, where the high canopy is complemented by a diverse understorey of shrubs and small trees. On the ridges higher up, beech trees dominate. After about one hour walking, we will reach a lookout point at a saddle, where we can enjoy good views of both the inner and outer Queen Charlotte Sound/Tōtaranui. Beyond the saddle, the track drops into Resolution Bay from where it follows a well-graded old bridle path over a ridge and into Endeavour Inlet. Furneaux Lodge is a great place to hang out with a cold drink in hand (optional) until our water taxi arrives to take us back to Picton.

Hiking time: ~ 5 hours / ~ 17 km

Accommodation: Picton – Motel or Holiday Home

Meals: B, L, D, S

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Day 8: Drive Picton via Kaikoura to Christchurch

Today all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy your drive back to Christchurch. There will be time to stretch your legs and have lunch in Kaikoura (not included). We will arrive in Christchurch around 4-5 pm and drop you off with a fond farewell at either the airport or in town.

Driving time: ~ 4.5 hours

Meals: B

B-Breakfast  L-Lunch  D-Dinner  S-Snack

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Grading of this tour: Grade 3 (Moderate)

All tracks on this tour are mainly well-formed; some sections may be rough or muddy, with some steep sections. Altitude difference on the Mt Robert Circuit is around 550m, on Nydia Track around 350m each day, and on the Queen Charlotte Track around 200m on the first day and 400m on the second day. Average hiking time is around 4-5 hours per day. To enjoy the tour, it would be best if you had a reasonable level of fitness.
​You can find more info here:  Our Hiking Track Trail Grading System explained