Hike to some of the most secluded ridges in the Southern Alps on a 7-day trekking adventure from Christchurch to Queenstown. This is the best trek to not feature in any NZ guide book. Packed full of highlights, this stunning tour includes mountain peaks, remote lake and valley systems and the splendour of Aoraki Mount Cook and Mount Aspiring from high vantage points. The trip begins with a drive to the highland region of Lake Tekapo with the first night on the trail spent at a private backcountry hut with superb alpine and lakeside vistas.
Trek east along a ridgeline to around 2000m (6561ft) before transferring to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park where you will spend a day hiking on the ridge overlooking the Hooker Glacier and directly across from the spectacular Mt Sefton with its rumbling avalanches of ice and rock.
Take your time immersing yourself in the beauty of Aoraki/Mount Cook before continuing to Wanaka to hike above its picturesque lake nestled at the base of the Southern Alps. This amazing trek ends with walks at the Rob Roy Glacier Track and the extraordinary sub-alpine environment of Ben Lomond. Take a quick ride on the Skyline Gondola down to Queenstown to finish of the trip.
While part of the tour does utilise formed tracks, some days the hikes involve untracked scree and tussock. Some of the walking involves gradual climbing without a formed track to follow. The sense of isolation and wilderness is a strong feature of this trip. For you to be able to really enjoy this trip the tour operator recommends that you are confident walking across uneven terrain and are able to walk comfortably for up 4-6 hours at a time (with breaks included) and enjoy walking uphill, with some steep sections.