Best of Southern Alps Trek

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Christchurch to Rex Simpson Hut

   You will be collected from a central city location in Christchurch around 08:00am before driving south to Fairlie and inland to Lake Tekapo for lunch. You will drive along Tekapo's lakeside to Mt Gerald station and then hike 3-4 hours into the Rex Simpson Hut, (a 12 bunk private hut on the station). To greet you are stunning vistas across the lake and into the rolling tussock landscape that surrounds the area. (Up to 3-4 hours walking).

   As day turns to night you will savor the sun setting behind mountain silhouettes and a star-studded sky - one of the clearest and darkest skies in the southern hemisphere and enjoy a hearty meal prepared by your guides. The hut consists of three rooms, sleeping 12 participants and 2 guides in total. There are no showers and the toilet is a traditional long drop loo with a view! The hut is fully equipped with pot belly stove, firewood, gas, and solar lighting. Sleeping bags, pillows and mattresses are at the hut; liners and pillow cases are provided with each trip. It provides a comfortable and unique place to call home for the night.

   Note: Please remember you will be staying in an alpine hut on this first evening, you will not need to take all your luggage with you and the tour operator suggests packing a small overnight bag with clothing suitable for staying in an alpine environment. If necessary they can provide small overnight packs and walking poles.
   

   • Rex Simpson alpine hut
   • Lunch and Dinner

   • 

     Lake Tekapo Vista

     Each day brings with it more spellbinding scenes

   • 

     Rex Simpson Hut

     Stay in this remote alpine hut on the first night

2. Day 2Snake Ridge and Beuzenberg Peak (Rex Simpson Hut)

   From the hut, you will climb onto a broad easy spur which gradually gains height showcasing breathtaking views back down the lake and across to the Southern Alps with the prominent east faces of Mt Cook and Tasman. For the strong trekker, the summit of Beuzenberg Peak at 2070m (6791ft) is a just reward.

   Return back to the hut for another hearty meal and spectacular sunset should the weather play ball (up to 6-8 hours walking).
   

   • Rex Simpson Hut
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

   • 

     Snake Ridge

     Head to Beuzenberg Peak via Snake Ridge

3. Day 3Rex Simpson Hut to Aoraki/Mount Cook Village

   Today starts with a walk back down to the road end from Rex Simpson Hut. There's time to look around Tekapo, pick up a coffee, and a packed lunch before heading to Aoraki/Mt Cook Village. This afternoon the group can choose from several short walks in the area depending upon weather conditions and fitness levels from the previous day. Mt Sebastopol and the mountain tarns are a favorite as is the Hooker Valley with its profuse vegetation. Nearby Red Tarns with stunning views directly onto Mt Sefton involves the treadmill of the staircase that climbs quickly to this stunning viewpoint. From here you’ll get views directly up the Hooker Valley and back down the Tasman Valley. (Up to 4-5 hours walking).
   
   Tonight’s accommodation is within Aoraki/Mt Cook Village itself with outstanding views of the sun setting on the peaks.
   
   

   • Accommodation at Aoraki/Mt Cook Village
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

   • 

     Exceptional Scenery

     Immerse yourself in the New Zealand landscapes

4. Day 4Aoraki/Mount Cook Village

   The entire day awaits to explore Aoraki Mt Cook National Park. Get ready to immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring landscapes and mighty peaks that surround. Today, you’ll climb up to the Sealy Tarns gaining 450m (1,476ft) in the first hour. From there you’ll see awesome views around the neighboring valleys, the Mt Cook Range and Mt Sefton. Walk further until the path becomes less defined, a little rocky in places, and as it gets higher and starts to leave the alpine scrub and tussock, it enters boulder fields. The final ascent to the ridge line is up a steep-ish scree slope.
   
   At around 1600m (5,249ft), the view opens up to an amazing vista of Mt Sefton and the Mueller Glacier far below. Mueller Hut is then about a kilometre away, at an altitude just short of 1800m (5,905ft). The route to the hut is marked by poles, across boulder fields, and requires some rock-hopping, but later on crosses a couple of small basins before reaching the hut. The hut is located at a unique vantage point with 360-degree views of uninterrupted alpine beauty. It makes a wonderful location for lunch before returning the same way. A second night in the village provides another opportunity to view these peaks at sundown and the incredible starry night sky that follows.
   

   • Aoraki/Mt Cook Village
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

   • 

     Sealy Tarns

     Choose to hike this spectacular landscape on day 4

5. Day 5Aoraki/Mount Cook Village to Wanaka

   This morning there is another opportunity for a short walk in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, again largely dictated by what you’ve achieved the previous two days, it could be a Hooker Valley walk or visit to the Tasman Glacier View point.
   
   Leaving the Mackenzie basin, the group will cross ‘water-sheds’ and drive over the Lindis Pass through to Wanaka with a lunch stop along the way. Take the time this afternoon to relax and explore Wanaka's lakeside township after a big few days of walking. Alternatively you can be dropped off at a nearby short walking area to spend the rest of the afternoon.
   

   • Accommodation in Wanaka
   • Breakfast and Lunch
6. Day 6Wanaka - Rob Roy Glacier Walk

   After breakfast, you’ll drive for an hour to the trail head of the Rob Roy Glacier Track. The trail leads into Mount Aspiring National Park following the Rob Roy Stream through beech forest with waterfalls and a luxuriant understorey of ferns and mosses.
   
   At the tree line, the forest gives way to alpine vegetation and spectacular views of the hanging glaciers beneath Mount Rob Roy. The walk to the viewing point is mostly uphill, but the incline gradual. The cheeky kleptomaniac Kea (mountain parrots) are fond of anything edible or not that you may leave unattended on a rock – just saying!
   
   Hiking: 10km (6.2mi), 3-4 hours
   Driving: 1 hr each way
   

   • Accommodation in Wanaka
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
7. Day 7Wanaka to Queenstown (Optional Ben Lomond Walk)

   The last day of this trip will be a highlight for many as you head over the Crown Range from Wanaka to Queenstown to hike in the extraordinary sub-alpine environment of Ben Lomond (1748m/5734ft). From here there are awe-inspiring panoramas of Lake Wakatipu, the distant Remarkable and Richardson Ranges, along with the mountains and valleys you have been exploring over the past 4 days.
   
   The group will descend until the Skyline Gondola is reached which will provide a quick ride into Queenstown and then a short walk to town.
   
   Hiking 14km (8.6mi)
   Ascent: 1000m/3280ft
   Duration: 5-6 hours
   Optional Ben Lomond Summit Climb 3km/1.86mi, additional 380m/1246ft ascent
   
   

   • Breakfast