About Us
"Heather"
"Heather, Pete & Stalk"
"Heather & Pete at Lake Mason"
Welcome to Hurunui Trails and Adventures. If you need to take time out and refresh your spirit, you've come to the right place. We have pioneered horse treks through some of the most spectacular wilderness in New Zealand for over 30 years.
We are internationally recognised for some of the finest treks available worldwide, and have been featured in Horse & Hound magazine (UK), Horse & Pony NZ, and many other magazines and TV shows. Our treks are also the only New Zealand treks to be included in Julie Miller's acclaimed book "Great Horse Treks of the World".
Hurunui Trails and Adventures is owned and run by Pete Mallinson and Heather Lucas.
Pete is a true blue Kiwi and highly experienced horseman who grew up on a Hill Country Farm near Geraldine. Pete has worked as a Sheppard in the Rangitata Gorge, Te Anau, Mt White Station, Lock Harbour Station etc. Pete moved into the Hawarden area 20 years ago and works as a shepherd at McDonald Downs and then moved to Esk Head Station as head shepherd for nine years; he knows the High Country like the back of his hand.
His father John Mallinson put him up on his first horse in front of him at 6 months of age and went mustering, at the age of two he had his own pony and rode out alongside his father. Pete competed in Endurance races from the age of 12 years and went onto the Rodeo Circuit at 15 years of age riding the steers and broncs and later on progressed to bulls, and bareback broncs, where he excelled.
He is highly experienced as a horse trainer, Farrier, stockman and farmer.
His partner Heather Lucas is an experienced horsewoman who rode competitively for some years in Britain. She is a French chef and owned and operated a restaurant, farm and Auberge in France (and speaks French). She has also owned and ran a nursery school for under 5's and a children's adventure club in Cornwall, England, where she grew up. Heather has been riding since the age of seven and with Pete she trains all of the young horses and keeps the other horses well schooled for the guests who visit and stay with them from around the world.
Heather & Pete train horses for all disciplines and have many St James Horses, these horses run wild on the St James Station in the High Country and are sold at auction at approx 2 years.
Over the past two years Heather & Pete travelled to the Payson Utah in the States and are now fully accredited EAGALA members and qualified in Equine Assisted Equine Therapy and Learning.
They focus on giving their guests a fulfilling, satisfying and informative experience of the High Country which is an intimate and sensitive relationship with nature due to the small groups and responsible style of trekking; which they enjoy sharing with other people. Their horses are chosen for being level-headed, sure-footed and sensible, well-bred and mannered. Pete and Heather spend a lot of time training them so that their guests can enjoy their experience on horseback.
We look forward to meeting you and to sharing our home and this incredible part of the world with you.
"Pete - Coming Home"
You always know when you've had a good holiday when you are still talking
about it three months later ...
Having been on riding trips all over the world (England, Ireland, Canada, USA, South Africa, Botswana & Australia) my husband and I looked forward to the Hurunui trip with the usual anticipation ... Will the horses be good? What will the guides/other guests be like? Will we have enough to eat? Will there be lots to see? We needn't have worried; this was one of the best trips we had ever been on!
The horses were outstanding, brave, forward-going, well trained and fit (very fit)!!! I rode "Eire" a pretty grey Connemara later nicknamed "Barbie's horse" by my fellow travellers, but I didn't mind - at least I stood out in pictures!!! My husband rode the lovely Hui - a big handsome Cleveland Bay who motored up every mountain he came across.
Our trip was guided by Heather & Peter (Pete is the owner of Hurunui Trails & Adventures). We couldn't have imagined a better duo - their knowledge of the region and their horse & culinary skills were second to none. We learnt so much on this trip and had an enormous amount of fun doing so.
The scenery we experienced was incredible, ever-changing (sometimes several times a day); shifting between rugged mountains, dense forests, wide open flats, stunning lakes & fast flowing rivers. There were many high points - too many to mention in detail, but I think swimming with the horses in Lake Mason was everyone's favourite, closely followed by Boulder Gulley (there is a reason I don't have any pictures of Boulder Gulley)!!!
This trip will be in our memories forever; we met the most amazing people, rode fantastic horses through awe-inspiring scenery, ate great food, learned about life in the back country and developed friendships that will last a lifetime.
Thank you for a great adventure! 
Sadie & Paul - Ireland
