Come ride with us
Live your Dream with us...
You can experience the unspoiled beauty of New Zealand's high country, with exceptional guides who truly know the country, the people who live here and it’s history. We offer a variety of multi-day horse riding adventures through the mountains, rivers and lakes of the spectacular high country of North Canterbury. Unlike a cavalcade we travel in small intimate groups and as we don’t need to lead pack horses on the 1–8 day treks, you and your horse can take the opportunity to enjoy a trot and canter if you wish.
We have the adventure for you that will totally immerse you in the culture of the New Zealand high country. You can enjoy riding through the iconic Molesworth Station and Clarence Reserve, cross great rivers such as the Hurunui, Wairau and Clarence – traversing the terrain all the way from the mountains to the sea. It’s an amazing adventure. Or enjoy the five lakes and high country as you wander through the mountains and valleys of Lake Sumner National Park.
At the end of the day you can enjoy a cold beer (or your favourite drink) whilst your horse munches its much earned feed before being turned out into the paddock for the night. Then you will be transported back to our base where you are spoilt for choice – take a hot shower, have a soak and pressure massage in our new hydro-therapy spa, just enjoy the tranquillity of our garden, and relax in one of the hammock chairs with a chilled Sangria or wine to drink on the deck with views of the mountains all around you. Presently, your dinner is served ‘al fresco’ beside the pit fire in our river stone walled garden, the delicate scent of the herb garden permeating the air.
We begin all of our treks with a short introduction on how we handle our horses on the ground, this is done individually in our round pen where you experience “Join Up” with your mount and understand how we ride our horses, so you can ride safely, enjoying good communication and leadership with your horse; we train our horses through respect and trust.
'BEYOND NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP' - Successful training through respect, compassion, wisdom, skill and trust.
We have the adventure for you that will totally immerse you in the culture of the New Zealand high country.
Note: Our season runs from September to June.
Check out our Adventures
Key :: Beginners: 
Novice: 
Intermediate: 
Advanced: 
The Day Ride:
Your day is spent exploring the surrounding countryside. We ride up the Waitohi River or into the Kanuka Valley, stopping for lunch in a spectacular spot; enjoying the views of both the Amuri Basin and the Southern Alps.
Approximately six hours :: Minimum 2 persons
The Wanderer :: 2 days/1 night
Includes one nights' accommodation, dinner, bed, breakfast, packed lunch, wine, beer and two days trekking in the high country and rivers.
(Single supplement 20% – this is refundable if there is more than one person on the trek.)
Approximate average of six hours each day
The Waitohi Trail :: 3 days/2 nights
This ride includes two nights' accommodation, dinner, bed, breakfast, packed lunch, wine, beer and three days trekking in the high country and rivers.
(Single supplement 20% – this is refundable if there is more than one person on the trek.)
Approximate average of six hours each day
Double Tops :: 4 days/3 nights
This four day/three night trek takes in the Hurunui and Waitohi rivers and the majestic Mt Noble Station. The Double Tops includes three nights' accommodation, dinner, wine and beer, bed, breakfast, packed lunch and four days’ trekking.
(Single supplement 20% – this is refundable if there is more than one person on the trek.)
Approximate average of six hours each day
The Adventurer :: 5 days/4 night
The Adventurer includes four nights' accommodation, dinner, wine and beer, bed, breakfast, packed lunch and five days trekking along the rivers and mountains of the Hurunui area.
(Single supplement 20% – this is refundable if there is more than one person on the trek).
Approximate average of seven hours each day
The Lakes :: 8 days/7 nights
This is the ultimate high-country adventure, with lakes, mountains, valleys, rivers and virgin beech forests. The Lakes includes three nights' accommodation, dinner, wine and beer, bed, breakfast, packed lunch and five days trekking.
(Single supplement 20% – this is refundable if there is more than one person on the trek.)
Approximate average of seven hours each day
The Journey :: 12 days/12 nights
This truly is an adventure of a lifetime... most people will never have the opportunity to see such pristine country as this; words truly cannot describe it.
Experience being truly at one with your horse and environment at Hurunui Trails & Adventures, the spectacular scenery and tranquillity will leave you refreshed in body, mind and spirit.
You will be crossing three major rivers of New Zealand, The Hurunui, The Waiau and The Clarence. You will be following the direction of the Clarence River through Molesworth Station, passing through the valleys and along the mountain range tops of the Southern Alps where our base is; across the Seaward Ranges all the way to the sea at Kaikoura.
You have your fourth day off at Hanmer Springs, where you are free to do whatever you wish. You will enjoy the luxury of a lie in at your five star accommodations for four nights. Hanmer Springs is New Zealand’s premier alpine and spa destination set amongst alpine vistas. You can spend the day soaking in hot thermal pools or the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa offer a world class spa experience for the ultimate in relaxation; specialising in luxurious skin, body and massage therapies. Spend the day shopping for fine art, jewellery, fashion and New Zealand gift ware. Take an adventure packed trip exploring the mountain biking trails, hike along one of the many great walking tracks, or ride a jet boat down the Waiau Gorge. Treat yourself to a relaxing lunch at an outdoor café and while away you’re evening at the array of restaurants and bars, returning to your five star luxury accommodation for a second night.
Back on the trail with our horses, with luxury camping along the Clarence River, through Molesworth Station all the way through to the sea and beaches of Kaikoura, you truly feel like you are riding through an oil painting, living what most people can only dream of doing.
The Clarence/Waiau-toa is one of NZ’s longest rivers and featured on Craig Potton’s series ‘Rivers’. The river begins at Lake Tennyson on the eastern slopes of the Spenser Mountains in the Lewis pass area. The headwaters of the entire major top-of-the- south rivers originate in these mountains, the Waiau-toa (Clarence), Waiau, Kawatiri (Buller) and the Wairau. The Clarence and the Waiau flow parallel on either side of the St James range until the Clarence turns at the Hanmer range and flows North East between the Kaikoura ranges. It continues in this direction until rounding the northern end of the Seaward Kaikoura Mountains and then flowing south into the Pacific Ocean near the settlement of Clarence, 40 km north of Kaikoura.
Your last two nights are once again in five star luxury accommodation at the water’s edge on the beach with a spa pool, or you can take a cooling swim in the sea. Your last day is spent with Dolphin Encounter in the morning, where they take you to swim with the dusky dolphins in their natural environment, or you may choose to watch their acrobatic displays from the comfort of their boat. You can enjoy a relaxing lunch at an outdoor café of your choice.
Then at 1.30pm you will be collected by Maurice and Heather Manawatu who own and operate Māori Tours Kaikoura. This is a winning combination of laughter and learning that combines storytelling with hands on activities and a bushwalk to discover traditional uses of trees and plants as food and medicine:
Kaikoura is an area of immense natural beauty and is rich in Māori history. You will travel by small coach to visit some of our most special places and they will introduce you to them through their eyes, sharing secrets of the landscape through the stories of our ancestors – stories that have been handed down for many generations – stories that will leave you smiling and amazed. You'll be involved right from the start – join in customs and traditions and learn their ways like weaving with the native harakeke (flax) plant and learning a Māori greeting. Midway through we'll stop for light refreshments and then travel to one of Kaikoura's bush walkways where passionate guides will share their knowledge about the use of plants. As more than 90% of New Zealand's native bush is endemic you'll be in a landscape found nowhere else in the natural world.
Be part of a real cultural exchange, widely regarded as one of the world's finest indigenous tours. As your day concludes you will have gained a rare insight and understanding of Māori people, their history and way of life, and they will give you a small memento to remember them and to share with your own family and friends.
Approximate average of seven to eight hours each day
New Zealand's Ultimate Horse Riding Experience ::
5 days - South Island/5 days - North Island
There is no place in the world like New Zealand. People come here by the millions to experience what we take for granted.
Now two iconic world-renowned horse trekking operations have joined forces to give you a fantastic coastal and alpine adventure on two very different islands in the South Pacific.
Hurunui Trails & Adventures and Pakiri Beach are world-renowned and have cracked the Top 20 Worldwide for Horse Trekking experiences. The testimonials from happy trekkers from around the globe say it all.
The scenery is spectacular and the focus is firmly on a quality, liberating experience. New Zealand is a country of huge geographical differences and what better way to experience these two extremes than on horseback; lead by the rural people of this country…practical, generous, adventurous and hospitable. With expertly trained guides and horses you're in knowledgeable and safe hands.
Highlights
- Want an adventure you'll remember for a lifetime?
- Two of the Top 10 worldwide Horse Trek companies with over 25 years operating experience each.
- Recommended by Lonely Planet, listed in "100 Things One Must Do Before You Die" and featured in ’50 Great Horse Treks of the World’.
- Recognised around the globe as a quality operators by happy trekkers.
- With expertly trained guides you're in knowledgeable and safe hands.
- Immaculate safety record.
- Ride includes safety helmets, insulated lunch box, bed linen or sleeping bags, and Hydro therapy spa.
- Range of horses to suit all.
- The ultimate - get away from it all - experience, with scenery too beautiful to describe!
- www.nztreks.co.nz | www.horseride-nz.co.nz
You can choose to fly into Christchurch or Queenstown in the southern island and drive yourself/taxi/shuttle to Hurunui Trails & Adventures where Heather and Pete will give you a well trained horse specifically for riding in mountainous terrain. Here for 5 wonderful days you will enjoy the majesty of the Southern Alps, the splendour of the lakes and powerful rivers of the South Island or Te Wai Pounamu as it is known by the indigenous Maori people.
After your five days experiencing the South you can then fly north from Christchurch to Auckland in the North Island for a five day ride along the eastern coast north Auckland.
Here after a 1 ½ hour drive north the Pacific ocean breaks on the unpopulated white sand beach of Pakiri, 14 miles of an unbroken sweep of sand and dunes and a tropical climate. Here Sharley and her team will show you this beautiful riding country.
The contrast between the scenery of the North Island and the South Island is amazing. Coastal tropical rain forests and rolling hills overlook the islands of the Pacific Ocean which the Maoris call the floats in the net of Toi. During the summer you will ride through groves of our famous native Christmas tree…the Pohutukawa, aflame with red blossom. You may have the opportunity to spend a night on a genuine Maori marae and meet with the people and admire their carved house.
After your last ride along the beach you will depart for the airport in Auckland and your flight … alternatively you may choose to fly into Auckland International Airport and ride at Pakiri beach horse rides first and finish your adventure with your ride at Hurunui Trails in the South, flying out from Christchurch. Another option is to add days for other sightseeing in between.
We are offering this experience on request so you can enjoy it the way you want to, when you want to.
Tailored Treks on Request
Write your own adventure! This is suitable for couples or groups and take a look at our other options which can be tailored to suit your requirements to make a truly memorable adventure with some of the other top operators in New Zealand.
All riders must be able to mount, ride and dismount unaided, as well as rise to the trot (post) and canter safely.
Routes can vary due to seasonal changes and climatic conditions.
Small groups + professional guides = GREAT RIDES!
