Middle Earth Trail
The Tuatara Middle Earth Trail is an exciting action packed eight-day fully guided walking and cycling experience in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand - allowing you to experience both the central high country hills, and in particular the Mesopotamia High Country Station, and the beautiful southern lakes. The scenery is simply breathtaking.
The philosophy of Tuatara Tours is to combine the wonderful scenery of the
This exciting trail starts with four days of walking on Mesopotamia and
After spending four days exploring the high country, you will be transported right into the heart of the famous Mackenzie Country for four days of unsurpassed cycling along the Tekapo and Pukaki canals.
Because canals slope gradually downhill, this section is flat... and no previous cycling experience is required. You will be accompanied by a vehicle, which allows you to select the distances that you want to ride.
Join us for this unforgettable adventure walking on two of
Features of the trail include:
- Accommodation on all seven nights
- Your trip is fully guided by a well trained and experienced guide
- Your bags are transported for you. All you will need to carry is a daypack, camera and essential clothing items
- Transportation during the tour
- All meals for the trip duration except your dinner on Day Four
- Flexible biking options, you can make use of the support vehicle whenever you choose to. You can ride at your own leisurely pace with the usual option being to cycle approximately 40kms per day
Trip Itinerary
You depart from Christchurch and are transported to Mesopotamia Station, situated at the headwaters of the mighty Rangitata River.
The day is a unique experience – walking across the Brabazon near the historic Mesopotamia Station Homestead, looking back towards the Hakatere Station, and taking in the remoteness and stunning backdrop of the bold mountains. You will also enjoy the many tumbling streams as you wander along…… hearing about the adventures of the original pioneers.
After a peaceful lunch you will continue your exploration of the grand Mesopotamia property…… looking at the interesting variety of native flora and fauna.
This evening you will have an overnight stay in the Mesopotamia Station cottages. You will enjoy the rustic charm of these character buildings and relax within the secluded setting, set amongst the impressive Oregon Pines.
You will enjoy the pleasures of a good country meal, in front of a cosy fire.
Day Two
Your adventure will continue this morning after breakfast, when you are guided along the top terraces of Mesopotamia Station, with a backdrop of the majestic “Two Thumbs” mountain range of the Southern Alps. From here you can admire the views that attracted Samuel Butler to the area…….and was the inspiration behind the writing of the satirical novel Erewhon.
Part of your walk is spent within the game park where you are likely to see fallow deer, red deer, chamois, tahr and elk. This 25,000 acre family run is home to over 11,000 merino sheep, 3,000 farmed deer and 500 beef cattle.
You will again be accommodated in the cottages of the Mesopotamia Station.
Day Three
Your adventure will continue after breakfast, when you will visit the final resting place of Dr Andrew Sinclair, botanist and Colonial Secretary to the New Zealand Government. You will hear an intriguing story of how he lost his life (1861), when crossing the Rangitata River with his good friend, geologist Julius Von Haast.
You then go (mid-morning) to Mount Peel, where you will walk the trails of the Peel Forest Scenic Reserve. The Reserve has a wide range of native flora, and the mild moist climate is ideal for ferns (around 36% of all native ferns grown in New Zealand are found in this area). You will be captivated by the canopy of towering podocarps, which host a rich variety of native bush and bird-life underneath.
The scenic features include the Acland Falls, Deer Spur, Fern Walk and Mills Bush……where you will enjoy the beautiful range of flowering shrubs.
The nearby lovely Rangitata River is renowned for its world-class salmon fishing.
The evening is spent relaxing and enjoying the cuisine in a comfortable lodge, near Mount Somers.
Day Four
After breakfast you will head to Lake Clearwater, which is situated in a tussock covered mountain valley, at the foot of the Southern Alps.
While gazing at the surrounding high mountain peaks and enjoying nature at its best, you will walk up until you reach the shoreline of the enchanting Mystery Lake…….where you will enjoy your picnic lunch. You should keep your eyes peeled for brown trout (there are a lot of them!)……. among the bull-rushes growing in the shallows of the lake.
This afternoon you will be guided along the ravine above the Potts River, with great views of the valley below and a fantastic panorama of Mesopotamia Station. The walk today finishes at the Potts River Bridge……..but if time allows, you will also walk to the top of Mount Sunday (well known as the village Edoras in Peter Jackson’s blockbuster film The Lord of the Rings).
Day Four finishes with afternoon tea and you are driven to the South Canterbury town of Geraldine, nestled at the foot of rolling farmlands and bisected by the tranquil Waihi River, to overnight before continuing your Middle Earth Trail tomorrow. Tonight you are free to explore and eat at the restaurant of your choice (at your own expense). Geraldine has a well deserved reputation as a home to gifted artists and artisans and many of these talented people have their work on sale in the town, or from nearby studios.
Day Five
You will be collected from your accommodation at approximately 11:00am and continue on a scenic and informative drive through to Lake Tekapo, the centre of the South Island. The astounding panoramic views from the top of Mt John Observatory at Tekapo will take your breath away! As your Middle Earth cycle experience unfolds you are immersed in the incredibly scenic landscape of turquoise coloured glacial lakes and tussock-clad hills, with the stunning backdrop of snow capped mountains.
Pedal past the world famous Church of the Good Shepherd (which offers awe-inspiring views of Lake Tekapo and the Southern Alps through its altar window) and alongside Lake Tekapo, taking in the views of the magnificent lake and mountains, and hectares of Russell Lupins in attractive shades of pinks and purples.
This evening you will relax at a resort hotel that has unbelievable panoramic views across the turquoise waters of the lake. An optional extra is to soak in the hot pools close by, while stargazing into New Zealand’s clearest, darkest and most spectacular night sky.
After breakfast, you will cycle along the emerald blue canals towards Lake Pukaki, with a brief visit to the Mount Cook Salmon Farm. Travel around the end of Lake Pukaki and (depending on how long you want to cycle) up to the base of Mount Cook itself. You will also pass New Zealand’s largest letterbox at Irishman Creek, an area also well known as the farm station where the world’s first jet boat was built and tested.
While travelling up the rambling road towards Mount Cook you can enjoy stops at Peter’s Lookout, Boundary Stream and Glentanner. The Mount Cook National Park carries World Heritage status and contains almost all of New Zealand’s major mountain peaks - stretching approximately 70kms along the Southern Alps.
The evening is spent in a quality lodge, right in the heart of the Mackenzie Country.
You will wake up with a wonderful view of the snow capped mountains, and after breakfast you will cycle leisurely along the canal road to Lake Ruataniwha. This is an interesting man-made lake and you will enjoy the local tale of how it was created. A project engineer spent millions of dollars supposedly getting the ‘shoreline redeveloped’…….but instead built a world class rowing course.
You will then join the Twizel River Trail between Twizel and Lake Benmore. This trail runs for 12km, parallel to the Twizel River, and offers wonderful views of the Mackenzie Basin. The trail ends overlooking the beautiful Lake Benmore, which is New Zealand’s largest man-made lake – famous for its fishing.
Your next experience is to travel a short distance to the start of the Lake Ohau road. From there you will enjoy a relaxed cycle along gradually sloping downhill roads to the magnificent Lake Ohau. A leisurely pedal along the south side of the lake also offers you another opportunity to experience the wonderful views of the snow-capped mountains in the background.
You overnight at the beautiful Lake Ohau Lodge, which provides stunning panoramic views of the lake, mountains and surrounding countryside.
On the final day, you will enjoy a ride to the head of Lake Ohau and into the Ruataniwha Conservation Park. This park consists of over 36,800 hectares of rugged mountain landscapes, encompassing beech (Tawhai) forest, sparkling clear rivers, and the Ohau and Ben Ohau ranges.
Your final group lunch is alongside the shoreline of the lake where you will celebrate the conclusion of your fiddle Earth experience - before departing by coach back to Christchurch.
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