Hiking in the South Island no.2

by | Apr 26, 2018

Guest Blogger: Lucy Xu (Reception Manager)

Nature and the mountains are calling out to you to explore! Our beautiful home of New Zealand offers an endless amount of jaw dropping scenery and there is just so much to explore. The diversity in the scenery here is certainly spectacular; there are glaciers, deep rainforest and lakes so beautiful you just have to go for swim. There is truly no better way to get up close and person with nature than spending a few hours or days just taking in all that New Zealand has to offer and exploring on foot. Speaking from the perspective of a local of 6 ish years, I’ve composed a list of a few of my absolute favourite places to explore and a few handy tips 😉

So without further ado, here comes a hike a day!

Wanaka:

Rob Roy Glacier – This one is a super easy hike but with spectacular and rewarding scenery located within the Mount Aspiring National Park. The hike takes 3 – 4 hours, you’ll walk through a lush rainforest, and then majestic glacier will appear. There’s a few waterfalls thrown into the mix and then the hike finishes with a jaw dropping view of the glacier.  You’ll need to get transport from Wanaka to get to the start of the walk – or drive yourself if you’ve got a car handy – but it’s a beautiful hike to get you in the mood for maybe something a little longer!

Roy’s Peak – This is a great day trek that will take you somewhere between 6 – 8 hours to accomplish.  If you’ve seen any tourism advertising for the South Island (or New Zealand in general) there’s a pretty good chance you’ve already seen some of the photo’s/video you can capture from the summit.  Not an easy hike by any means – you’re essentially going up to the summit of a mountain – and it is quite exposed to the elements for the majority of the hike, so make sure you slip/slop/slap that sunscreen on.  If you’re happy to work for your views, this is the one for you!