What stays with you longer — the sound of a river under your horse’s hooves, or the evening light on Lake Hawea? This ride begins in Queenstown and quickly leaves the ordinary behind, following remote station country, mountain tracks, and wide lake shores into one of the most beautiful corners of New Zealand’s South Island. Here, the land feels open, quiet, and deeply alive.
You ride into Dingleburn Station through the remarkable Dingleburn Bluff, then spend time in a place where guests can choose between long hours in the saddle and slow, peaceful rest by the river. The trail continues across the Hunter River into Hunter Valley Station, where the lake shifts colour through the day and the valley opens beneath the mountains. Riders can head deeper into the Hunter Valley, follow the turquoise braided river, pass old fishing cribs, and circle the edge of Lake Hawea through native beech forest, waterfalls, and glacial crossings.
Accommodation adds to the experience: off-grid shearers’ quarters with hot showers and soft beds, and a historic musterers’ hut with solar power and mountain views. Some evenings bring open-fire dinners, some offer swimming holes, and if you wish, even a night under the stars. If you want a trail that gives you real station life, strong riding days, and landscapes that stay in your mind long after the journey ends, this is the one to choose!
