Our tours...

The High Country Journeys team have been operating self-drive, 4×4 tours for the past 20 years and have plenty of experience in making sure you’ll have many happy, memorable experiences on your own self-drive adventure that’ll take you into the heart of the South Island high country. You will experience spectacular scenery and warm hospitality as you travel your choosen journey.

Accommodation is in home-hosted farmhouses where you learn about the local history of each area that you stay in and drive through. All meals and lunches are provided and the accommodation is of a very high standard.

The tracks are generally of a good standard and you won’t be bashing your way through bush, mud holes or rattling up rough riverbeds all day. Some days the tracks will take you up mountain ranges with peaks over 1700m high where you’ll experience the stunning scenery of these tussock-clad mountains and the alpine environment with its many native plants. You’ll look down over river valleys and lakes that will take your breath away.

This truly fantastic experience can be enjoyed in style and comfort for the duration of the trip. You don’t need to be an experienced four-wheel driver. However you do need common sense and to be prepared for the odd challenge as you’ll be driving on high country station 4×4 tracks for a good part of each day. One of the couples who did the trip commented that “the journey is definitely not only for the men in the family, wives and partners thoroughly enjoy the high country experience too”. Remember this is a get-up and go adventure holiday, so make the most of each day.

High Country Journeys offers the following fully guided options, if you want a more personal, laid back, worry-free and yet adventurous trip with some challenges and not too many vehicles involved; these are all good options for you.

“South Island High Country Grand Slam” – Fully Guided – $3090 pp
‘The Grand Slam’ is a 7 day, 8 night package that starts in Blenheim and takes in Molesworth Station and then after travelling through MacDonald Downs and the Lees Valley in North Canterbury links up with our usual “Heart of the High Country” route, that goes down through theLake Coleridge and the Rakaia River areas, through the Mackenzie Country and also finishes in the Cardrona/Wanaka area of Central Otago. This tour works in well if you are coming down from the North Island as you can travel through the famous Molesworth Station on the way down.

“Heart Of The High Country Tour” – Fully Guided – $2700 pp
This is our legendary station to station tour. Experience 6 days and 7 nights of spectacular scenery and warm hospitality with this unique 4WD journey that will take you into the heart of the South Island high country, starting near Lake Coleridge in Canterbury and making your way through the Mackenzie Country and ending in the Cardrona/Wanaka area of Central Otago.

“Great Mackenzie & Central Otago Explorer” – Fully Guided – $2750 pp
This newer fully guided tour is also a ‘7 night, 6 day’ package that starts in the Fairlie/Lake Ohau area and ends in the Cardrona/Wanaka area and takes in the rugged and majestic high country and tussock lands of the Mackenzie Country, Lindis Pass, Central Otago and Northern Southland. It has some stunning new tracks and is popular with clients who have done our other tours or who might be looking for something different with a little more of a challenge.

If you don’t have a 4WD and would like to do one of our tours then High Country Journeys can arrange to take you as a passenger in one of their own vehicles. Likewise if you have other ideas or limited time at your disposal, contact us and we will put together a suggested itinerary that’ll allow you to realise your expectations and get the most out of your 4WD experience.

We also cater for corporate and family groups. We can put together two and three-day plus packages for clients including a ‘team building’ stay in a back country hut.

These tours are normally run within our defined season (Dec to April) and can be fully catered.

Our tours...

Fully-Guided Self-Drive (Tag-a-long) Tours

Passenger, Corporate and Personalised Tours