This remarkable journey begins with a boat ride along the Abel Tasman coastline to Awaroa. Hike the coastal trail that winds around the coast before camping in peaceful campsites a stone’s throw from the beach. 

Depart the park two days later by a modern-day waka (Māori canoe), joining forces with a local waka guide to paddle the coastline and search for seals and dolphins around the wildlife refuge of Adele Island. Travel south to the lush rainforests of the West Coast to hike up deep canyons, sleep under a massive overhang and cycle on the West Coast wilderness trail.

Head back into the mountains at Arthur’s Pass and hike into a remote backcountry hut for a night in the Edwards Valley. 

Explore the hiking trails around the majestic Aoraki/Mt Cook, before heading south to Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks to hike and camp among the soaring peaks, glaciers and fiords of the South West New Zealand World Heritage area.

The Ultimate South includes four overnight hikes in Abel Tasman, Paparoa, Arthur’s Pass and Mount Aspiring National Parks, as well as day hikes in Fiordland and Aoraki/Mount Cook. Optional extras such as glacier heli-hiking at Aoraki/Mount Cook and sea kayaking in Milford Sound make this the ideal tour for the active and intrepid. 

The Ultimate South is days 10 to 24 of the Ultimate New Zealand.