Luxury holidays in Ahuriri Valley

The Ahuriri Valley on New Zealand’s South Island is home to a scenic spectrum of alpine vistas, verdant wetlands and forest-clad hillsides. Choose your own adventure through this wild and varied landscape – will it be hiking, climbing, mountain biking, horse-riding or a little bit of everything? Ahuriri Conservation Park has plenty of car-friendly trails, too, so you can roll down the windows and roam the landscape from behind the wheel. After something more peaceful? Cast off at Canyon Creek for world-renowned trout fly-fishing.
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When to go

Avoid the Ahuriri Valley in winter and early spring (from June to September), as these months bring heavy snows and thaws that can make the roads risky. Autumn in New Zealand falls in March to May; head to the valley then to see it ablaze with fiery-hued forests.

Getting there

  • Planes

    Fly in to Christchurch from the North Island then pick up a car for the four-hour drive – with the South Island scenery as en-route entertainment, of course. International flights connect via Dubai, South-East Asia and Australia, as well as Auckland.

  • Automobiles

    Driving is the best way to experience the super scenery of the Ahuriri Valley, but the rugged terrain warrants some serious horsepower – hire a four-wheel drive to roam the tracks and trails of the Conservation Park. Hit the Birchwood Road in your 4x4 and follow the Ahuriri River through the Valley – just be sure to watch for flooding – the roads are prone to wet-weather washouts.