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OTEAKE

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OTEAKE

Hawkdun Range

OTEAKE

PRIVATE PASSENGER TOUR

WAIKAIA BUSH ROAD
AVAILABLE TOURS : PASSENGER | PHOTOGRAPHY | SELF DRIVE

Central Otago's Oteake Conservation Area is a vast 65,000 hectare DOC estate with a landscape of golden tussock plateaus and scree slopes. The distinctive flat-topped Hawkdun Range is the area’s centrepiece and often features in paintings and photography.


These tours were designed to provide the opportunity to experience the  Oteake Conservation Area and its rugged and wild environment first hand. 


We can meet and collect clients from Queenstown, Cromwell, Alexandra, Ranfurly and Naseby for this tour.


Due to this tour being a very big day, please contact us before booking.


WHY CHOOSE US ?     Del has 35 years of 4WD experience     All tours are PRIVATE     Travel in a safe, modern Land Rover

Central Otago's Oteake Conservation Area is a vast 65,000 hectare DOC estate with a landscape of golden tussock plateaus and scree slopes. The distinctive flat-topped Hawkdun Range is the area’s centrepiece and often features in paintings and photography.


These tours were designed to provide the opportunity to experience the  Oteake Conservation Area and its rugged and wild environment first hand. 


We can meet and collect clients from Queenstown, Cromwell, Alexandra, Ranfurly and Naseby for this tour.


This is a big day with a lot actual four wheel driving. The tour is not just amazing for the superbly wild views, but also the terrain we encounter driving through the Oteake. From steep narrow climbs, uneven scree faces, river crossings, remote tussock plateaus and sharp rock tors.

This day includes driving tracks to Mt Kyeburn, Buster Diggings, Guffies Creek, Tailings Hut, Otematata River, Ida Railway Hut and the Hawkdun Range.



OTEAKE

ADVENTURE

Central Otago's Oteake Conservation Area is a vast 65,000 hectare DOC estate with a landscape of golden tussock plateaus and scree slopes. The distinctive flat-topped Hawkdun Range is the area’s centrepiece and often features in paintings and photography.

These tours were designed to provide the opportunity to experience the  Oteake Conservation Area and its rugged and wild environment first hand. 

We can meet and collect clients from Queenstown, Cromwell, Alexandra, Ranfurly and Naseby for this tour.

This is a big day with a lot actual four wheel driving. The tour is not just amazing for the superbly wild views, but also the terrain we encounter driving through the Oteake. From steep narrow climbs, uneven scree faces, river crossings, remote tussock plateaus and sharp rock tors.

This day includes driving tracks to Mt Kyeburn, Buster Diggings, Guffies Creek, Tailings Hut, Otematata River, Ida Railway Hut and the Hawkdun Range.

FULL DAY

_____________________________

Adult : NZ$925 per person

Couple : NZ$1850 Private tour

3rd and 4th Adult : $395 per person

Child : NZ$300


Minimum 2 Adults

4 maximum guests per vehicle

Includes lunch & refreshments


Departures 8am flexable

Tour length Up to 8 hours


Group bookings POA



OTEAKE CONSERVATION AREA

Hawkdun Range

  • INFORMATION

    - This is a private tour, no other passengers

    - Minimum 2 adults per booking

    - Maximum 4 passengers

    - Includes lunch, morning and afternoon tea

    - Duration up to 13 hours

    - Includes 15% NZ Goods & Services Tax


    Payment can be made direct on the day with credit cards, eftpos or cash.


    Different start times can be arranged by request where possible. Pick-ups at local accommodation by prior arrangement.


  • HISTORY

    HISTORY


    Kāi Tahu believe that Oteake, 'place of the ake', is named for the ake ake: Olearia avicenniaefolia, a conspicuous shrub daisy found in the park. Oteake is also the indigenous name for both the Kye Burn and a stream on the other side of the range.


    Oteake was important to tangata whenua from coastal Otago kāika/settlements as mahika kai—places where food was obtained. Weka were hunted and plants gathered. Stone quarries in the upper Manuherikia are further evidence of iwi activity.


    Oteake’s European history began when pastoral leases were issued throughout the South Island’s high country in the 1850s, creating large lease holdings such as Hawkdun, Omarama, Otekaike and Morven Hill stations. Over time they were subdivided, and more recently, through tenure review and property purchase, have become Oteake Conservation Park.


    The park shows evidence of gold mining with a network of water races, prospecting pits, hut sites and alluvial mining sluicings. Buster Diggings, a spectacular sculptural landform created by alluvial gold mining, was once New Zealand’s highest altitude goldfield at 1200 m.


    History information credit, DOC

  • HIGHLIGHTS

    TOUR HIGHLIGHTS


    • Big, remote adventure
    • Quartz pinnacles
    • Buster diggings
    • Mt Kyeburn and 360 views
    • Historic Naseby
    • Danseys Pass Hotel
    • Exclusive and extremely private
    • Genuine kiwi experience
    • Visit an area most people never see
    • Ample of time allowed for photography

  • NATURE AND CONSERVATION

    NATURE AND CONSERVATION

     

    Within Oteake, Otago species often reach their northern limits and similarly, Canterbury species reach their southern limits. The park protects numerous communities, including threatened plants: cypress hebe, native broom – coral and dwarf – Ranunculus acraeus and scree pea. The dominant vegetation is narrow-leaved tussock, found in a wide range of altitudes and situations.


    Oteake’s diverse habitat hosts a range of bird species, from grey warbler/riorio in the shrublands to threatened, braided riverbed species: banded dotterel/tuturiwhatu, black-billed gull/karoro, black-fronted tern/tarapiroe and occasional black stilts/kakï.


    Oteake is an oasis for lizards, including various skink and gecko species, many of them threatened or uncommon. Invertebrates include moths, grasshoppers, weevils and spiders – in alpine areas they often reach giant sizes.


    information credit, DOC

FULL DAY PRIVATE TOUR 

OTEAKE CONSERVATION AREA

  • INFORMATION

    - This is a private tour, no other passengers

    - Minimum 2 adults per booking

    - Maximum 4 passengers

    - Includes lunch, morning and afternoon tea

    - Duration up to 13 hours

    - Includes 15% NZ Goods & Services Tax


    Payment can be made direct on the day with credit cards, eftpos or cash.


    Different start times can be arranged by request where possible. Pick-ups at local accommodation by prior arrangement.


  • HISTORY

    HISTORY


    Kāi Tahu believe that Oteake, 'place of the ake', is named for the ake ake: Olearia avicenniaefolia, a conspicuous shrub daisy found in the park. Oteake is also the indigenous name for both the Kye Burn and a stream on the other side of the range.


    Oteake was important to tangata whenua from coastal Otago kāika/settlements as mahika kai—places where food was obtained. Weka were hunted and plants gathered. Stone quarries in the upper Manuherikia are further evidence of iwi activity.


    Oteake’s European history began when pastoral leases were issued throughout the South Island’s high country in the 1850s, creating large lease holdings such as Hawkdun, Omarama, Otekaike and Morven Hill stations. Over time they were subdivided, and more recently, through tenure review and property purchase, have become Oteake Conservation Park.


    The park shows evidence of gold mining with a network of water races, prospecting pits, hut sites and alluvial mining sluicings. Buster Diggings, a spectacular sculptural landform created by alluvial gold mining, was once New Zealand’s highest altitude goldfield at 1200 m.


    History information credit, DOC

  • HIGHLIGHTS

    TOUR HIGHLIGHTS


    • Big, remote adventure
    • Quartz pinnacles
    • Buster diggings
    • Mt Kyeburn and 360 views
    • Historic Naseby
    • Danseys Pass Hotel
    • Exclusive and extremely private
    • Genuine kiwi experience
    • Visit an area most people never see
    • Ample of time allowed for photography

  • NATURE AND CONSERVATION

    NATURE AND CONSERVATION

     

    Within Oteake, Otago species often reach their northern limits and similarly, Canterbury species reach their southern limits. The park protects numerous communities, including threatened plants: cypress hebe, native broom – coral and dwarf – Ranunculus acraeus and scree pea. The dominant vegetation is narrow-leaved tussock, found in a wide range of altitudes and situations.


    Oteake’s diverse habitat hosts a range of bird species, from grey warbler/riorio in the shrublands to threatened, braided riverbed species: banded dotterel/tuturiwhatu, black-billed gull/karoro, black-fronted tern/tarapiroe and occasional black stilts/kakï.


    Oteake is an oasis for lizards, including various skink and gecko species, many of them threatened or uncommon. Invertebrates include moths, grasshoppers, weevils and spiders – in alpine areas they often reach giant sizes.


    information credit, DOC

FULL DAY


Private Scenic Adventure

Couple NZ$1,850 (NZ$925 each)

3rd or 4th adult NZ$395

Child NZ$300


Minimum 2 adults

Maximum 4 guests per vehicle

Group bookings POA


Includes picnic lunch and refreshments

_____________________________

Departures

8am

Private Tour times are flexible

___________________________

Tour length

Up to 10 - 13 hours ex Queenstown


FULL DAY


Private Adventure


Couple NZ$1,950 (NZ$925 each)

3rd or 4th adult NZ$395

Child : NZ$300


 Minimum 2 Adults

Maximum 4 guests per vehicle

Group bookings POA


Includes picnic lunch & refreshments

____________________________

Departures


8am

(flexible on private tour)

___________________________

Tour length


Up to 13 hours ex Queenstown

___________________________


  • INFORMATION

    - Minimum 2 adults per booking

    - Maximum 4 passengers

    - Includes lunch, morning and afternoon tea

    - 10 - 13 hours

    - Includes 15% NZ Goods & Services Tax


    Payment can be made direct on the day with credit cards, eftpos or cash.


    Different start times can be arranged by request where possible. Pick-ups at local accommodation by prior arrangement.


  • HISTORY

    HISTORY


    Kāi Tahu believe that Oteake, 'place of the ake', is named for the ake ake: Olearia avicenniaefolia, a conspicuous shrub daisy found in the park. Oteake is also the indigenous name for both the Kye Burn and a stream on the other side of the range.


    Oteake was important to tangata whenua from coastal Otago kāika/settlements as mahika kai—places where food was obtained. Weka were hunted and plants gathered. Stone quarries in the upper Manuherikia are further evidence of iwi activity.


    Oteake’s European history began when pastoral leases were issued throughout the South Island’s high country in the 1850s, creating large lease holdings such as Hawkdun, Omarama, Otekaike and Morven Hill stations. Over time they were subdivided, and more recently, through tenure review and property purchase, have become Oteake Conservation Park.


    The park shows evidence of gold mining with a network of water races, prospecting pits, hut sites and alluvial mining sluicings. Buster Diggings, a spectacular sculptural landform created by alluvial gold mining, was once New Zealand’s highest altitude goldfield at 1200 m.


    History information credit, DOC

  • HIGHLIGHTS

    TOUR HIGHLIGHTS


    • Big, remote adventure
    • Quartz pinnacles
    • Buster diggings
    • Mt Kyeburn and 360 views
    • Historic Naseby
    • Danseys Pass Hotel
    • Exclusive and extremely private
    • Genuine kiwi experience
    • Visit an area most people never see
    • Ample of time allowed for photography

  • NATURE AND CONSERVATION

    NATURE AND CONSERVATION

     

    Within Oteake, Otago species often reach their northern limits and similarly, Canterbury species reach their southern limits. The park protects numerous communities, including threatened plants: cypress hebe, native broom – coral and dwarf – Ranunculus acraeus and scree pea. The dominant vegetation is narrow-leaved tussock, found in a wide range of altitudes and situations.


    Oteake’s diverse habitat hosts a range of bird species, from grey warbler/riorio in the shrublands to threatened, braided riverbed species: banded dotterel/tuturiwhatu, black-billed gull/karoro, black-fronted tern/tarapiroe and occasional black stilts/kakï.


    Oteake is an oasis for lizards, including various skink and gecko species, many of them threatened or uncommon. Invertebrates include moths, grasshoppers, weevils and spiders – in alpine areas they often reach giant sizes.


    information credit, DOC

  • HIGHLIGHTS

    TOUR HIGHLIGHTS


    • Big, remote adventure
    • Quartz pinnacles
    • Buster diggings
    • Mt Kyeburn and 360 views
    • Historic Naseby
    • Danseys Pass Hotel
    • Exclusive and extremely private
    • Genuine kiwi experience
    • Visit an area most people never see
    • Ample of time allowed for photography

  • NATURE AND CONSERVATION

    NATURE AND CONSERVATION

     

    Within Oteake, Otago species often reach their northern limits and similarly, Canterbury species reach their southern limits. The park protects numerous communities, including threatened plants: cypress hebe, native broom – coral and dwarf – Ranunculus acraeus and scree pea. The dominant vegetation is narrow-leaved tussock, found in a wide range of altitudes and situations.


    Oteake’s diverse habitat hosts a range of bird species, from grey warbler/riorio in the shrublands to threatened, braided riverbed species: banded dotterel/tuturiwhatu, black-billed gull/karoro, black-fronted tern/tarapiroe and occasional black stilts/kakï.


    Oteake is an oasis for lizards, including various skink and gecko species, many of them threatened or uncommon. Invertebrates include moths, grasshoppers, weevils and spiders – in alpine areas they often reach giant sizes.


    information credit, DOC

  • HIGHLIGHTS

    Includes all the highlights from the Skippers Canyon and Glenorchy half day tours.

  • NATURE AND CONSERVATION

    NATURE AND CONSERVATION

     

    Within Oteake, Otago species often reach their northern limits and similarly, Canterbury species reach their southern limits. The park protects numerous communities, including threatened plants: cypress hebe, native broom – coral and dwarf – Ranunculus acraeus and scree pea. The dominant vegetation is narrow-leaved tussock, found in a wide range of altitudes and situations.


    Oteake’s diverse habitat hosts a range of bird species, from grey warbler/riorio in the shrublands to threatened, braided riverbed species: banded dotterel/tuturiwhatu, black-billed gull/karoro, black-fronted tern/tarapiroe and occasional black stilts/kakï.


    Oteake is an oasis for lizards, including various skink and gecko species, many of them threatened or uncommon. Invertebrates include moths, grasshoppers, weevils and spiders – in alpine areas they often reach giant sizes.


    information credit, DOC

VIDEOS

Additional Oteake full day tour images (click on image to open)

ADDITIONAL VIDEOS

Additional Oteake videos