What is high country?

High country is the big tussock land east of the New Zealands Southern Alps — altitude, weather, and space. Cold winters, hot summers, little rain compared with the West Coast. Farms here are measured in thousands of acres, not tidy paddocks. Merino country. Tracks instead of lanes.

Tussock is the native grass that owns that country — tough clumps, gold and straw in the light, built for wind, frost and thin soil. It holds the hills together. When people say “high country,” they mean tussock as far as you can see.

A sheep station is one of those farms: homestead, woolshed, huts and stock run as a single place. Ben Lomond is 33,000 acres of high country, still working, a short run from Queenstown. 

Full day private station tour

A full day on Ben Lomond — 33,000 acres of working high country behind Queenstown.

You leave the sealed road at Moke Lake, climb through Sefferstown, and follow Moonlight Valley over the saddle to the far side of the station. River crossings, beech in the gullies, open tussock on the tops. Lunch at a remote hut. The run home is the ridgeline track.

This is wild, working country. Few other vehicles. Private 4WD, max four guests. Picnic lunch included. Queenstown pickup.

The day takes in

• Moke Lake
• Sefferstown — old gold-rush township
• Moonlight Valley and the saddle
• River crossings and beech forest
• Open tussock and the far end of the station
• Lunch at a remote hut
• Ridgeline track home

Full day only. Up to 8 hours. You set the pace — more history, more photos, or just the country.

The 4 of us went out for an afternoon tour to Skippers Canyon. None of us had been there before, and we all loved it. No way would I want to drive myself, or be in our car with my husband driving! Going with Del is definitely the best way to do this. We will definitely do this again in winter, to see it in a different season. 

The vehicle was so comfortable, and only having the 4 of us in the car, was great. 

Definitely do this tour with Del if you want a great experience.

Loretta , January 2022

We've been to Queenstown several times, but never made it to Skipper's Canyon before. We have now, and can definitely say it's our Number 1 thing to do in Queenstown...and you have to do it with Del. What an amazing trip - Del is just the best guide; highly informative, very knowledgeable, and really funny! The Skipper's Road is super narrow, and you would be crazy to do it yourself - not to mention all the stunning views you would miss. (One of the highlights was watching the nervous faces of those we passed on the narrowest of spaces, yet we always felt 110% confident with Del in the driver's seat.) And Del knows all the best spots for the best photo angles. Not to mention he makes a mean cuppa! We were so lucky to strike a perfect weather day in spring, and now want to come back and see the canyon in winter - and we will definitely do it with Del. Forget throwing yourself off a bridge or shooting up the river in a tin can - don't miss Skipper's Canyon with 4 Wheel Drive Expeditions with Del, this is the afternoon you will remember most about visiting Queenstown.

Steve, October 2021

My friend and I recently took 3 tours in the Queenstown region with Del - half day trips to Glenorchy and Paradise and Skippers Canyon and a full day in the Nevis Valley. All 3 outings were thoroughly enjoyable, made even more so by Del's skillful driving and informative comments, particularly with regard to Otago's gold mining history. We learned a great deal about the huge effect mining had made on the local environment and also of the work and conditions braved by the early Chinese immigrants who came mostly with the modest ambition of earning enough money to buy a small farm back in their home province, but suffered terrible hardship in their endeavours. 

The scenery and countryside of each of these 3 trips was surprisingly different as the Glenorchy tour took us alongside the lake, through farmland and beech forests to the eastern end of Mt Aspiring National Park, with glorious views of the Rees and Dart Rivers, numerous mountains and location sites used during the filming of Lord of the Rings. 

The drive through Skippers Canyon, generally recognised as New Zealand's most dangerous road, was a doddle with Del at the wheel. At no stage did I feel nervous, though normally I'm sure I would have been very anxious looking down on the sheer drop to the Shotover River below. In an entirely different way, the scenery here was completely stunning, enhanced by the autumn colours and certainly a photographer's dream. 

Both Skippers and the Nevis Valley had been high on my bucket list and again I was not disappointed. We were blessed with beautiful golden light during the early part of the tour through the Lower Nevis where the colours of the windswept tussock contrasted with rocky outcrops and the last smattering of snow. A number of fascinating buildings scattered through the valley provided great photographic opportunities and we made a sobering visit to the bleak little cemetery before climbing to Duffers Saddle with its grotesque rocky tors and magnificent views in every direction from Lake Dunstan and Cromwell all the way back to the Remarkables. 

I highly recommend all of these tours and only wish I had been in Queenstown longer to take a couple of other 4WD adventures with Del. His driving skills, knowledge and unfailing good humour combined with the most stunning scenery added to a truly memorable Queenstown holiday. Sincere thanks Del for sharing your obvious love of this region with us.

Pauline May 2021

Last week when weather cancelled our flight to Milford Sound we were a bit despondent. To compensate we booked a half day 4WD Tour of Skippers Canyon with Del. We are so glad we did! This was one of the best visitor experiences we have ever had anywhere. The scenery is absolutely, pinch yourself, stunning. The road is hair raising - very narrow with vertical drops on one side - but that just makes the experience of the landscape all the more visceral and Del has been driving it for 30 years so we felt completely safe. His Landrover is near new and very comfortable even when the road gets lumpy. With all of those years of experience Del's knowledge of the Skippers Road and Shotover River is immense and he freely shares it while mixing in local anecdotes accumulated over his time treating people to this experience. You finish the tour with an understanding of the bravery (or was it madness?) of the people who chased the gold on the Shotover as well as feeling you have made a new friend in Del. We did get a scenic flight later that day but we both felt it paled in comparison to the on ground tour. If you can do both - go for it. If you can only do one, go for the 4WD Skipper Tour with Del - you won't regret it! Thanks Del, you singularly made our visit to Queenstown truly memorable. 

Alistair & Sharon, Wellington Sept 14th 2020

If, when you visit New Zealand, Queenstown is a must, then Skippers Canyon is even more of a must - and without the shadow of a doubt the biggest "must" of all when choosing your tour guide is 4WD EXPEDITIONS. Myself (82) and my 76 year old wife were advised by our Kiwi son-in-law not to miss this this experience. How right he was. Time spent on reconnaissance they say is seldom wasted - and ours led us to choose 4WD EXPEDITIONS and Del as our guide. It turned out be be an inspired and rewarding choice. On the dot of 08.00 he arrived at our hotel in a spotless and extremely comfortable Land Rover Discovery. His first task was to reassure my wife, who suffers from vertigo and has a deep seated fear of heights and was on the point of pulling out at the last minute. Reassured by Del that everything would be alright she climbed into the back seat of the Discovery, still not entirely convinced but hoping for the best. What followed was a masterpiece of skilful driving and a fascinating commentary on the geology and history of the area; clearly the result of a genuine interest and much research. The scenery is jaw dropping - the drop-offs even more so but my wife's fears evaporated as she, like myself, was just blown away by the experience. As Del said, no matter how many times you make the trip you could never tire of what Skippers Canyon has to offer. We stopped to admire the views at several memorable spots and highlighted by our mid-morning tea break at what was arguably the most spectacular of the lot; with a view across the valley to what was a goldmining settlement and the beautifully restored local school. In fact "tea break" doesn't to justice to what was on offer. tea, coffee, chocolate, cookies and cakes; a veritable feast. This is most definitely not the usual tour where you are just lumped in as part of a group. Instead you are given a personal tour by a highly professional and skilful guide with a profound knowledge of the area, and delivered with humour. We spent almost two months in New Zealand, visiting both the North and South Islands. Skippers Canyon with Del was unquestionably the highlight. Excellent value for money and not on any account to be missed. 

Ian Oxfordshire, 2020

We were a group of four semi-retired professionals aged 55-65 on a 10 week tour of New Zealand and so had already seen lots of impressive and spectacular scenery in both the North and South Islands - but this was a whole new type of scenery and experience. We were collected promptly from our accommodation in a very clean and luxurious white Land Rover Discovery. The trip was tailored to our interests - and we were given a detailed briefing of what it would/could entail. Despite the, at times, winding and narrow track with vertiginious drops, we all felt safe and were confident in Del's control of the vehicle and were aware of the equipment he carried just in case. He was able to stop at some stunning view points to give us details of the local geology and history and knew where to look for specific wildlife, such as the falcons which we were keen to find. Tea and biscuits looking over the valley to a goldmining settlement and school was a nice touch. 

The stop by the river where LOTR was filmed, exploring the multicoloured stones and seeing the jet boats go past, just added to the whole experience. Del was also able to offer useful local advice on other activities (e.g. paragliding), shops and restaurants in the area. 

Highly recommended and good value for money. Many thanks Del, for a great afternoon out.

Teresa UK 2020

What a fantastic experience going up the skippers road canyon with Del, absolutely amazing landscape and Del's your man for very entertaining stories and wealth of knowledge on the history of the area. Lovely comfortable vehicle. By far the best trip we have done in New Zealand. Highly recommended.

Rae Scotland 2019

Del gave us a fantastic tour of Skippers Canyon. He had an amazing amount of knowledge about the area which was really interesting. Del stopped at many scenic sites where we had lots of time for great photos. We would thoroughly recommend this trip especially if you were after a personal touch.

Sandra, NZ 2019

Just an absolutely amazing trip, A private adventure, Del / Tour owner and our guide was brilliant. This is a must do!!! Del has many trips he can offer, we did the skippers canyon half day. Wow, wow, wow

Mike NZ 2019

Do it!

Highlight of our holiday so far. This time in NZ we wanted to get off the beaten track. Absolutely amazing! So completely different from the Queenstown side of the mountains. We are coming back in June 2020 to do it all again in the snow. Can't wait. Highly recommended. If you want a tour without sharing in a group this is perfect.

Rosemary, Australia 

My wife and I recently did the Skipper’s Canyon tour with Del as our driver and guide. Del was fantastic - incredibly knowledgeable and experienced and showed us all the best features and views the canyon has to offer. He was great to have a chat with and share a few laughs - we learned so much along the way. My wife doesn’t normally do too well heights or steep drop offs on a bumpy road, but with Del’s experience on that road, she felt very safe and had the best time. We stopped in one of the most spectacular spots I’ve ever had the pleasure to have a delicious morning tea - supplied by Del (he even did an amazing job catering to our dietary requirements). Before going, I was a little concerned about heading out the same way as we came in, thinking that travelling the same route twice would take away from the experience - I couldn’t be more wrong! It was amazing travelling the same picturesque track with a completely different perspective, this was also enhanced by the different lighting and low lying cloud we experienced on the way in. I couldn’t recommend this tour with Del highly enough, we want to come back and do the same trip again, but in winter with some snow - we also want to see all the other trips Del has to offer. This is a must do!

Toby Pickering, Australia

As this would be our final day in New Zealand, we wanted a day out to remember. 4WD Expeditions delivered just that!

We were picked up from our accommodation in a fantastic comfortable 4x4 and driven by an experienced, confident, friendly driver out to see some of the most beautiful, breathtaking scenery we have seen in New Zealand. Our brilliant driver Del was knowledgable, funny and entertaining through the whole trip. Tea and cake was included in one of the best picnic spots imaginable, and a beautiful Lord of the Rings location visit was the cherry on the delicious cake.

This trip is a definite must for anyone visiting Queenstown, offering something for everyone- exciting 4x4ing on cliffside roads, beautiful scenery and views and a chance to chat and laugh with a friendly New Zealander!

We went on the half-day Skippers tour, and it was amazing. The weather was clear and the mountains had snowy peaks - picture perfect! Del was the perfect guide. He knows all the stories and the history of the canyon and the general area. It’s easy to tell that Del has been doing this for years. He knows his way around and he is an excellent driver. We had the best time!

Why choose us

Del has guided these roads since 1990 — 35+ years in Skippers, the high country and the back roads out of Queenstown. Local. Family-run. Kiwi-owned.

Every trip is private. Max four guests. No buses. No shared vans. You set the pace.

Safety is audited, not just claimed. We hold AdventureMark® certification against the MBIE Safety Audit Standard for Adventure Activities. Licensed with NZTA, DOC and WorkSafe NZ. Del also works as a certified 4WD technical adviser with WorkSafe New Zealand adventure-activity audit providers. 

You travel in a modern expedition 4WD — proper seats, large windows, easy access. Pickup from Queenstown accommodation by arrangement.

Relaxed, authentic, and actually personal. That’s the point of a small family outfit.

• Del — 35+ years guiding here (since 1990)
• Local Kiwi family business
• Private tours only — max 4
• No buses or shared vans
• AdventureMark® audited SMS
• NZTA, DOC and WorkSafe licensed
• Impeccable Skippers safety record
• Comfortable expedition 4WD, Queenstown pickup

SAFETY COMPLIANCE

4WD Expeditions maintains a robust safety management system, meticulously aligning with the MBIE Safety Audit Standard for Adventure Activities. Our formal certification under AdventureMark® underscores our unwavering dedication to prioritizing the safety and well-being of our clients. Our commitment to continuous improvement is evident through regular reviews by AdventureMark® to ensure ongoing compliance with the established safety standard.

IMPORTANT

Any off road / back country driving can lead to unexpected incidents. This can include but is not limited to - accidents, injuries, vehicle damage, property damage & loss of life.

RISKS FROM NATURAL HAZARDS

4WD Expeditions actively monitors all tours for natural hazards including but not limited to the following.

Weather, Storms, Lightening, High winds, Landslip, Snow avalanche, Ice, Rockfall, Flooding, Wildfires.

4WD Expeditions reserve the right to delay or cancel any tours or activities if weather conditions are not suitable.