Lake Tekapo & Mt Cook High Country 4WD Safari

A premium high-country safari exploring the remote landscapes of the Mackenzie Basin, deep within the Southern Alps. A journey offering exclusive access to private backcountry environments far beyond the tourist trail.

A full-day safari exploring the remote landscapes of the Mackenzie Basin, departing from Lake Tekapo or Twizel and journeying deep into the Southern Alps backcountry toward Aoraki/Mt Cook. Each safari is shaped by its starting point, whether Lake Tekapo or Twizel, allowing access to different regions of the Mackenzie high country — from the remote Cass Valley to the expansive Ōhau backcountry.

Travelling by premium 4WD expedition vehicle, this journey takes you beyond public roads and into privately accessed high-country stations — crossing alpine valleys, braided rivers, and expansive tussock basins rarely experienced by visitors.

Through long-established relationships with local station owners, access is granted to landscapes that remain closed to most, offering a deeper and more authentic way to experience the Southern Alps.

Designed as a small-group high-country safari, this experience offers a level of access and immersion rarely found on standard day tours in the Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo region. Private departures are also available for those seeking a fully exclusive experience.

This is a fully guided high-country safari designed to take guests deep into landscapes most travellers never access.

The Experience

This is a journey through landscape, not a series of stops.

Departing Lake Tekapo, the journey begins in the spectacular Cass Valley, one of the region’s most remote and visually striking high-country environments. Here, vast braided river systems, glacial valleys, and sweeping alpine basins unfold beneath the Southern Alps — a landscape few travellers ever experience.

Travelling deeper into privately accessed station country, you’ll explore hidden tracks, remote musterers’ huts, and expansive ridgelines shaped by generations of pastoral life. With time to stop, walk, and take in the scale and stillness of the high country, the experience offers a rare sense of space and isolation. Along the way, the landscape reveals a series of remote alpine tarns and glacially formed lakes, shaped during the last Ice Age when vast glaciers carved through the Mackenzie Basin — leaving behind the braided rivers, wide valleys, and distinctive landforms that define this remarkable high-country environment today. These glacial processes have created one of New Zealand’s most unique alpine landscapes — vast, open, and shaped by time.

Along the way, the Mackenzie Basin reveals a unique and fragile ecosystem. Braided riverbeds and alpine wetlands provide habitat for some of New Zealand’s rarest birdlife, including the endangered Black Stilt (Kākī) — one of the world’s rarest wading birds — as well as banded dotterels and wrybills, often seen along the river systems. In more remote alpine areas, there is also the possibility of encountering introduced high-country wildlife such as Himalayan tahr and red deer, adding another layer to the experience of this remarkable landscape.

Journey onward through the Mackenzie high country toward Aoraki/Mt Cook, where views unfold across Lake Pukaki and the Southern Alps — experienced in quiet, uncrowded landscapes far from the usual visitor routes.

As the day unfolds, moments of stillness, scale, and light define the experience — from remote alpine viewpoints to the quiet of the high country after the day visitors have gone.

A Day in the High Country

Midway through the journey, guests pause in a remote alpine setting within the Cass Valley or surrounding high country to enjoy a relaxed, locally prepared picnic, surrounded by uninterrupted mountain views. With no fixed route, the day is shaped by weather, light, and the best conditions — allowing your expert high-country guide and host to reveal hidden viewpoints, quiet valleys, and the most spectacular perspectives across the Mackenzie Basin.

Safari Highlights

• Journey through the remote Cass Valley and Lake Tekapo backcountry, and or Ohau Backcountry ( depending on your departure location)
• Travel onward through the Mackenzie high country with views toward Aoraki/Mt Cook and across Lake Pukaki
• Exclusive access to privately owned high-country stations not open to the public
• Privately guided 4WD safari led by an experienced local high-country guide
• Explore braided rivers, alpine valleys, and expansive tussock basinsVisit historic musterers’ huts and working merino stations
• Opportunity to observe rare Mackenzie Basin birdlife including Black Stilt (Kākī), wrybills, and banded dotterels, along with alpine wildlife such as Himalayan tahr and red deer
• Enjoy a relaxed alpine picnic in a remote and scenic location
• Exceptional photography opportunities across diverse alpine landscapes

As the journey unfolds, moments of stillness, light, and scale define the experience — from remote alpine viewpoints to the quiet of the high country after the day visitors have gone. No two safaris are the same. Each journey is shaped by the landscape itself — its weather, light, and ever-changing conditions.

Why Choose Tekapo Adventures

Choosing Tekapo Adventures means opting for a uniquely immersive experience in the Mackenzie Backcountry. Our intimate knowledge of the land, family roots, and commitment to sustainability make every journey with us not just a trip, but a foray into the heart of New Zealand's natural majesty. Join us to discover why our exclusive access, expert guidance, and diverse, educational adventures set us apart as the preferred choice for discerning explorers.