Alpine Luxury Tours: A Day of Adventure & Indulgence in New Zealand's South Island

My partner and I were fortunate enough to embark on an Alpine Luxury Tour - a day of unparalleled experiences! Our journey began with an easy morning hike at Bob's Cove. This hidden gem of a track, known for its abundant birdlife and breathtaking scenery, winds through beech forest, manuka groves and onto the lakeshore. The air is filled with birdsong from bellbird, tui and kereru (wood pigeon).

On the trail along the lake, we passed a historic lime kiln from the 1800s, when the Whakatipu Lime Company quarried limestone from the area and the eucalyptus trees nearby were planted to fuel the kilns. Limestone quarried from the area was used to build the Queenstown Courthouse and the famous  Kawarau Bridge.  Continuing along the track and after a short but steep climb, you will be rewarded with panoramic views over the lake and mountains that takes your breath away.

After leaving the shores of Lake Wakatipu and headed to Buzzstop, a charming beekeeping spot on the way to Arrowtown that offers visitors the chance to engage in candle making, honey spinning (Spring/Summer), and beekeeping activities. This unique experience adds a touch of sweetness to the adventure, making it an ideal option for families and nature enthusiasts alike, and we made a note to come back and try out bee-keeping and honey spinning tour!

Next stop was Mora Wines in Lake Hayes near Arrowtown for lunch! Mora (Latin) means to linger, to take pause. This is exactly what we felt as lunch guests  –  time slowed down and we had the opportunity to take time and enjoy good food and wine. The restaurant offers hand-crafted cuisine that is made from scratch  using New Zealand’s finest sustainable ingredients, sourced in and around the South Island.  Our journey continued onto Arrowtown, where we traded our morning hiking boots for e-bikes. Riding down the Arrow River Bridges Trail was a scenic delight, offering glimpses of the river, bridges, and great swimming spots that provided the perfect balance of adventure and leisure. And there were plenty of opportunities for those Instagrammable photos along the way! The trail ends at the famous and oldest Bungy Bridge before we were picked up and taken to our next stop – Mt Rosa Wines.

Part of the world-famous Central Otago wine growing region, Mt Rosa is a Single Estate, family-owned winery located at the very end of the Gibbston Valley. Here, we indulged in a wine tasting experience, sampling their Pinot Noir, Gammay, Pinot Gris and Rosé. Sipping wine surrounded by vineyards and stunning scenery; you won’t want to be anywhere else in the world. The option to enjoy the tasting for free with the purchase of three bottles added an extra layer of incentive to savour the local flavours! 

A Word About Alpine Luxury Tours and Sustainability

Working at Beyond the Blue, I've come to understand that our success is reliant on collaboration with our suppliers in developing Luxury experiences . This is why we work with Alpine Luxury Tours.  They work with numerous stakeholders that are committed to constant improvement in their operational practices to ensure long term sustainability. Like Beyond the Blue, Alpine Luxury Tours aims to conduct business in a way that supports a long-term sustainability policy in order to minimise negative effects and maximise positive impacts on the natural and social environment. Alpine Luxury Tours have Adopted a Plot at the top of the Ben Lomond saddle above Queenstown to help with the fight on Wilding pines in the Queenstown region, where they spend 1 day per month during (non-winter months) actually cutting out the wilding pines from their dedicated plot. Now that is sustainability in action!. Alpine Luxury Tours are also supporters of the Kea Conservation Trust which aims to assist in conservation of wild Kea in their natural habitat as well as being part of Love Queenstown - a giving platform that invites visitors and the tourism industry to protect the region via donations. Raised funds are pooled together, so not matter how big or small a donation is, it all goes back to k to projects in Glenorchy, Queenstown, Kingston, Arrowtown and Gibbston areas.

So, if you are looking for a day of varied experiences and visual beauty in the heart of Central Otago, Alpine Luxury Tours will make it happen for you, and you can feel good that by doing so, you will be helping the local community through the various projects they support.