Last season High Country Journeys, which had just been taken over by Ranfurly-based John Mulholland, introduced two new fully guided tour options which were extremely popular; the ‘South Island High Country Grand Slam’ and the ‘Great Mackenzie Country and Central Otago Explorer’

‘The Grand Slam’ is a seven-day/eight-night package that starts in Blenheim and takes in Molesworth Station and the North Canterbury high country then follows the usual route from Lake Coleridge and the Rakaia River area down through the Mackenzie Country to Cardrona/Wanaka in Central Otago.

‘The Great Explorer’ is a six-day/five-night tour that starts in Omarama and takes in the rugged tussock lands and majestic high country of the lower Mackenzie Country/ Lindis Pass and Central Otago area also ending in Cardrona.

“We have been absolutely rapt with the response to these tours,” says John  “A lot of our clients are coming down from the North Island anyway so it was a logical progression to offer them an option to do Molesworth on the way while the other option we started in Omarama has some incredibly stunning new tracks and is popular with clients who have done some of our other tours before and who might be looking for something a little more challenging”.

These two tours are also complimented by the legendary original six-day/seven-night ‘Heart of the High Country Tour’ that starts near Lake Coleridge and also ends in the Cardrona/Wanaka area.

These packages are an adventure as well as a holiday that combine fine hospitality in very comfortable rural farmstays, good food, farming tales, high country yarns and four-wheel-driving through stunning scenery with passionate local guides who really know the country. You will be able to drive your own 4WD vehicle (or a hired one) and travel at a more relaxed pace from station to station as part of a smaller more personal group of vehicles with radio contact in each one that has access to remote tracks, some only available to High Country Journeys.

If you have ever wanted to get into the back country and travel through many of the iconic South Island sheep stations and experience the isolation and majestic scenery of the high country in your own time then why not contact John and join a fully guided self drive or tag-a-long tour organised by High Country Journeys.

To read every story in the August 2017 issue of NZ4WD go to Zinio.com (July 21) or purchase your own hard copy at the Adrenalin store.