4 days | 90km
Route: Wanaka local – Cardrona – Matukituki - Pisa
Highlights: Off road adventures | canyoning | via ferrata | fly yourself | heli bike
Best time of year: Spring to Autumn
Day 1 Wanaka to Cardrona
Car 35 mins | 34km
Head up the Cardrona Valley to The Cardrona for a Quad bike tour over a high country farm. There are river crossings, but not too deep plus dips and hollows, rises and ridges and for the more adventurous, you can ride to the top of the mountain.
At the end of your tour, head next door to the Cardrona Distillery to taste their hand-crafted spirits. All their spirits are made starting with just malted barley, water and yeast. They have single malt whisky, gin, vodka and orange liqueur and do tours and tastings daily. There’s also the historic Cardrona Hotel for a beer and some chips.
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Day 2 Wanaka to Matukituki
Car 35 mins | 34km
The Matukituki Valley is home to a whole host of activities which generally take half a day to complete. For the lovers of water try canyoning or jet boating, while the whole family can do the via ferrata climb up the iron rung ladders beside Twin Falls. The off road 4WD tour over a real working farm and to Colquhoun’s Beach is a real classic Kiwi adventure. For the really adventurous types try a tandem paraglide off Treble Cone and a heli skiing in winter.
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Day 3 Wanaka to Airport
Car 12 mins | 11km
It’s time to head out to Wanaka Airport and take to the skies for some thrills and spills. No visit to Wanaka would complete without ski diving from a perfectly good airplane strapped to the back of a stranger. But don’t worry as they won’t be a stranger for long…
If you’re a bit of a control freak, then you probably won’t be content to sit back and let someone else fly the plane. Take the controls yourself and fly your very own 20-minute scenic flight or better yet an extreme trail flight in your own stunt plane with Ivan, twice the NZ national champion and with over 20-years aerobatic experience.
No experience required, and no experience like it.
You can spend all day at the Airport as the Warbirds and Wheels Café and Luggate Hotel will help keep your energy levels up for as many adventures as you can handle.
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Day 4 Wanaka to Pisa Range
Fly 12 mins | 10km
For the ultimate day out and if downhill mountain biking is your thing, then join a guided heli biking tour on the Pisa Range with the biggest vertical descent in the country. Take the easy way down, or for the more skilled mountain bikers, the more technical route but don’t worry Dan and boys will access your ability and make sure you have a great day out. You’ll be rewarded at the end with a well-earned beer and chips at the Cardrona or Luggate Hotel.
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