Mt Cook Lakeside Retreat

During your stay at Mt Cook Lakeside Retreat, follow the designated Shinrin-yoku track through established forest areas on the estate. This Japanese practice encourages you to walk slowly and focus on sensory awareness rather than distance or speed. As you move along the path, you’ll pass native trees and a glacial remnant formed when Lake Pukaki extended further into the valley around 20,000 BC.

The route is short and accessible, allowing you to pause, breathe steadily and observe details such as light, texture and scent. The experience offers structured time outdoors with attention directed towards your surroundings and physical presence.

Join a guided high country hike that begins with a helicopter flight into the Aoraki / Mount Cook region. You’ll land on private farmland at Glentanner Station, normally closed to the general public. From there, you’ll walk approximately seven kilometres along a farm track, descending past alpine tarns and open hill country.

Your guide explains the station’s rich farming history, early scientific work and the local geology. You’ll stop at restored Field Station huts for morning or afternoon tea before continuing on uneven hiking grounds. You’ll need a reasonable level of fitness and suitable footwear for the varying terrain of the hike.

Join a guided nature walk across the 70-hectare estate. You’ll meet your guide near The Moraine and learn how the property developed, along with background on the Mackenzie Basin’s geology and settlement. The route takes you through lush pine forest and open sections with views towards Lake Pukaki.

Along the way, you’ll spot native birdlife such as fantails or the New Zealand falcon, as well as local plant species. The walk includes a few gentle inclines and is suitable for almost all fitness levels. It concludes with a private picnic lunch before you return at your own pace.