Mt Isthmus Villa

Board a helicopter from Mt Isthmus Villa and you'll fly deep into the Southern Alps, tracking rivers and steep ridgelines as the landscape shifts beneath you. You'll land on high ground where there are no marked trails, just open alpine terrain and a guide to lead the way. The air is noticeably cooler and sharper up here, with wind moving steadily across the exposed slopes.

You'll cover ground that sees very few visitors, accessible only by air. The hike moves through remote high country with the range stretching wide in every direction before the helicopter returns to bring you back.

Make your way to the rivers and lakes surrounding Mt Isthmus Villa and you'll find some of New Zealand's best wild trout water. A guide reads the current and points out where the depth changes, where the flow slows and where fish are most likely to hold. You'll adjust your cast as conditions shift, taking time between attempts to watch how the water moves.

The rivers and lakes in this part of New Zealand hold healthy populations of brown and rainbow trout. The guide will help you work out the right approach for each stretch, keeping the session focused and relaxed throughout.

Pick up a quad bike at Mt Isthmus Villa and you'll cover wide stretches of Otago's open landscape, moving across farmland, hillsides and valley floors that extend in every direction. You'll follow a guide across tracks that shift between firm ground and looser sections, adjusting your pace as the terrain changes.

The route climbs gradually in places, opening up clear views across the surrounding countryside before dropping into the next section. It covers a large area of the property and surrounding land, giving you a direct sense of the scale of the New Zealand high country up close.