Welcome To
4WD Tours NZ
Steve Beston has over 20 years experience in 4WD touring
Tour schedule
2027 Program
Our season runs from February to April. Dates below are the planned programme for 2027 and are updated as trips are confirmed.
| Dates | Tour |
|---|---|
| 11 to 18 February 2027 | Muzzle Station |
| 20 to 27 February 2027 | Canterbury, Otago & Southland |
| 12 to 20 March 2027 | Canterbury, Mackenzie Country & Otago |
| 21 to 28 March 2027 | Canterbury, Otago & Southland |
| 15 to 25 April 2027 | GDT Trip, Australian group Provisional |
Bookings are taken all year round and trips fill well in advance. To check availability on any of these dates, get in touch with Steve or call 021 924 427.
4WD tours New Zealand
Looking for a guided 4WD tour in New Zealand?
NZ 4×4 Treks runs small group four wheel drive tours through the South Island high country. You drive your own 4WD, we travel as a convoy, and Steve leads from the front with radio contact between vehicles. Most trips run seven to eight days, moving through a new valley or station each day.
The tracks are the point. We cross private high country stations under crossing agreements, ford rivers like the Clarence and the Lochy, climb switchbacks to 4,500 feet and over Duffers Saddle, the highest public road in New Zealand. These are places you cannot drive on your own, either because the gates are locked or because you would need to know exactly who to ask.
Alongside the New Zealand programme we run international 4×4 expeditions, including Mongolia, Patagonia, the Himalayas, Namibia and Botswana, and the Simpson Desert.
New Zealand itineraries
South Island 4WD tours
Four multi day four wheel drive tours, each covering a different part of the South Island. Trip fees include motel type accommodation, evening meals with the team, your guide, station crossing fees and prizegiving.
Muzzle Station to West Coast
South along the Clarence River valley beneath Tapuae-o-Uenuku to one of the most remote high country stations in the South Island, then over to the coast.
View the itinerary
Canterbury to Southland
From Fairlie at the entrance to the Mackenzie Basin, working south through station country to Southland.
View the itinerary
All New Southland
Cromwell to Kingston over Duffers Saddle, the highest public road in the country, then out over the Hector Mountains.
View the itinerary
D’Urville Island to Hawea
Starting at the top of the South Island and running the length of the island down to Lake Hawea.
View the itinerary
What a trip is like
Eight days, one convoy, a different valley each day
Days start with the vehicles lined up outside the motel and a briefing on what is ahead. You will get advice on river crossing technique before you need it, not after. Lunch is often somewhere you could not have found on your own, a back country hut or a river flat with nobody else in it.
Nights are motel type accommodation with an evening meal together, and on the Muzzle Station trip a second night in the old Cobb homestead and shearers quarters. The last night finishes with prizegiving.
Groups stay small. That is what makes the station access and the pace possible, and it is what most people mention afterwards.
See what each day involvesInternational tours
4×4 expeditions beyond New Zealand
The same approach applied to some of the more remote driving country in the world.
Mongolia, Gobi Desert & Khyargas Lakes
Rolling steppe and lakes in the north, the Gobi and 1,000 foot dunes in the south, and no fences anywhere.
View the itinerary
South America, Patagonia
Chilean and Argentine Patagonia, including a five day cruise through the Patagonian fiords.
View the itinerary
Himalayas
High altitude driving through the Himalaya.
View the itinerary
Africa
The Namibian desert, Botswana game parks and Victoria Falls.
View the itineraryWhy NZ 4×4 Treks
What you get on a trip with Steve
Over 20 years guiding
Steve Beston has been running 4WD touring trips for more than two decades, in New Zealand and overseas.
Private station access
Crossing agreements with high country stations open tracks that are not available to the public.
Small groups
Group sizes stay small, which is what makes the station access and the pace possible.
Accommodation and meals included
Trip fees cover motel type accommodation, evening meals with the team, your guide, station crossing fees and prizegiving.
Guidance where it counts
Advice on river crossings and technical sections before you drive them, with radio contact through the convoy.
Itineraries that keep changing
New tracks and new station access get added each season, so a second trip is not a repeat of the first.
Testimonials
What people say afterwards
Having just returned from a 8 day trek with Steve, we could not recommend a better tour leader. His knowledge of the area was outstanding , his personality for the job was of a very high standard. At all times we had complete confidence in his guidance through some challenging areas and the accommodation and meals provided were great. Would thoroughly recommend NZ 4×4 Treks.Mick and Di EllinghamHawkes Bay
A well organised and led trip, new interesting country, and a wonderful group of new friends to share it with. What more could you ask.Ray and Lee StoneKing Country
Thanks for a wonderful trip and taking us to places we would not have seen on our own.John and GlendaSouthland
Common questions
4WD tour questions
What is a 4WD tour with NZ 4×4 Treks?
It is a guided multi day four wheel drive tour where you drive your own 4WD as part of a small convoy. Steve leads, there is radio contact between vehicles, and the route runs across private high country stations and back country tracks rather than public roads.
When does the season run?
The New Zealand season runs from February to April. Bookings are taken all year round, and trips are often booked well in advance.
What is included in the trip fee?
Motel type accommodation, evening meals with the team, your guide for the trip, station crossing fees and prizegiving.
Where do the tours go?
Across the South Island. Current itineraries cover the Clarence valley and Muzzle Station near Kaikoura, Canterbury through to Southland, Central Otago and Southland from Cromwell, and D’Urville Island down to Lake Hawea. Tracks take in stations, river crossings and alpine saddles including Duffers Saddle, the highest public road in New Zealand.
What kind of terrain do the tours cover?
Station tracks, river crossings, steep switchbacks and alpine climbs to around 4,500 feet, along with gravel roads between sections. Route choices sometimes change on the day depending on river levels.
Do you run tours outside New Zealand?
Yes. International 4×4 expeditions include Mongolia and the Gobi Desert, Patagonia in Chile and Argentina, the Himalayas, Namibia and Botswana, and the Simpson Desert.
How do I book a 4WD tour?
Email Steve at steve@4x4treks.co.nz, use the contact page, or call 021 924 427. Itineraries are updated as new tracks and station access come available, so it is worth asking for the latest version.
Are the 2027 dates confirmed?
The 2027 programme above is the planned schedule. Dates marked provisional are still being confirmed. Anything not marked is set, though it is always worth confirming availability when you enquire.
Come and see the country most people drive past
Trips fill well ahead of the season. Get in touch for the latest itineraries and availability on the 2027 programme.
Or call Steve021 924 427