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All New Southland 8 Day 4WD Tour

Q: What is Duffers Saddle?

Duffers Saddle is the highest public road in New Zealand. The tour crosses it on day two on the way from Cromwell to Kingston.

Q: What wildlife might I see?

On the Catlins coast, New Zealand fur seals, sea lions, sea birds and the occasional elephant seal around the Nuggets lighthouse, and yellow eyed penguins from the hide at Roaring Bay. Hector's dolphins are at Curio Bay near Waikawa.

Q: When does this tour run?

The season runs February to April. Contact NZ 4x4 Treks for current dates and availability on the 2027 programme.

Cromwell to Kingston, a full loop through Southland and Fiordland

Enquire about this tour 021 924 427

Central Otago · Southland · Fiordland · The Catlins

Southland 4WD tour

Looking for a four wheel drive tour of Southland? This eight day 4WD tour starts and finishes at Kingston, running a full loop from Cromwell over Duffers Saddle, across to Manapouri and Tuatapere, along the Catlins coast to Gore, and back up through Argyle and Cattle Flat Stations.

It is the most varied of our New Zealand itineraries. In one week you go from the highest public road in the country to the Borland Saddle in Fiordland, then out to a coastline with fur seals, sea lions and yellow eyed penguins on it.

You drive your own 4WD in a small convoy. The trip fee covers motel type accommodation, evening meals with the team, your guide, station crossing fees and prizegiving on the final night.

Check 2027 availability

Length: 8 days
Starts: Cromwell, Central Otago
Finishes: Kingston, Lake Wakatipu
Season: February to April

Steep sided alpine valley on the switchback climb over the Hector Mountains above the Kingston Basin

The country you cross

Four kinds of country in eight days

Day two puts you over Duffers Saddle, the highest public road in New Zealand, then onto Lorne Peak Station and up a switchback over the Hector Mountains, which run off the Remarkables. From the top you look out over the Kingston Basin, the Garvie Mountains, the Old Man Range and the Mataura.

By day five you are on the Borland Saddle in Fiordland, where the rainfall is measured in metres rather than centimetres and the geology is not repeated anywhere else in the country. The Grebe Valley below it holds some of New Zealand’s rarest birds, the kakapo among them.

The last three days are station country again, Argyle in the foothills of the Old Man Range and Cattle Flat along the Mataura, with Black Peak on the final day and views to Stewart Island if the weather plays along.

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Day by day

All New Southland itinerary

Day1

Cromwell

Arrive at the Asure Central Gold Motel in Cromwell, at the southern tip of the Kawarau River and Lake Dunstan between the Pisa and Dunstan Mountains. Accommodation and the evening meal are included in your trip fee, and it is a chance to meet your guide and the rest of the team.

The motel is at 24 to 26 Barry Avenue, Cromwell. Team briefing is at 5.00pm in one of the motel rooms, then out to the evening meal venue at 6.30pm.

Day2

Cromwell to Kingston

Assemble outside Central Gold Motel, vehicles lined up ready to go at 8.30am sharp. Today’s track goes up over Duffers Saddle, the highest public road in New Zealand and the entry to one of the best alpine valleys in the South Island. After a number of stream crossings the track brings us onto Lorne Peak Station and climbs an impressive switchback out over the Hector Mountains, an extension of the Remarkables.

From up there the view runs out over the Kingston Basin, the Garvie Mountains, the Old Man Range and the Mataura River, which is well known for its trout fishing. Tonight is the Kingston Motel, at the southern tip of Lake Wakatipu between the Hector and Eyre Mountains.

Day3

Kingston to Manapouri

Head for the Mavora Lakes track, which runs along the shores of Mavora South and North Lakes between the Livingston and Thompson Mountains, where some of the Lord of the Rings filming was done. There are some interesting water holes to negotiate on the way to Carey’s Hut, where we have lunch on the lake edge.

Then to Mt Nicholas, one of New Zealand’s largest high country stations, run by the Butson family. As with most of the country around Lake Wakatipu the glacial history is obvious everywhere, with long views down the valley towards the western arm of the lake. The return gives views of the Von and Oreti Rivers and the western side of the Eyre Mountains before we make Manapouri. Tonight is the Manapouri Hotel overlooking the lake.

Day4

Manapouri to Tuatapere

Wairaki and Mt Linton high country stations at the foot of the Takitimu Mountains, named after the first Maori canoe to arrive in New Zealand. The Takitimus are an island of mountains, snow covered for much of the year and surrounded by rich farmland, wetland bird sanctuaries, the peaks of Fiordland and the wild coast of the far south.

Accommodation and the evening meal are at the Waiau Pub in Tuatapere. It is only a few kilometres from the Southland coast, with views of Stewart Island and the Blue Cliffs, and swells rolling in off the Southern Ocean. Breakfast at the pub is included, and it is a proper farm breakfast.

Day5

Tuatapere to the Catlins Coast

Fiordland is one of the least explored parts of New Zealand, with huge glacial valleys and creeks running out over vertical rock ground out by ice millions of years ago. It has the highest rainfall in the country, measured in metres rather than centimetres, and the geological features on the Borland Saddle track are found nowhere else. The Grebe Valley is home to some of our rarest birds, including the kakapo.

Tonight is Waikawa Harbour, right on the waterfront, five minutes from Curio Bay where the Hector’s dolphins are. If the tide is right you get a good look at the fossilised trees at the southern end of the bay. Dinner is in the old schoolhouse, now the Niagara Falls Cafe, with Sue as our host.

Day6

The Catlins Coast to Gore

The south east corner of the South Island is generally reckoned to be one of the more unusual pieces of coastline in the country, and it is where we spend the day. The Catlins starts twenty minutes south east of Balclutha. Dense forest, deep valleys, high cliffs and rocky bays, inlets and estuaries.

Further round the coast is the Nuggets lighthouse, first operating in 1870, and a good viewing point for fur seals, sea lions, sea birds and the occasional elephant seal. Nearby is Roaring Bay, where from the hide above the beach you may see yellow eyed penguins early in the morning or before dusk as they come and go. Dogs are prohibited there. Tonight is Gore, where the Scottish accent of the original Southland settlers is still audible.

Day7

Gore to Argyle Station

Piano Flat and the Waikaia River are the gateway up onto Argyle Station, in the foothills of the Old Man Range, which is known for weather that can blast up from the south at any time of year. If it is kind, the views run all the way to the south coast and Stewart Island.

A second night in Gore, which saves packing up in the morning, and a last chance at the Bluff oysters.

Day8

Gore to Kingston

Cattle Flat is today’s track, accessed through Cattle Flat Station along the edge of the Mataura. An hour up through Mandeville, home of the Tiger Moth museum, and the Ardlussa Valley brings us to the station, owned by the Young family. A short run along the valley, then north west up a good track to Black Peak with views back over Southland and, on a clear day, Stewart Island. A short walk to the trig gets the best photographs.

Then back towards the Old Man Range and out through Lumsden to Kingston, closing the loop where it started eight days earlier. Dinner and prizegiving in Kingston.

All tracks are weather dependent. NZ 4×4 Treks reserves the right to change the itinerary at any time to accommodate adverse conditions that could affect access, compromise station owners, or affect the safety of vehicles and clients.

2027 Program

11 to 18 Feb 2027 Muzzle Station
20 to 27 Feb 2027 Canterbury, Otago & Southland
12 to 20 Mar 2027 Canterbury, Mackenzie Country & Otago
21 to 28 Mar 2027 Canterbury, Otago & Southland
15 to 25 Apr 2027 GDT Trip, Australian group Provisional

See the full 2027 programme

Common questions

About this Southland 4WD tour

Where does the All New Southland tour start and finish?

It starts at Cromwell in Central Otago and finishes at Kingston at the southern end of Lake Wakatipu, so it runs as a loop.

What is Duffers Saddle?

Duffers Saddle is the highest public road in New Zealand. We cross it on day two on the way from Cromwell to Kingston, and it opens into one of the better alpine valleys in the South Island.

Which high country stations does the tour cross?

Lorne Peak, Mt Nicholas, Wairaki, Mt Linton, Argyle and Cattle Flat. Station crossing fees are included in the trip fee.

Does the tour go into Fiordland?

Yes. Day five takes the Borland Saddle track above the Grebe Valley, which is home to some of New Zealand’s rarest birds.

What wildlife might I see?

On the Catlins coast, New Zealand fur seals, sea lions, various sea birds and the occasional elephant seal around the Nuggets lighthouse, and yellow eyed penguins from the hide at Roaring Bay early morning or before dusk. Hector’s dolphins are at Curio Bay near Waikawa. Dogs are not permitted at Roaring Bay.

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. Breakfast at the Waiau Pub in Tuatapere is also included.

Do I drive my own vehicle?

Yes. You drive your own 4WD as part of a small convoy, with a team briefing before the first day and a track briefing each morning.

When does this tour run?

The season runs February to April. Get in touch for the current dates and availability on the 2027 programme.

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