Day
trips
Base yourself in Waimate and day trip around the region.
Head inland and you’re straight into rolling hills, backcountry roads and big skies.
Keep going and you’ll reach the Waitaki Valley and Kurow, with the Mackenzie Basin - Lake Tekapo, Aoraki Mt Cook and all that open country - within easy reach.
The ROAM Loop
A favourite road trip for locals, is the loop that goes around the Waitaki Lakes, through the legendary Mackenzie and back round through seaside city Timaru.
It's around 350 kilometres and takes approximately six hours to complete, however, there’s so much to see and do, we're sure you're going to want to stop, stay and play along the way.
Check out the web version to plan your trip.
Meyers Pass Trail
Meyers Pass is a remote farm road that winds up from Waihaorunga over into the Hakataramea Valley.
Put ‘Meyers Pass Rd’ into your GPS, or take the following roads, starting in Waimate:
SH82 towards Kurow
Right onto Serpentine Valley Rd
Right onto Pentland Hills Rd
Left onto Meyers Pass Rd.
What to expect:
Around 3-4 hours return (longer if you stop - you will)
Gravel sections and farm gates (leave gates as you find them)
Big open country - rolling hills, tussock, and wide valley views
A few surprises along the way, including an 1879 stone bridge and the odd wallaby sighting
At the top, the road drops down into the valley and meets Hakataramea Valley Road. From here, you can loop out to Kurow via the Waitaki River for a break, or turn around and head back the way you came.
What to do in Kurow:
Grab a bite to eat and check out the shops.
Don’t leave town without checking out Whistle & Pop and the Bone Shaker Workshop.
Adventure Horse Trekking
Based in Waimate District, offering horse treks into the Southern Alps.
Their purpose-bred horses are raised on the Hunter Hills, learning to be sure-footed from a young age. Running in natural herds, foals stay with both parents, giving them a calm, settled nature and confidence in the hills.
Ride historic trails and access iconic high country stations.
Choose from a range of boutique horseback adventures through native forest, past glacial lakes, braided rivers and up into high country.