Join Ken Wright and Matthias Risse on this exclusive winter 4WD adventure with a small group of only 6 photographers. You will have the unique opportunity to capture the exquisite beauty of Canterbury's High Country and the Southern Alps at its wintery best. Our carefully planned itinerary takes you inland through to Mt Cook to capture the majestic Southern Alps. From here, we will journey through the Canterbury High Country to Ashburton Lakes, where we will photograph some of the most stunning winter landscapes. Continuing our journey further north, we will find ourselves surrounded by the majestic beauty of the mountains and the rolling pastoral High Country of Mt White Station. Here, you will experience a diverse range of landscapes, from braided rivers to mountainous terrain, before we end our adventure in Christchurch.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The snow-covered mountains of the Southern Alps
• The braided Waimakariri River
• Lakes Heron & Clearwater
• Frosty high-country landscapes

CHRISTCHURCH - QUEENSTOWN 

• Mt White Station Photography Experience
• Ashburton Lakes
• Mt Cook

ITINEARY 

Day 1 -  Christchurch - Mt White Station
After early morning breakfast, we make our way inland and enjoy a beautiful variety of scenery as we travel deep into the Southern Alps, and will stop for some fantastic photo opportunities along the way. We will be staying in the majestic Mt White Station for 2 nights, and will enjoy our first night with a sunset shoot out on the station.

Day 2  – Mt White Station
The day begins with an early sunrise shoot before returning to the lodge for breakfast,  The rest of the day will be taken up alternating between locations to capture the best of the light, then heading out in the unimog to capture sunset over the terraced high country landscape with mountain backdrop. 

Day 3 - Mt White Station - Ashburton Lakes
After sunrise today we head for Ashburton Lakes. This is a remarkable area of placid lakes and high country wetlands, all set in the huge basin between the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers, both of which drain the central Southern Alps. Much of the area is protected as the Hakatere Conservation Park, and it is the home to such rare species as the Crested grebe and other wetland birds. Sunset will be spent photographing Lakes Clearwater and Camp, arguably the finest of all the Ashburton Lakes. 

Day 4 - Ashburton Lakes
After an early breakfast, we return to the Ashburton Lakes, hoping for a good frost to photograph, and perhaps even some ice on the lakes. At sunset, we may visit Lake Heron, to photograph this large lake with the distinctive Mt Sugarloaf beyond it. 

Day 5 - Ashburton Lakes to Aoraki/Mt Cook 
Departing Ashburton Lakes, we head to the iconic Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. After assembling at the Hermitage Hotel, our home for the next two nights, we will head out to explore locations in the park and have an evening shoot in the Tasman Valley.

Day 6 – Aoraki/Mt Cook
This morning we will have the chance to do some aerial photography (see optional extras below), taking a flight over Aoraki/Mt Cook and landing on the Tasman glacier to capture high alpine views across the Southern Alps. The rest of the day will be taken up by visiting locations in the Tasman and Hooker valleys, including alpine lakes, sweeping river vistas, and views of New Zealand’s highest peaks. All the locations we visit are within easy walks along well-graded tracks on the valley floors.

Day 7 – Aoraki/Mt Cook - Queenstown
The day begins with a sunrise shoot capturing the alpine glow on the summit of Aoraki/Mt Cook acoss a stunning glacier lake before heading back to the hotel for breakfast. We then leave Aoraki/Mt Cook and drive to Queenstown arriving in time for late afternoon flights. 

• 7 days’ photography guiding by Matthias Risse and Ken Wright

• 7 nights accommodation - twin share (single upgrade available, limited availability)

• 7 cooked breakfasts, 1 lunch & 2 dinners 

• Mt White Station Photography Experience

• Copy of Pocket Guide to Landscape Photography

• Use of Benro filters kits

• 4WD Transport during the tour 

• Christchurch pickup & drop off

• DOC concession fees

• Donation to our Conservation Fund

• Native tree planting to Carbon Offset your Tour