Lupin Lovers Horseback Heaven
Enjoy easy rides through river beds and New Zealand’s famous Lupins with the mountain ranges in the background.
Our shortest ride is perfect for everyone with less experience or a longer time out of the saddle.
Details
Duration
3 days
2
nights
Riding
2 x 4 h
all
levels
Price (NZ$)
1.555
Payment Plan
yes
10
staged
Available Dates
17. – 19.
Dec 2026
19. – 21.
Dec 2026
(Sold Out!)
Pick Up & Drop Off
Pick Up: 7 am, Camp Street QT
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xcYgBvQxMHdVkG8w9
One taxi for all guests –
so please be on time!
Drop Off in Queenstown
after trail: 1.30 – 2pm
Riding Location
Omarama
Included
transfer (Queenstown
to location & back)
2 nights accommodation
full catering
trekking horse incl.
tack and saddlebags
first aid kit
hard hat (as required)
Excluded
flight/travel to
and from Queenstown
travel insurance (mandatory!)
alcohol
personal riding & travel gear
personal medication
Summary
A short and sweet ‘clover leaf’ trail; the perfect short break over the Christmas period. Ride amongst the summer lupins, explore the famous Clay Cliffs, and enjoy a soak in a hot tub. This trail is made up of two different day rides and is the perfect introduction to trail riding.
Accommodation
Omarama Station is a 12,000-hectare high country merino and beef farm in the Mackenzie Country. The shearers quarters are comfortable and traditional with a large sweeping lawn, cosy kitchen, and a dining area filled with board games to enjoy in the evenings. There are three bunk rooms which sleep six people each and a walk-in bathroom with toilets, showers, and laundry facilities.
Food
You will be treated to high-quality home-cooked meals on this trail, prepared primarily with home-grown or local ingredients. We will share cooked breakfasts and two-course dinners together in the dining room, as well as a more informal afternoon tea upon returning from each day’s ride. Packed lunches will be provided to take with you in your saddlebags.
Adventure Level
1/5 – this is our shortest and easiest trail and is suitable for all levels of rider including beginners with an outdoorsy outlook and a good sense of adventure. Although the riding is overall mostly gentle and relatively flat, there are several river crossings and a few more challenging sections of terrain to tackle. Due to the rocky terrain, we ride only at a walk on all our trails, as is traditional throughout most of New Zealand.
Ride Itinerary
Day 1
Approx four hours in the saddle.
Your trip begins with collection from Queenstown Airport and transfer to Omarama Station, travelling over the spectacular Lindis Pass – a destination in itself. Upon arrival at the quarters, we will share a picnic lunch and conduct our introductory briefing before heading out on horseback for the afternoon.
Our first day’s ride is an easy and gentle stroll alongside the Ahuriri River, riding amongst rosehip bushes and the many-coloured lupin flowers that this area is famous for, with the Southern Alps rising up all around us.
After the ride, enjoy a cosy evening back at the quarters, swapping stories and eating a delicious home-cooked dinner.
Day 2
Approx four hours in the saddle.
Today’s ride will take us to the Clay Cliffs, a unique natural wonder of sharp-pinnacled rock formations. The ride over is scenic and varied, with several river crossings to make.
We will stop for our lunch break at the Clay Cliffs, and there will be the opportunity to explore them on foot before remounting and enjoying the return ride to the quarters.
We recommend fitting in a trip to the Omarama Hot Tubs during this trail – just let us know upon booking if you would like us to organise this for you. Located very near to our station accommodation, the hot tubs are the perfect way to truly relax after two days on horseback.
Day 3
Our trip ends with one last full farmhouse breakfast before collection by your transfer for the return trip to Queenstown.
Trail Gallery
More pictures coming soon…
