A wonderful family from Singapore contacted us at The Cardrona looking for a fun day for their very small boy Asha, his 16 year old brother, mother, father and grandmother “Of course we can!” An exclusive river horse ride in the morning, followed by quad biking up to the snow in the afternoon. They loved it! Contact us for fun family riding this winter 03 443 1228 or info@thecardrona.co.nz
A big thanks to our lovely riders for reviewing us on TripAdvisor- we have maintained our #1 position for months now!
HORSE TREKKING – QUAD BIKING
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EXPERIENCE A DAY IN CARDRONA – ANY TIME OF THE YEAR!
Only 20 minutes drive from Wanaka
Option #1: A Taste of Gold
09:30am Gold Discovery Trail Horse Trek $109
Let your horse take you across the Cardrona River while keeping a keen eye out for gold along the way! Learn about the gold rush that Cardrona experienced in the 1860s which gave way to farming which you will experience first hand as you ride through mobs of Merino sheep. Climb to a beautiful vantage point allowing breathtaking views of Mount Cardrona and the Crown Range.
12:00 noon Lunch at the iconic Cardrona Hotel
The perfect way to cap off what you learnt from the commentary from the morning horse ride, the iconic Cardrona Hotel maintains the welcoming rustic charm of the 1860s gold rush days and many interesting historical artifacts inside and outside in the beautiful garden, as well as a very hearty country pub style range of options on the menu.
1:30pm The Mountain Experience Quad Bike Tour $249
Unquestionably New Zealand’s BEST guided quad bike tour. Navigate undulating farm trails on the very capable Yamaha 350cc 4WD machines. These trails soon give way to a wild rugged high country rock & tussock alpine environment with panoramic views second to none – be sure to bring your camera! Very high possibility of getting your tires in the snow in the winter!
Option #2: High Country Heaven
10:30am The Cardrona Quad River Run 1 hour $149
Enjoy a scenic weaving trail under the willow trees fringing the Cardrona river. Experience rises and ridges, dips and hollows, then ride through the river itself before heading up into the hills for even better views! (This could be changed to the Mountain Experience 2 hour on request with an earlier start)
11:30am Pack a picnic or go to lunch at Cardrona Hotel
12:30pm The High Country Pub Trail $149 (includes a FREE drink at the Cardrona Hotel)
Mount up and begin the big hill climb which soon gives way to spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, the farm land turns to rugged rock and tussock country as you climb higher to get that even better photo opportunity. Really feels like you are on top of the world in the middle of nowhere! Descend to the Cardrona Hotel where you dismount & tie your horse to our hitching rail and enjoy a well earned beverage on us in the gorgeous garden bar. If you fancy a bit of a run heres your chance to cut loose! The trail along the river allows a safe stretch to have a nice canter- the whole package!
4:30pm Check into accommodation at Cardrona Hotel
Spa pool, enjoying a drink in the beautiful garden bar & mountain biking are some of the options available before dinner in the restaurant at the hotel. Room rate includes continental breakfast. See www.cardronahotel.co.nz
And of course there’s ski season! (June, July, August & September)
Cardrona Valley is home to two major ski areas, Cardrona Alpine resort for downhill skiing and snowboarding on the western side, and The Snow Farm on the eastern side – New Zealands only cross country ski area see www.snowfarmnz.com
Its our favourite time of the year for The Mountain Experience 2 hour quad bike tour, because you’re pretty much guaranteed to get your tyres in snow! Be sure to wrap up warm and switch on the heated handle grips… Bring a camera as the views are AMAZING!
The first snow of the season! Very cold mornings with usually stunning days to follow, very exciting to get the snow caps in the photos at the moment, as well as the beautiful autumn colours – love this time of year at The Cardrona!
Its T-Shirts and shorts time of the year! And LOADS of sunscreen! Hard to believe that mountain was covered in snow not so long ago- Certainly needing that cold drink stop at Cardrona Hotel at the moment… 
But we’re coming back in full force!
Thanks for all the supportive face book comments and offers to send more bras to us! Its really overwhelming!
We’re running a competition for the first person to name and shame and ‘share’ on all platforms the identities of the bra thieves; a free horse trek/ quad bike tour with us and a $50 bar tab at Cardrona Hotel!
Lets make them think twice about touching the bras again!
Snow is melting, spring is here…!
An adventurous group from Sydney out on a customised quad tour way up into the snow line to a back country hut for a bbq lunch today. Call us to talk about personalised group trips at The Cardrona 03 443 1228
Mum & Dad rode the quads up the mountain with Sean while Kel drove the girls up in the 4×4 to meet them at a beautiful view point for hot chocolate…. YUM!
