Lakeshore Forest & Bird

For all our walks it's important that you wear sensible footwear, ideally closed-toed trail shoes or hiking boots. Sunglasses are essential all year round, as are hats (sun hat in summer, a warm hat in winter), sunscreen, and a waterproof jacket. Our weather can be changeable especially in the mountains so make sure you come prepared with plenty of warm layers. Bring a small daypack if you have one, or borrow one from us.

Click here to find out a full list of things you'll need and what we provide.

Our guided day walks are suitable for children aged from 8 years old. We would highly recommend families with children to consider a privately guided walk to enable the experience to be tailored exclusively to the pace of the children involved, and also cater specifically to their interests.

There are only limited toilet facilities on our walks. There are 'bush' toilets provided by the Department of Conservation at most of the carparks and beside any huts we may pass. Your guide will make sure you are aware of these, they normally suffice for all our trips. On the very rare occasion should clients need to use the 'green room' our guides carry toilet paper, and hand sanitiser.

Winter is typified by cool, calm, clear days in the Southern Lakes area. Other days might be overcast or wet, and sometimes there’s a good ‘southerly’ thrown at us which might bring wind, snow - classed as ‘real expedition weather’.

Our weather forecasts are quite accurate, and when met at your accommodation, your guide will ensure you have the chosen the right clothing for the day. Good, warm layers from base to outer are essential, as are hats and gloves. This is especially important if you are joining the Aspiring Wilderness Experience, where you will be on the jetboat for 1 hour.

• All transport to and from your Queenstown accommodation (excludes private residence).
• Lunch (on full day hikes), snacks and tea/coffee. Please note you might need to carry the provided lunch (when included) in your backpack.
• Knowledgeable and friendly guides.
• Interpretative commentary of flora, fauna, history and geology.
• Walking poles, day packs and jackets are available on loan.

While we aim to find a pace that suits the group, in order to make the most of the experience we would recommend that guests have an average level of fitness and walk regularly. Each of our walks has a different walking distance and terrain involved and we are happy to answer any questions you may have on which walk is best for you.