Rustic Horse Treks: Three Day Trek

Mt Lyford − Sherwood Huts − Hanmer Springs

Kate and Cathy of Mt Lyford Horse riding have researched a new route to Hanmer Springs. The ride takes you through seven working high country properties along this trip, riding almost 50 kilometres in three days, crossing mountain passes, riding through wonderful forests, crossing many mountain rivers and passing a roaring water fall.

This trail is used for both the Luxury Horse Treks and the Rustic Adventure. (The Luxury option uses Sherwood Lodge who pamper you with hot spas and 4 course dinners at night). The trail begins from Mt Lyford with the first day of the Sherwood Huts overnight trip, and then keeps going on to Hanmer Springs. Kate describes in her own words the three day trek -

Day One: Mt Lyford to Sherwood Huts 5 to 6 hours.

This trail takes us over three properties, Snowdon, Terako Downs and Tinline . We ride along the foothills of the Amuri Range with the impressive high peaks of this range on our right. The going is straight forward at an altitude of 1,500 to 2,500 feet. We lunch on the top by tarns (small high lakes) looking across to the large limestone cliffs of the batteries on the other side of the Mason River, and South across the Waiau river Valley to Weka Pass. We pass through large areas of native Beech Forest and ride over open tussock farmland. We cross the Lottery River to follow it a short distance upstream to the Sherwood huts where our horses stay around the huts with us. Be prepared for the most glorious of morning choruses I have ever heard.

Day Two: Sherwood Huts to Moriarty´s farm cottage 5 to 8 hours

This is the highest we go on the whole route. We take the trail behind Sherwood Lodge and follow it along the tops through Wynford Hills and Hossack Downs passing under Mt Paul to the Hossack Downs Road. There is an option to be picked up here and driven to the cottage where we stay the night, or you can staunch it out and wander along the road for the 10 km to the Cottage. Highlights of this ride are the views both West into the Little Lottery River and East into the Waiau river Valley. We pass through many areas of native forest and high country farmland.

Day Three: Moriarty´s cottage to Chatterton Farm just outside Hanmer Springs township 4 to 5 hours.

We ride an hour along River Road to the Homestead at Barceldean, and enter this property that takes us through one of two passes into the Hanmer River. One pass is higher then the other, both with fantastic scenery and some impressive sights along the way like the huge waterfall that crosses the track round a bend near the top. We cross the Hanmer River and follow the farm track into Chatterton.