There are two ways to arrive at Minaret Station, and both involve a helicopter. You can land directly at the lodge, or you can ask the pilot to drop you halfway up the mountain so you can hike the rest of the way through woodland and past streams, arriving just as the mist rolls over the peaks to find a timber cottage with a pot-belly stove and a table laden with local cheddar, farm-grown lamb, and Central Otago pinot noir. This is a place where the journey is part of the experience, where the only access is by air, and where the remoteness is precisely the point.
Set in a high alpine meadow at 3,000 feet, Minaret Station sits at the head of a glacial valley on the western shores of Lake Wanaka on New Zealand's South Island. The property spans 50,000 acres – that's 20,000 hectares of working farm bordered by Mount Aspiring National Park, a World Heritage site of sheer mountains, pristine rivers, and nothing else for 30 miles in any direction.
Red stags feed beside the river that runs through the property. The electricity and drinking water come from a waterfall around the corner. Everything from timber planks to hot tubs had to be flown in by helicopter, piece by piece.
Thirty Miles From Nowhere
The lodge sits within New Zealand's Southern Alps, accessible by a 25 to 30-minute helicopter flight from Queenstown Airport or 15 to 20 minutes from Wanaka Airport. The flight itself follows the edge of Lake Wanaka, where open plains give way to rugged high country dotted with deer, cattle, and sheep grazing impossible-looking terrain. Early morning light streams across the mountains, casting the helicopter's shadow on grassy slopes below. This is not a transfer – this is one of the finest scenic flights anywhere.
The property has been in the Wallis family since 1995, though their connection to this land goes back to the early 1960s when Sir Tim Wallis, known as "Hurricane Tim," began helicopter venison recovery operations here. The family pioneered the use of helicopters for backcountry access and heli-skiing in 1963, and aviation remains in their blood.
The four Wallis brothers now run the multifaceted business: one manages the station's farming and trading, two run helicopter services through sister company Alpine Helicopters, and the third oversees the lodge and tourism operations.
Four Chalets and Nothing Else
Minaret Station Alpine Lodge consists of four private chalets arranged around a central lodge called the Mountain Kitchen. That's it. Maximum occupancy is 12 guests, ensuring the kind of privacy that has made certain A-listers disappear so completely that gossip magazines complained they must not have arrived in New Zealand after all. The lodge can be booked in its entirety, allowing anywhere from one to 12 guests complete exclusivity of the property.
The architecture is alpine-chic: corrugated iron and timber construction that feels both rugged and refined. Wooden boardwalks connect the chalets to the main lodge, winding past the river where red stags graze. The design maximizes the high country position – floor-to-ceiling windows frame views of the surrounding peaks and valley. At night, you can hear the river running and the wildlife moving through the darkness.
The Mountain Kitchen
The Mountain Kitchen serves as the heart of the lodge. The space features two separate living areas, each with wood-burning fireplaces that crackle through the evening. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling – a touch of elegance in the wilderness. The room is a melting pot where stories and flavors meet, where you gather after a day of adventure to share wine and build anticipation for the evening meal.
The library offers another retreat, with comfortable seating by the fire and views across the alpine meadows. This is where you might find yourself with a glass of wine before dinner, swapping stories with other guests or simply soaking in the silence of the mountains. It's more than just a place to wait for dinner – it's where the day's experiences settle in and the remoteness of the location truly registers.
Farm to Table, Literally
The dining experience at Minaret Station is built on a simple principle: knowing exactly where the food comes from and how it was raised. The free-range venison, Lumina lamb, and Angus beef all come from the station's own 50,000-acre working farm. Seafood arrives fresh from Stewart Island, the West Coast, and Fiordland. The produce comes from local growers in Central Otago's basin who care as much about their vegetables as the chefs care about preparing them.
The chefs work in a clean, simple style that brings out the best of the region without overcomplicating things. The climate here – cool winters and hot, dry summers – produces exceptional stone fruit, berries, Manuka honey, and vegetables. You might find yourself eating lamb shoulder that's been slow-cooked until it falls off the bone, paired with an earthy beetroot salad and one of the legendary pinot noirs from the lodge's world-renowned cellar. Meals are three courses, prepared with precision, and paired with wines from boutique winemakers.
You choose where to dine. The Mountain Kitchen's dining room with its views of the Southern Alps. The library with the fire burning. Alfresco on the deck under the stars. Or in the privacy of your own chalet, where meals can be delivered. Breakfast is a full spread. Lunch comes either at the lodge or packed as a picnic to take on the trails. Pre-dinner drinks and canapés appear before the evening meal. The beverage selection – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic – is extensive and included, though reserve wines and spirits are available for purchase.
Sleeping at 3,000 Feet
Each of the four chalets is a self-contained retreat with king-sized beds that can be configured as twins. The design is understated high-country elegance: possum fur throws, heated towel rails, woolen rugs, and mountain views from every window. The ensuite bathrooms are stocked with essentials. A dressing room includes a fold-out queen sofa bed, allowing families to accommodate a child in the same chalet.
The real luxury is the privacy. These aren't hotel rooms with neighbors on the other side of the wall. These are standalone chalets surrounded by national parkland, peaks, and wilderness. At night, the only light pollution comes from the stars. High-speed wireless internet is available if you need it, though this is also an ideal place to disconnect entirely. A minibar is stocked in each room, part of the inclusive rate.
Soaking Under the Southern Cross
Step outside your chalet onto a private deck with a sunken hot tub, and the full scope of the location becomes clear. The water is heated, the views sweep across the valley to the peaks where you might have been skiing or hiking hours earlier, and the silence is total. This is where you defrost after a day in the mountains, where you watch the light change on the slopes, where you soak under the stars while listening to the river below.
The hot tubs are rainwater-filled and positioned for maximum privacy and views. You're at 3,000 feet, surrounded by peaks that rise to over 8,000 feet, and there's nothing between you and the wilderness except the wooden boards of your deck.
Fiordland Heli Traverse
Fiordland Heli Traverse
This full-day private helicopter experience explores one of the most remote and untouched parts of the country, passing through majestic fiords, hovering close to massive waterfalls, and landing on glaciers of ancient blue ice.
The journey takes you through Mount Aspiring National Park into the northern reaches of Fiordland National Park. You land atop Tutoko Glacier, where the landscape is blindingly white and otherworldly. At Lake Erskine, a peacock-blue lake formed from freshly melted snow, you might encounter the only other travelers you see all day – if you see any at all.
You circle Sutherland Waterfall, the tallest waterfall in the southern hemisphere at 843 meters, fly through deep green valleys, and pass over seal sanctuaries where pups play in protected shallows.
Lunch is a gourmet barbecue picnic served on a desolate beach north of Milford Sound – a beach so remote it doesn't have an official name. Your guide wades into the Tasman Sea to catch crayfish and butterfish while you recline on sedimentary rocks, drinking wine and eating cheese. The seafood is cooked on the spot, paired with fresh salads and Central Otago wines, overlooking a glimmering alpine lake. The day includes multiple landings, a professional guide, and memories that justify the superlatives.
Aoraki Mount Cook
This full-day adventure takes you to New Zealand's highest peak, Aoraki Mount Cook at 3,724 meters, approaching it from both the air and on foot across the ice. The helicopter flies north toward the mountain, allowing time for a scenic circuit of this spectacular wilderness area before landing among the crevasses of the Tasman Glacier.
Ice Cave at Aoraki Mount Cook
On the ice, you explore with guides who provide all necessary glacial equipment and safety gear. You navigate seracs, icefalls, and caves of ancient blue ice – formations that glow in shades of cobalt and turquoise.
The return flight follows the western side of the Southern Alps, where the mountains reach their highest elevations, rising straight from the emerald green of the West Coast and the glittering Tasman Sea. For those wanting more, there's time for additional heli-hiking along the route. A gourmet picnic lunch is served somewhere spectacular. Typical departure is at 9 a.m., returning by late afternoon.
Heli Skiing
From July through September, Minaret Station offers New Zealand's premier private heli-skiing experience. With your own guide and helicopter, you have access to 17 mountain ranges, over 800 diverse runs, and terrain reaching 2,585 meters – the highest in the region. The snow is untracked, the runs are varied, and the vertical is substantial.
After a night of fresh snow, the skiing is transcendent. You drop into half a meter of powder as the helicopter ascends, then comes the silence and the next-level scenery. Below, Lake Wanaka stretches electric-blue against snow-white peaks.
The skiing feels like floating on a hovercraft, gravity temporarily suspended. Fourteen runs is typical, though the record is 28. Between runs, you land a two-minute flight from the lodge, where you can defrost in your private hot tub while watching the slopes you've just descended. Lunch isn't served on the snow from a guide's backpack – you return to the Mountain Kitchen for lamb shoulder and pinot noir by the fire.
Heli Hiking
Minaret Station's bespoke guided hiking experiences provide access to backcountry corners of New Zealand rarely visited by others. Helicopter access delivers you to exclusive terrain – ridgelines and valleys truly off the beaten path – where you explore with a professional guide who tailors the route to your fitness level and interests.
The hikes range from moderate walks suitable for all ages to more challenging terrain for experienced hikers. You might traverse undulating landscapes with views of Lake Wanaka from perspectives few have seen, or hike through alpine meadows where the only tracks are from deer.
A gourmet lunch in the backcountry is included, served at a location chosen for its views and solitude. The beauty of helicopter access is flexibility – if weather shifts or energy flags, extraction is a radio call away.
Backcountry Fishing
The waters here hold wild rainbow and brown trout known for their strength and fight, conditioned by cold, fast-flowing alpine rivers. Minaret Station privately owns 50,000 acres of wilderness, providing exclusive access to prime fishing waters in the Southern Alps. Beyond that, the station holds independent concessions covering some four million acres of conservation lands, including national parks and World Heritage areas.
The gin-clear water allows early spotting of fish, but that clarity means the fish can see you too. Spot and stalk is the method of choice, with anglers using dry fly, streamer, and nymph techniques on the same stretch of water. The rivers run from narrow headwaters into wider, braided streams flowing through high alpine valleys surrounded by peaks. The oxygen and nutrient-rich glacier-fed streams produce fish in strong condition – setting the hook is only half the challenge.
The South Island river fishing season runs from early October through late April, characterized by distinct periods that present different conditions. Your guide knows these waters intimately, having fished them for years, and can read the conditions to put you on fish. Helicopter access means reaching rivers that would otherwise require days of hiking to approach.
Horse Riding
The horse riding experience at Minaret Station starts with a spectacular scenic flight to the 50,000-acre farm, with a snow or alpine landing along the way. This is more than a trail ride – it's a chance to traverse undulating high-country landscapes with your own horse and guide, experiencing Minaret Station and Lake Wanaka from a perspective very few have access to.
The terrain is dramatic: open meadows, river crossings, and hillsides where deer graze in the distance. You move through working farmland that's been helicopter-accessible only, where farming techniques had to be adapted to the extreme remoteness.
The riding can be combined with an extended 4WD farm tour, lake fishing, and a gourmet picnic lunch, making it a full day of exploration on one of New Zealand's most isolated working farms.
Minaret Bay 9382, New Zealand
