Kaimanawa Wild Horses

4 - 7 December 2025

4 day / 3 night

$2,990

(NZD) pp twin share

$3,390

(NZD) pp single

Join us this December and witness the elusive Kaimanawa horses running free in the harsh high country of the Central Plateau.

This 4-day adventure starts with a scenic train journey on the Northern Explorer to Ohakune. We then spend a day exploring the town, marvelling at the accomplishments of locals and appreciating how this little town ticks. Then with a special concession from the Waiouru Military Training Camp, we spend a full day observing the Kaimanawa’s in their natural environment.

Itinerary

DAY 1. Northern Explorer Train to Ohakune

This fabulous tour starts when we board the Northern Explorer train to explore the rural heart of New Zealand’s North Island on an epic rail journey from Auckland to Ohakune. On this journey, we witness the scenic wonders of Middle Earth, soar over towering viaducts and across the high plains of the volcanic plateau.

We arrive into Ohakune in the early afternoon and after a wander around town, we check-in to our local motel and later, we head out to a local restaurant for a welcome beverage and dinner.

(Dinner)
DAY 2. Local Ohakune Tour

Today we meet a few locals and explore some the unique places in and around Ohakune. We’ll go for a scenic drive up to Turoa Ski Field, taste New Zealand’s most famous eclairs, visit the famous wreckers yard which was the location of the classic 1981 movie ‘Smash Palace’, check-out a successful fashion designers workshop and sample some locally made beer! Ohakune might be small but she packs a punch when it comes to fabulous kiwi’s!

Tonight we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
DAY 3. Kaimanawa Horses

Pack your binoculars, as today the real excitement kicks off. Watch-on as foals, mares, yearlings, and stallions frolic in their family bands. We’ll learn all about where they came from, how they’re managed, the effect they have on the environment and how they survive. The landscape that is home to theses horses belong to the Waiouru Military Camp and is both barren and breathtaking and requires a special concession they only allow once a year for civilians. While on the land, we enjoy a picnic lunch at a scenic stop and hear from a DoC representative who shares details on the land and its history.

After an exhilarating day enjoying the Ruapehu National Park, we make our way back to Ohakune and dine at a local restaurant for dinner.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
DAY 4. Whanganui River Adventure

This morning we pack our bags and make our way out of town for a Whanganui jet-boat river adventure. Take in the lushness of the surrounding bushland and overhanging punga’s as we travel upstream to a unique lunch location. After making our way back to our coach, we then continue our journey home.

(Breakfast, Lunch).

Wild horses were first recorded in the Kaimanawa Ranges in the 1870s. By 1979 only 179 horses remained.

A protected area was established for the wild herd in 1981, and horse numbers rapidly increased. They began to put pressure on both their environment and the health of their population. Some small musters were undertaken in the early 1990s to relieve pressure on high population density and ecologically sensitive areas, but it was abundantly clear that more drastic measures were required to ensure the longevity of both. Extensive research was undertaken by the Department of Conservation (DoC) to establish exactly what impact the horses were having on their environment and what the consequences might be for the horses. The researchers studied herd dynamics and behaviour in an effort to understand the best way to manage the horses with the least disturbance to their natural state.

VERNON WRIGHT, NZ Geographic article.

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