South Island

New Zealand’s beautiful landscape and excellent wingshooting has made this destination ideal for couples. It’s true, the wives have as much fun as the hunters!!! Time is running out for the season so if you are thinking about NZ, you need to reserve your spot now!!!

 The Accommodations:  The Riverview Lodge is located at the junction of the Waiau, Percival and Hamner Rivers.  The Lodge has five in-suite bedrooms and guests reside in comfort with spectacular mountain views looking across the valley. The Lodge is located approximately two hours north of Christchurch and five miles from the quaint Alpine Spa Township of Hamner Springs. The lodge owners, John and Robin Gemmell, have operated the Lodge for bird hunting and fly fishing now for over 20 years. The Lodge has not one but two chefs, whose specialties range from wild game to pastries. 

The Hunting: Five full days of hunting with both morning and evening shoots everyday. In New Zealand it is legal to hunt before sunrise and after sunset so expect to be up early and return a little late. All the hunting will be done over decoys, both over water and in the fields from portable blinds made of natural materials. We can only take a maximum of five hunters on this hunt and we will have the entire lodge to ourselves during the trip. This is also a collector’s trip for anyone who might want to bring back a couple of trophies as we are expecting to take Paradise, Grey, Australian Shoveler and Mallard Ducks. Most hunters will take home a Paradise Duck trophy as they are only found in New Zealand and it is rated by many as one of the prettiest ducks in the world.  You will hunt Black Swan and the Giant species of Canada Geese. All species reside in New Zealand and don’t migrate. Another item that will make the trip a little more pleasant is that the Lodge has a limited supply of Beretta and Remington shotguns on hand for clients who don’t want the hassle of bringing their own guns.

Other Activities:  For the Non-Hunter (based on party of 4), we will have daily tours that even include a trip to the spa with treatments included in the trip fee! The non-shooting itinerary is as follows:
Day 1:  Take a Day trip across the beautiful Southern Alps in a train. Leave Christchurch and travel to Greymouth on the other side of the South Island arriving in time for lunch.  After lunch you will have a little time to look around before returning back to Christchurch in the afternoon.
Day 2:  Go to the beautiful seaside town of Kaikoura for the day. Take a charter boat out to view whales and dolphins. View the arts and crafts of the local people in the shops.
Day 3:  Indulge in the Pamper Packages provided by the Wisteria Cottage Day Spa in Hamner Springs. There are many options from Massage Therapy, Beauty Therapy, Body Pampering, to Vichy Shower, Steam Capsule, Manicures, Pedicures, and Facials, Eye and Brow Waxing and more.
Day 4:  Spend the day on a Wine tour. View the vineyards, and sample wines of the famous Waipara area.  Have lunch at our favorite eatery and visit the Olive Grove for tour and tasting.
Day 5:  Shop and tour the beautiful city of Christchurch.