Our Stay at Minaret Station

After the mishap with Alex's luggage, we located our driver who took us to Alpine Helicopters. This was my first time flying in a helicopter, and I quickly got accustomed to it, as this became our primary mode of transportation during our stay. After a short safety briefing, we were off! We enjoyed a scenic flight through the mountains, over Lake Wanaka, and into a glacial valley leading us to Minaret Station.

Upon arrival, we discovered the six small structures that make up Minaret Station. The main lodge, known as the Alpine Lodge, is where all meals are prepared by the resident chef. Each meal was outstanding, featuring local ingredients, with most of the meat sourced from the family farm. The lodge also has a library and a cozy fireplace for ultimate relaxation. Although you can choose to dine in your individual cabin, we preferred to eat in the lodge. The other accommodations are chalets, each equipped with a outdoor soaking tub and a private view of the valley floor and the stunning night sky.

We received a warm welcome from the wonderful staff and decided to take a walk around the property after our long flight. Once we settled in, we headed to the lodge for dinner, where we reviewed our itinerary for our three-day stay.

Alex and I prefer to keep our itinerary light so we can travel at our own pace. Consequently, we only booked one excursion in advance—a fishing trip in Dusky Sound. We were informed that the weather there could be rough, and they would monitor conditions throughout our stay to see if we could fit it in. Most accommodations offer similar excursions, so we aimed to avoid duplication, except for hiking—known as "tramping" in New Zealand—which we were excited to do. With Dusky being our only pre-arranged excursion at Minaret, we had three open days. We decided to spend most of our time on the property, allowing for easy access to Dusky if the weather improved.

While at Minaret Station, we received recommendations for several optional local experiences:

• A guided fishing tour to well-stocked high country streams and rivers

• Hiking rocky ridgelines, grassy valleys, or lush ancient rainforests

• Mountain biking on designated trails

• Touring the working farm to see livestock, including sheep, cattle, and deer

During our stay, there was one other couple at the station visiting from Germany. We only crossed paths with them during breakfast and lunch. It was enjoyable to chat with them and share details about our activities, backgrounds, and cultural differences. One evening, we had dinner with the Wallis family's attorney, who shared insights about various happenings in New Zealand. On the other nights, it was just Alex and me, and we really enjoyed spending time with the staff and chefs, who were lively and shared a wealth of information about New Zealand. I would definitely recommend spending time at the Alpine Lodge. Below is our itinerary of what we experienced while on the property.

Day 1: Hike to the hunting shack

Breakfast at the Alpine Lodge was served around 8:00 AM, featuring a selection of à la carte items and a small menu to choose from. We enjoyed our meal, which was delicious, and then prepared for our hike. At this point Alex still hadn’t received his luggage, he had to borrow a pair of hiking boots.

We embarked on a round-trip hike of about six miles to the hunting shack, with plenty to see along the way—stunning waterfalls, wildflowers, creeks, and rocky landscapes surrounded us in every direction. Our hiking guide, Ellie, was very knowledgeable about New Zealand and the family that owns Minaret Station. The Wallis family opened the Alpine Lodge in 2010. In addition to their hospitality ventures, they run a thriving farm where they raise sheep, cattle, and red deer (an interesting fact: their sheep have a higher omega-3 content than salmon). Furthermore, they own the helicopter company Alpine Helicopters, and some family members even pilot the helicopters themselves.

Ellie had packed a lunch and some snacks for us, which we enjoyed at the hunting shack before making our way back to our chalet. When we returned, Alex’s luggage was waiting for us! We relaxed in our chalet and enjoyed the soaking tub before dinner. Later, we visited the Alpine Lodge to sample various wines from Central Otago, one of New Zealand's renowned wine regions. After dinner, we took a walk along the boardwalk before retiring to our chalet for the evening.

Day 2: Tour of the working farm + helihiking

We began our morning with breakfast in the main lodge before getting ready to meet Ellie for our heli-hike. We passed over glacial lakes and mountain tops, even spotting a red stag on a hillside, before landing near a waterfall to start our hike, just as a prop plane was taking off and landing nearby. Our hike took us through Mount Aspiring National Park, where we spotted two kea, rare alpine parrots who are known for being highly intelligent and michevous. The locals we met during this trip shared various stories about these birds, including keas snatching hiking boots and moving traffic cones to encourage people to stop and feed them—you get the idea.

After our hike, we enjoyed a spectacular aerial view of Minaret. Then stopped for lunch on a hillside overlooking Lake Wanaka, where we were treated to wine, charcuterie, and chocolate. Ellie served us, and our helicopter pilot even prepared some deer using a portable grill. Following lunch, we took a tour of the farm, which turned out to be one of my favorite experiences. As someone from North Dakota, I felt right at home. We were shown the sheep and various herding dogs that were crazy smart, and even had the chance to bottle-feed the baby cows and sheep. The sheep and cows that are bottle-fed become pets since they don’t meet quality standards after being given formula. They also had a pet deer named Skippy, who took a liking to me right away. The goat, Mrs. White, wasn’t quite as sociable.

After our time at the farm, we returned to the lodge for dinner, where we were joined by a guest—the Wallis family's attorney, who was there for a meeting with the family. He was very entertaining and definitely kept us laughing.

Day 3: Hike to our helicopter

The days flew by, and before we knew it, it was time for our next adventure. We had breakfast with one of the Wallis brothers, who was also our helicopter pilot for the upcoming trip to Dusky, along with his attorney from the night before. By this point, the crew had realized how much we enjoyed being active, so they offered us the chance to go on another hike, with a helicopter pick-up at the end of it—which, of course, we did. The property was absolutely breathtaking, and if I had the chance, I would do it all over again. The helicopter picked us up and took us back to the airport, where our driver was waiting to take us to our next destination, The Lindis Lodge.

Overall, my favorite aspect of the experience were the wonderful people at Minaret Station. They made me feel incredibly welcome and right at home. It was truly an amazing group of individuals—laid-back and friendly in every way.

Up next: Our Stay at The Lindis Lodge