Nine must-do highlights of Mackenzie Country, South Island

The Mackenzie region is rich in natural features – lakes, rivers, rolling farmland and spectacular mountains, with quality food and hospitality to match.

The country pub

Fireside food at the SIlverstream Hotel, Kimbell.

About a two and a half hour drive south of Christchurch, first stop in the region could well be the Silverstream Hotel in Kimbell, a rare find of a pub. Lockie and Caroline Broadfoot are no strangers to hospitality, but they’d had enough of the heat back home in Queensland, so here they are serving great pub food in a hotel rich in country charm (mackenzienz.com). Fire crackling, beer on tap, live music every now and again. There’s even a motel next door (the Mount Dobson, mtdobsonmotel.co.nz) and with rooms for under $NZ120 ($110), this hotel/motel combination could make for a snow holiday big on value and enjoyment.

The family ski field

Skiing in the sunshine at Mount DobsonCredit: Jeremy Lyttle

In Canada, there’s a route known as the Powder Highway, so-named for the way it links some of that nation’s better ski fields. If there were such a thing in New Zealand, it could well be through the Mackenzie Basin on Highway 8. First stop, travelling north to south, would be Mount Dobson, a family-run area with cafe and coffee at the base, four lifts, including a chairlift, and plenty of parking, where you can unpack and enjoy your picnic lunch, as so many Kiwis do. See mtdobson.co.nz

The best bar in the snow

Enjoying the view at the Von Brown Hut.

Roundhill would be the next stop on the Powder Highway, but we do wonder, if the marketing gurus were brainstorming a name for their ski field, would they arrive at “Roundhill”? It murmurs modesty, if nothing else, but as with many things Kiwi, they shrug the expected and come up with an experience entirely unexpected. There’s plenty of gentle terrain here but also a slope as steep as any if you want to try it. And there’s possibly the best snow bar in the Southern Hemisphere in the right weather – the Von Brown Hut, with sheepskin-covered seats and views over Lake Tekapo to the spectacular Southern Alps beyond. See roundhill.co.nz

The glacier run

Here’s the third stop on the Powder Highway, an adventure into an alpine landscape that is within the grasp of intermediate-level and above skiers. A helicopter or ski plane flies you to the top of the Tasman Glacier, where you land, with Aoraki/Mount Cook soaring above in the distance. There are two runs for the trip and lunch on the glacier in between. Depending on snow cover, each run can be eight to 12 kilometres long, cruising the wide open glacier and weaving through ice formations. The two-run days, including guiding, safety equipment, lunch and helicopter or ski plane transport on the glacier, costs $NZ1400 ($1285). See mtcookskiplanes.com

The glacial lake

Exploring the Tasman Glacial Lake with Glacier Explorers.

The glacier is fascinating at the top, and equally so at the bottom. Glacier Explorers run boat tours on the Tasman Glacier Terminal Lake – the place where all that ice and rock that comes lumbering down between the mountains ends up. From a distance, the icebergs that calve from the glacier wall into the lake look quite meek, but up close in the boat, they are massive. The ice is coloured with the layers of its life – Australian bushfire residue here, a dust storm there. Tours from September to June, from $NZ179 ($165) for adults. See hermitage.co.nz/experience/glacier-explorers

The heritage stay

The Hermitage in Mount Cook Village is an alpine classic, an institution that has retained its adventurous mountaineering atmosphere but maintained pace with accommodation standards. If your budget stretches to the Aoraki Wing (from $NZ555/$510 a night), then grab a room there and while away the hours admiring the view of New Zealand’s highest mountain. The humbler rooms still have their views and there are plenty of places within the complex to admire the scenery and short walks nearby to get up close to mountains and glaciers. See hermitage.co.nz

The hot springs

Terraced on the banks above the lake of the same name, the Tekapo Hot Springs features three hot pools fed by underground spring water – great for a soak after a day on the snow watching life on the lake down below. There are also two cooler pools and the complex has a sauna and steam room and a day spa for massage and beauty treatments. From $NZ37 ($34) for adults, see tekaposprings.co.nz

The breakfast stop

The Mount John Observatory near Tekapo.

Twizel is an unassuming kind of town, springing to life in the 1960s to support the nearby hydro scheme. With the mountains nearby and the plains below them, you half expect a legion of Lord of the Rings warriors to sprint past. The hobbits didn’t happen, but there’s still breakfast enough to please them at Mint Folk & Co, an all-day cafe in the heart of Twizel. Try the fresh free-range eggs and cold smoked salmon – bliss. Great smoothies and coffees and, beyond breakfast, settle in for burgers and beers. See mintfolks.co.nz

One more thing

The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is a vast area almost entirely lacking in light pollution; little wonder it is filled with star-struck dark sky enthusiasts. There’s Big Sky Stargazing on offer at Mount Cook Village (hermitage.co.nz) and in Tekapo, the Dark Sky Project (darkskyproject.co.nz) takes tours to a local summit as well as using their observatory and powerful telescopes.

The writer travelled as a guest of Mount Cook Ski Planes and Mackenzie Region Tourism. See mackenzienz.com