26/02/2025
4X4 SELF DRIVE Adventure this weekend
UPPER Rakaia River
An exclusive 4x4 self-drive adventure across Glenfalloch and Lake Heron Stations’ private farm track will take place THIS WEEKEND, March 1st and 2nd, hosted in collaboration with the Methven Lions Club and the Todhunter families.
Enjoy a unique family day out, venturing off the beaten path to explore the stunning Rakaia headwaters, Ashburton Lakes backcountry, and finishing at Mt Somers.
Bring your family and friends for a scenic drive to discover another part of Canterbury for $100 per vehicle. Unique, off-site rewards for staff are also possible with this.
The event hasn’t taken place since 2016, and it is a fundraiser for Local Charities and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.
The tour will take approximately three hours, at a leisurely pace, starting at Glenfalloch Station. You will find Glenfalloch Station, about 50 minutes from the Blackford Road, turn off from SH72. It is an amazing place to start, offering a spectacular vista across the Rakaia River to the Arrowsmith Range and the Main Divide. Start your self-drive tour, leaving route 72 from 7:30 am; check in with a friendly Methven Lions Club member, or buy tickets at Glenfalloch (EFTPOS available). Subtract an hour from Google’s suggested travel time. We’ve yet to encounter a New Zealander driving 10 km/h on a gravel road.
A Gourmet BBQ, fresh coffee, and homemade baked goods will be waiting for you to enjoy at Glenfalloch after the first stage of your journey. Alternatively, feel free to bring your own picnic. Once you are refreshed and perhaps have taken an optional helicopter flight over the braided Rakaia River to spot some wildlife, proceed to Lake Heron Station along the private track. Your journey will take you over shingle fans through tussock fields, past Lake Stream and Lake Heron, across the historic Hakatere Conservation Area, coming out at Mt Somers Township.
We ask you to please respect the working farms, stay on the marked track, watch out for livestock and, of course, take your rubbish and recycling home with you.
