Golf & Guided Fishing

Fly Fishing

Do you want to hone your casting, presentation and river skills in one of the world’s great trout fisheries? Or perhaps you’re just beginning a journey of discovery that is both an adventure and an art? New Zealand fly fishing, with its pristine clear waters, is all about spotting and stalking your fish before enticing it with a dry fly or nymph. Experience the famous fisheries of the Taupo and Tongariro region, then travel south to explore the varied high country rivers of the Southern Alps and the wilderness fisheries of Fiordland. These are destinations with a wide variety of activities for non- fishing companions; everything from hiking to wine tours, golf or scenic flights. The guides are some of the best in the country and will make a huge difference to your experience. They are patient, informative about the environment, expert in techniques to suit the fishery and very used to working both with beginners and experienced clients.

This itinerary takes in the Tongariro River and Taupo region and Rotorua before flying south to explore the Lake Wanaka and rivers such as the magnificent Hunter, Dingle and Makaroa rivers. Then on down to Fiordland and Te Anau to fish the renowned Mataura River and other wilderness streams with Fiordland Wilderness Guides. You are fishing to hook feisty brown and rainbow trout in gin-clear waters. The main fishing season is November to April but there are some rivers that remain open 12 months a year as well as lake fishing. Owen River Lodge, beside the Murchison river on the edge of the Kahurangi National Park, is a fisherperson’s paradise, run by a keen fly fisherman, attracting almost exclusively fly fishing travellers and offering a superb fishery right on the lodge doorstep. 

Find a Fishing Guide

Contact your accommodation or New Zealand Professional Fishing Guides Association for names of recommended guides.

Golf

New Zealand is equally well known for having a number of superb internationally recognised golf courses, as well as a nice selection of small local courses and some incredible scenery to enjoy while playing.The key golf courses in the country include Kauri Cliffs in the Bay of Islands, Cape Kidnappers in Hawkes Bay, Wairakei Golf & Sanctuary near Lake Taupo and three courses in Queenstown, Millbrook Resort, Jacks Point and The Hills.

Cape Kidnappers enjoys a spectacular ocean cliffside setting, pristine greens and a challenging Par 71 course designed by Tom Doak. Wairakei at Taupo was developed by Commander John Harris, Michael Wolveridge and Peter Thomson as a championship course over 450 acres of natural countryside with courses winding through greens in a forested valley that is also protected as a wildlife and birdlife sanctuary. Millbrook, in a valley surrounded by the Southern Alps, and just outside Queenstown and Arrowtown, is an iconic New Zealand course. It has hosted national and international tournaments and is firm favourite among New Zealand golfers. All courses have access to the best hire equipment and tuition available.

Design an enjoyable itinerary that includes a mixture of golf and food and wine experiences while getting a taste of New Zealand’s great outdoors. A good example of a long weekend experience might be to fly from Australia to Queenstown, golf in Queenstown for a few days, fly to Milford Sound on a scenic flight and sample local pinot on a Central Otago Wine Tour or go on an adventurous 4WD into historic Skippers Canyon. Coming from further afield, the USA, UK or Asia you might base yourself first in the North Island in Taupo and Hawkes Bay and then fly south to explore the Southern Lakes and Fiordland.