Escape to Erewhon

If a rural high country station with only animals and good ol' Mother Nature for company is your idea of an idyllic holiday then Erewhon could well be your perfect escape. Find out more about this picturesque working farm and Clydesdale horse stud nestled in the Southern Alps.

Erewhon Station gate in winter - welcome to nowhere!

Erewhon Station is literally at the end of the road. The 35,000-acre Clydesdale horse stud and working farm near the headwaters of the Rangitata Gorge is as close to nowhere and off-the-beaten track as it is possible to get.

Even the name Erewhon - that's “nowhere” spelt backwards (with the w and h transposed) - from Samuel Butler’s classic novel, Erewhon, forewarns of its remoteness. But nothing quite prepares you for the magnificence of the glacial-gouged backdrop of rivers and mountains that tease and tantalize you as you drive through the Hakatere Conservation Park en route to Erewhon.

When you reach the end of the road, you continue, driving back in time and into Erewhon - the home of the splendid working horse. There’s one more river to ford before your first sight of curious young foals frolicking in the expanse of lush-green paddocks bordering the graded gravel road.

Then as you meander through the secluded valley, surrounded by high jagged peaks, edging a little closer to the homestead, the majestic workhorses with feathered fetlocks come into view.

Colin Drummond and his partner, Erin Cassie, run Merino sheep, Hereford cattle and a large Clydesdale horse stud on Erewhon. Farming is done the old way. Ploughing and tractor work is the work of a team of strong-flanked Clydesdales, and all stock work is done on foot or horseback. This is partly because horse power is more effective in such rugged terrain, but also in part to maintain traditions and keep their working Clydesdales in training.

Erewhon is ideal for a weekend retreat from civilisation or a longer getaway. Visitors stay in the original homestead, a comfortable four-bedroom house accommodating up to 17 people. It has a cosy lounge – replete with fireplace and DVDs – and a well-equipped kitchen. And as an added bonus, the station has its own hydropower generator, which ensures a warm stay even in the height of a snowbound winter.

There’s plenty to do apart from relaxing in this magnificent high country setting. You can go fishing, swimming, mountain biking, test your 4x4 skills on the station’s four-wheel-drive tracks, turn your hand to photography, or set off on a tramp – ranging from a gentle stroll to scaling the lofty peaks nearby.

The six-horse wagon team goes out in all weather - and the rain gave us a wonderful rainbow.

Wagon trekking through spectacular scenery.

Horse trekking on the friendly horses is one of the highlights.

A hike up Mt Caroline rewards you with a tremendous view of part of the Lord of the Rings country.

There are horse-powered options too, and the large, but gentle and sure-footed, Clydesdales are suited to nervous beginners as well as more experienced riders. You can choose from horse-drawn wagon rides or horse treks ranging from one-hour to longer rides up to an overnight trek (five hours each way) to The Hermitage – a private rustic mountain hut a five-hour ride each way. The perfect back country experience (weather permitting, of course).

It might be an escape to nowhere – but it is also an escape to paradise.

Getting there

The drive to Erewhon takes a little over a two-hours from Christchurch. Turn off State Highway One at Rakaia and make your way along the Thompsons Track towards Mount Somers (the last petrol station and shops en route). Then take the Ashburton Gorge Road towards Clear Water. You’re likely to lose cell reception just outside Mount Somers. The sealed road ends at Hakatere leaving about 35 minutes on gravel roads. Erewhon is roughly 25 minutes beyond Lake Clear Water, at the end of the road after neighbouring Mount Potts Station - the setting Sir Peter Jackson used for mythical Edoras, the capital of Rohan, in the second The Lord of the Rings movie.

Contact Erewhon Station

For bookings call Colin or Erin at Erewhon Station on 03 303 9739, or send an email to erewhonstation@ruralinzone.net. Visit their website for more information.