INTO THE WEST
Raw wilderness. Real experiences. Guided by locals.
Built for Blokes Who’d Rather Be Out Here
Bring a few mates or your old man / young fella and disappear into real West Coast country.
We don’t do tour buses or 30-person herds.
This is small-group adventure — tight crews of 2–4 people.
Either mates chasing real adventure, or fathers bringing their kids back to the wild. Always led by experienced guides who know the land and keep it real.
Every trip is built to slow things down and tune things out.
South Westland is raw and untouched — ancient, Jurassic-era rainforest, wild rivers, the Tasman Sea, and the snow-capped Southern Alps all colliding in one place. Deep bush. No crowds. No noise. No screens.
We build fires, cook what we catch, share stories, and make space for real conversations — the kind that don’t happen at the kitchen table.
Whether it’s mates testing themselves or fathers and kids reconnecting away from the noise, this is about time that actually means something.
Limited spots. No fillers. No tourists.
Just good bastards, real adventure, and the kind of connection that shows up when comfort checks out.
Learn about the wild before it disappears.
Learn skills before they die out.
Why Into The West
Built for Your Crew
Bring a few mates — or bring the young ones.
We’ll build the trip around what you want out of it.
Hard days or cruisy ones.
Bush, river, coast — or all of it.
Seasonal highlights dialled in by locals who know when and where to go.
No cookie-cutter itineraries. This is your trip, done properly.
The Real West Coast
This is ancient forest, wild weather, big country.
Jurassic bush meets the Tasman Sea, with the Southern Alps standing watch.
You’ll share fires, yarns, and quiet moments that only happen when you’re a long way from home — and the noise drops out.
Back to what matters
No classrooms. No lectures.
Just real time in nature.
You watch, you try, you figure it out.
And somehow, you know more when you leave than when you arrived.
Good Mates. Good Laughs. Good Times.
An Untamed Adventure
This is not a spa retreat.
This is a throwdown in the wild.
No phones. No schedules. No pretending.
We load up. We head out.
We hike, fish, raft, cook over open flames, and share yarns around the campfire.
And we come home a little wilder —
and a hell of a lot more alive.
What Your Next Adventure Could Look Like
A taste of what awaits:
Mountain Adventure
Start at Haast and heli-drop into a remote wilderness hut deep in the bush. Explore the surroundings, build a fire, and settle in with your crew. Track and hunt deer, try your hand at fishing in pristine rivers, and cook your catch over the fire while sharing yarns under the stars. Trek hidden trails, fly-fish for trout, and soak in the untouched landscape before a jetboat ride back to base, leaving tired, stoked, and full of stories.
Coastal Adventure
Cruise along remote beaches on quads, sunset surfcasting in hand, then board a diving and fishing charter out of legendary Jackson Bay. Reel in big fish, catch cray, and bring it back to cook over a fire with the crew. Spend your days packrafting or exploring hidden beaches, finishing each evening around a beach fire swapping stories. Seasonal specials include whitebait, bluefin tuna, and offshore lobster runs — a proper taste of the wild coast.
All-Round Adventure
Combine bush, rivers, and coast for a laid-back yet action-packed adventure. Start with early morning deer hunts, spend afternoons fishing for trout, and hike hidden trails as you explore the wild landscape. Quad along beaches, surfcast, dive, or discover secluded coastal spots. Evenings are spent cooking your catch and swapping yarns around the fire. Based out of comfortable accommodation in Haast, this trip delivers a full taste of South Westland — bush, coast, and rivers all in one.
How it works
ONE
Hit us up.
Send an enquiry, call, or WhatsApp us. Tell us when, how long, and what you want to get out of it — we’ll craft the trip of a lifetime around your crew.
TWO
Roll into Haast.
Make your way to the West Coast, or get picked up from Queenstown.
Settle in, check out the gear, and get ready for the big days ahead.
THREE
Get stuck in.
Every day is different. Follow the plan we made for you, or switch things up on the fly to match the weather. It’s unpredictable out here, but we always have a backup. Unlike cookie-cutter tours, this is your adventure, your way.
FOUR
Take the memories home.
Leave with a big “Chur, bro!” Maybe some fish in the cooler, maybe a set of antlers, but always stories to share. Snap the photos, laugh with your mates, and come back ready for more.
Your Wilderness Wingman
Still reading? Alright, you’re probably into this kinda stuff.
So, let’s introduce you to the man who is offering you wild, untamed adventures in the South West of New Zealand’s South Island.
Meet Joe, AKA J.T
I grew up as a young lad with a passion for hunting and the wilderness. Whether it was reading Rod and Rifle magazine's in the 80s or tying flies dreaming of all the wilderness NZ has to offer with an overwhelming passion just to be a part of it.
I started hunting as soon as my father allowed me to take his old WW2 .303, and the rest is history.......as they say!
From the days of literally being NO deer around from the extensive WARO (wild animal recovery operations) activity, and deer being shot on foot for reasonable money I learnt to hunt the hard way, stalking a deer in the bush, not out in the open tops or river flats like we see so many animals today.
Fast forward 10 years or so and I'm now a father to two kids (twins) my daughter Courtney and her brother Caleb. Caleb adopted the passion for the outdoors almost instantly from coming into this world!! Together we spent the next 20 years of his life exploring the wilderness of the south. Hunting, fishing, and growing up with experiences a lot of kids these days will never get the chance to have. For me this is concerning, I have met and seen a lot of people that have lost the connection with the outdoors. We live in a very unique environment, and I want to share my stories and experience with people, and the generations that will miss out on this beautiful simple way of life.
So join me for an unique experience in the beautiful South Westland.
Ready to go west?
Tell us who’s coming, when you’re free, and what you want to do. We’ll take it from there.
Hannahs Clearing
Haast - New Zealand West Coast
+64 27 477 8805
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