Wanderlist: Best Adventure Trips for 2006: Weka

Outside magazine - March 2006



The Wanderlist: All it takes is one trip to change your life... One trip, one world - that's all it takes. During Active Adventures founder Andrew Fairfax's 2,700-mile cycling expedition from Istanbul to London in 2003, he thought, Why aren't we doing this at home? The result of that epiphany is the 'Weka', a 13-day supported bike trip circling the South Island.

The New Zealand Biking Adventure hits all the top spots, like the majestic peaks and gushing waterfalls of Milford Sound and the blue ice of the Franz Josef Glacier, while staying off most of the main routes, worn thin by tourist traffic.

You'll log roughly 400 miles on Specialized hybrids that can handle gravel farm paths and other classic Kiwi obstacles like cow dung and stubborn sheep. Typical day: Pull off the Central Otago Rail Trail, ditch your gear in a renovated millhouse that serves as home for the night, and head to a tiny rural-outpost pub for a Speight's with the locals.

 

What people say about our trips

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Croatia Adventure - May 2023

Wonderful trip in every way!

"We cannot say enough good things about our guides, Marko and Daniel. They were… read more

"We cannot say enough good things about our guides, Marko and Daniel. They were knowledgable, professional, friendly and relaxed but on top of every detail. The itinerary was great. I would say the biking was more moderate than easy. Most of our group had e-bikes and were glad they did. There were several long uphill stretches. But Marko was great about picking me up with the van so I wouldn't slow the group down. I will get an e-bike in the future.The buggy ride could've been skipped and replaced with a different activity. read less

5 Stars (40 reviews)

Catherine,

Ultimate Galapagos Islands Adventure - May 2023

Ultimate Galapagos

"From beginning to end - this was an awesome adventure! Everything was well coordinated,… read more

"From beginning to end - this was an awesome adventure! Everything was well coordinated, the accommodations were great, we were well feed, the variety of activities were terrific and I can’t say enough good things about our two guides - Pepo and Paulo!! They were outstanding, went above and beyond my expectations and kept everything running smoothly. Really felt immersed in the local culture. I highly recommend this trip!! read less

5 Stars (485 reviews)

Douglas,

Ultimate Galapagos Islands Adventure - May 2023

Galapagos Adventure

"This trip exceeded my expectations. The excursions were well managed to accommodate all participants… read more

"This trip exceeded my expectations. The excursions were well managed to accommodate all participants and the up close encounters with local wildlife (blue footed boobies, tortoises, and sharks) were awesome. We also became quick friends with our travel companions (and guides) which made for a super enjoyable trip and created memories to last a lifetime. read less

5 Stars (485 reviews)

Douglas,

Camino de Santiago Adventure - May 2023

Camino de Santiago

"Excellent trip! Food, guides, and accommodations were awesome. read more

"Excellent trip! Food, guides, and accommodations were awesome. read less

5 Stars (12 reviews)

Nancy,

Netherlands Biking Adventure - April 2023

Amazing Trip

"The bicycling routes were perfectly curated. Our rides included beaches, forests, farms, quaint villages, windmills,… read more

"The bicycling routes were perfectly curated. Our rides included beaches, forests, farms, quaint villages, windmills, canals, dikes, and several surprising sights along the way. We biked a good amount but we spent even more time enjoying meals, breaks, and sight-seeing.

The guides, hotels, meals, and special touches all exceeded expectations. The Dutch people are fantastic and their country is beautiful. Each day was different and very enjoyable. read less

5 Stars (82 reviews)

Kathy,

Netherlands Biking Adventure - April 2023

Fabulous trip through the Netherlands

"This trip exceeded my expectations. Each day was carefully planned out by our knowledgeable… read more

"This trip exceeded my expectations. Each day was carefully planned out by our knowledgeable guides. The accommodations were above average, at times exceptional, and we were surprised with fine dining with wine and cheese tastings, drinks included as part of the package price. Being in a small group of 8 riders and two guides, we bonded interpersonally over a span of 7 days. Guides told us many wonderful stories about their cycling adventures and went out of their way to accommodate our individual needs. I highly recommend this trip. read less

5 Stars (82 reviews)

Elizabeth,

Netherlands Biking Adventure - April 2023

Surprising Trip in The Netherlands

"My trip with Active Adventures truly exceeded my expectations. I felt immersed in the biking… read more

"My trip with Active Adventures truly exceeded my expectations. I felt immersed in the biking culture of The Netherlands during my visit and pampered every day of the tour. From the hotel choices to the biking routes, you can see that the company cares about the comfort of its guests. I’d book with the company again without hesitation! read less

5 Stars (82 reviews)

Camie,

Arches & Canyonlands Adventure - April 2023

Arches/Canyonlands

"What a great 6 day adventure, everything from the rafting down the Colorado to the… read more

"What a great 6 day adventure, everything from the rafting down the Colorado to the hiking and biking in Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. Our guides Steve and Joel were excellent: very knowledgeable, funny, interesting and took care of all our needs. Food was excellent AND healthy. read less

5 Stars (56 reviews)

Edward Fitzpatrick,

Ultimate Galapagos Islands Adventure - April 2023

In Love with Galapagos

"We chose Active Adventures because we wanted to maximize our time on land in hopes… read more

"We chose Active Adventures because we wanted to maximize our time on land in hopes of seeing as much wildlife as possible. It did not disappoint! We saw everything we wanted to see and fell in love with the Galapagos. We enjoyed all of the planned activities, but still had time to explore on our own. We did not want to leave and are already talking about when we can go back. read less

5 Stars (485 reviews)

Jessica,

Ultimate Galapagos Islands Adventure - April 2023

Active Adventures ... It Rocks!

"This entire trip was LOGISTICALLY and SEAMLESSLY executed ... from transporting us to different islands,… read more

"This entire trip was LOGISTICALLY and SEAMLESSLY executed ... from transporting us to different islands, from baggage transfer, from going from one activity to the next, from how they coordinate meals, etc ... Amazing!
Even though I opted not to do one activity due to it being possibly too challenging for me but not for others, it was well worth the trip.
The guide (Jose Luis AKA Pepo - and his assistant Paolo) were OUTSTANDING. Knowledgeable, considerate of my needs and those of others, knew what to do and where to find the most interesting highlights ... Kudos to Pepo and Paolo. The accommodations were perfect (except for one smaller one that was acceptable). The food was very good and the selection of activities where and how they highlighted environmental and educational insights was well done. read less

5 Stars (485 reviews)

Mark,

Ultimate Galapagos Islands Adventure - April 2023

Learning and Sharing with the Galapagos Experience

"As one of 12 fellow travelers on this tour, I learned about the many closely… read more

"As one of 12 fellow travelers on this tour, I learned about the many closely encountered animals and flora of the islands, while being able to interact with and support local community residents on this land-based journey. Our wonderful local naturalist guide, Pepo, was warm and welcoming, highly organized and shared his vast knowledge day after activity-filled day, adding stories and bits of humor as well. His friend and assistant, hard-working Paolo, assured that arrangements for travel, luggage, accommodations and equipment were ably met, along with helping out during the outings. Both skillfully enabled all in the group to be included and safe in each activity and made the days such fun! Snorkeling with wild dolphins-wow!! So many highlights! I miss Pepo's daily SuperPlan. With a most friendly welcome by residents, yummy local foods, well-prepared and gorgeous surroundings the days flew by. Support crew on excursions were outstanding, especially Capitan Joel and Brian on the trip to Los Tuneles. Practices toward sustainability and ecological preservation were most evident, along with fascinating cultural history and geology of the islands. Group members blended very well together as we jointly experienced this wonderful tour. read less

5 Stars (485 reviews)

Margaret,

Ultimate Galapagos Islands Adventure - April 2023

Galapagos

"Everything was absolutely wonderful! It was very easy to get together with the group… read more

"Everything was absolutely wonderful! It was very easy to get together with the group and each day was planned perfectly with the activities and meal times and free time to explore alone. The activity level for "moderate" was a little slower than anticipated but our guide made up for that with his wealth of knowledge and and excitement for being able to share that knowledge. But we never had to worry about anything, it was all always ready to go and perfect, we just had to show up ready to learn and enjoy. read less

4 Stars (485 reviews)

Sam,

Camino de Santiago Adventure - April 2023

Spring on the Camino

"Northern Spain is extra beautiful in late April/early May. Nice temps, little rain and beautiful… read more

"Northern Spain is extra beautiful in late April/early May. Nice temps, little rain and beautiful wildflowers. Our trip was complemented by 2 very competent and fun guides, David & Gregory. We hiked parts of several Cominos, not stressful, plenty of delicious local cuisine, wine & coffee. Spain was exceptionally clean, modern & friendly. We had a great experience. read less

5 Stars (12 reviews)

Geralyn,

Patagonia Hiking Adventure - April 2023

Patagonia Hiking (Torres Del Paine and Fitz Roy)

"Wonderful experience to Chile and Argentina. Couldn't fault the complete end to end process of… read more

"Wonderful experience to Chile and Argentina. Couldn't fault the complete end to end process of arriving, trip management and guides knowledge and friendliness. read less

5 Stars (343 reviews)

Duane,

Netherlands Biking Adventure - April 2023

Netherlands 2023

"The trip was professionally run. We had challenges on the trip with strong headwinds,… read more

"The trip was professionally run. We had challenges on the trip with strong headwinds, light to heavy rain and cold temperatures. the guides handled these well, he group giving appropriate breaks to handle these conditions when they occurred. The group was kept together and was managed to offer both desires for challenging segments as well as less challenging ones.

The ride itself was interesting and filled with new experiences. read less

4 Stars (82 reviews)

John,

11

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