Champagne and cheese boards come hard-earned at Aschworth High Country Station but the effort is well worth it.<\/p>\n
\n Pre-requisites for a luxury weekend away include champagne, gourmet food, comfortable beds, breathtaking views, and a sense of refuge from the stresses and struggles of everyday life. Aschworth High Country Station offers
\n all those things, but first you\u2019ll have to earn them.\n <\/p>\n
In the style of New Zealand\u2019s private multi-day hiking holidays like the Tora and Pahi coastal tracks, Aschworth is a new South Island tourism offering in backcountry Blenheim. Set up by Sarah and George Murray on their 2400ha farm, the two-night, three-day weekend is challenging, to say the least, covering 33km over steep high-country land \u2013 reaching 922m at its highest point. This is luxury, but not as you would normally know it.<\/p>\n
The Murrays have lived on Aschworth station since 2020. George, a fifth-generation farmer and helicopter pilot, and Sarah, a former tourism and marketing executive, were instantly captivated by the beauty of the land and saw an opportunity. After completing some of NZ\u2019s best private walks herself, Sarah recognised Aschworth had all the elements needed to create something special, where guests could get out into the station\u2019s spectacular natural landscapes then enjoy some luxurious relaxation at the end of the day.<\/p>\n
George and Sarah Murray, who have set up a glamping and private hiking experience on their farm, Aschworth High Country Station.<\/p>\n
Open since December, they plan to run retreats from late November until May each year, with potential to extend into winter if demand allows.<\/p>\n
Never one to shy away from a challenge \u2013 as long as there\u2019s also champagne involved \u2013 I fly down from Auckland on a sunny late summer Friday morning to give the experience a try.<\/p>\n
George, a rangy, rugged farmer type, and his mini-me son Walter, 6, pick us up from the airport, both wearing shorts and gumboots, and drive us to Aschworth. It\u2019s just 10 minutes\u2019 drive away, up from Brancott Estate\u2019s renowned vineyards.<\/p>\n
We meet Sarah, and the couple\u2019s oldest son Hank,7, at the Murray family homestead \u2013 a 1920s villa in a picturesque setting: manicured lawns, a vege and flower garden groaning with colour and produce, fruit and native trees, and, surrounding us on all sides, the station\u2019s dramatic rolling ranges.<\/p>\n
Morning tea is the first order of the day \u2013 blueberry scones with lashings of butter, coffee and tea \u2013 while Sarah gives us a safety briefing and explains the logistics of the weekend. This will be no walk in the park but unlike a DoC multi-day walk, we will carry only our day packs; everything else will be transported by the Murrays to our accommodation, which we will spend the first day walking in to.<\/p>\n
Sarah loads us up with packed lunches in waxed canvas lunch pouches \u2013 salads and filled wraps, fresh juice and a double chocolate brownie, which we bolster with snacks from a self-serve station in the homestead\u2019s reception room (lollies, fruit, chips and sachets of electrolytes for our water bottles).<\/p>\n
Tracks are well-marked with orange arrows on the three Aschworth hiking trails.<\/p>\n
The first hike, Fairhill, is dubbed \u201cget fit quick\u201d and within minutes, we\u2019re on a steep incline up and around the valley\u2019s surrounding ranges. We\u2019re quickly glad of the hiking poles Sarah insists every guest uses \u2013 the ground is scrubby and uneven, with steep climbs and descents.<\/p>\n
The first day\u2019s full walk is 11km, but there are three points where you can take optional shortcuts for a quicker, easier version. We opt for the full hike, and it takes us close to six hours, with only the bare minimum of breaks. It\u2019s billed as a moderate to hard walk, and the frequent steep climbs, goat tracks along ridge lines, and knee-testing descents make it a real challenge.<\/p>\n
Aschworth High Country Station is home to the Murray family, their flock of merino sheep, cattle, and now guests taking on a glamping and hiking getaway. <\/p>\n
The views are exceptional \u2013 whether it\u2019s deep in the valley with the ranges towering around us, or high on the range tops, where we can see the Wairau valley, across to the coast, and the bottom of the North Island across Cook Strait.<\/p>\n
The sense of peace from hiking with no other humans in sight is a wonderful antidote to the busy city lives we left behind earlier that morning.<\/p>\n
Aschworth’s glampsite, spotted from the day one hike. Photo \/ Stephanie Holmes<\/p>\n
We first see our accommodation from a scenic lookout point. While catching our breath after another hill climb, we spot the glamping site down in the valley below us: a main lodge building with four hunting-style tents dotted around it, on the banks of a stream.<\/p>\n
With the end in sight \u2013 but still a couple of hours\u2019 walk away \u2013 we pick up our pace, making our way up and around and down and up again.<\/p>\n
Our only company on the walk is the Murrays\u2019 merino sheep (they have 4500) and Angus cattle (they have 200). P\u012bwakawaka and greenfinches flit around us, and falcons soar above us, while a cacophony of cicadas provides the perfect summer soundtrack.<\/p>\n
The final downhill to the camp is taxing but the knowledge there is a bottle of Deutz and some beers chilling in the fridge, as well as a cheese platter, snacks and full dinner ready and waiting for us, gives us the last push we need.<\/p>\n
The accommodation at Aschworth has been modelled on 1920s deerstalking tents but with some modern luxuries. Photo \/ Lindie Hawes Photography
<\/p>\n
Camp is perfectly set up for a stunningly simple yet carefully thought-out stay. Our tent \u2013 modelled on a 1920s deerstalkers\u2019 tent \u2013 is 18.9sq m, canvas outside, with wool insulation inside, making it cosy and comfortable, whatever the weather. There are plans to install gas heaters in each of the tents, as well as hot tubs and boardwalks to the main lodge. But even without them, this is a luxurious glampsite that quickly charms me.<\/p>\n
The main lodge has a well-equipped kitchen, communal dining table, leather sofas and armchairs with cosy fur throws and woollen blankets around a gas fireplace. <\/p>\n
As with lunch, Sarah has made dinner time super easy. Meals are pre-prepared by local luxury catering company Kaiaka and all we need to do is heat-through side dishes and cook meat on the barbecue or under the grill. <\/p>\n
Champagne and cheese boards come hard-earned at Aschworth High Country Station but the effort is well worth it.
The main guest lodge at Aschworth High Country Station.<\/p>\n
After so much exertion, we tuck hungrily into the cheese platter, then make quick work of our dinner of slow-roasted lamb shoulder with jus and salsa verde, duck fat roast potatoes with rosemary, carrot and quinoa salad with mint and dates, iceberg lettuce wedges, followed by vanilla panna cotta with seasonal fruit. The only thing we needed to bring with us was additional alcoholic drinks and specific snacks if we wanted them, otherwise there are teas and coffees, soft drinks, chocolate, chips, lollies to help ourselves to. We soon make up any calories lost on the day\u2019s walk. <\/p>\n
There\u2019s no TV but there is Starlink Wi-Fi if you really need to stay connected with the outside world. But another luxury of this weekend is being able to switch off and enjoy the solitude of nature with no interruptions. <\/p>\n
We fall asleep early and sleep peacefully, leaving the window shades open so we can feel the breeze through the tent; the only sound is the occasional call from the nearby cattle. <\/p>\n
Views for days on the trails at Aschworth High Country Station.<\/p>\n
Waking early, we enjoy a hearty breakfast courtesy of Kaiaka, before hitting the tracks for another day. Day two gives the choice of an easy 7km walk to some swimming holes, a 13km \u201cmoderate\u201d walk, with an optional add-on up to Wards Peak, 922m above sea level, or a 17km hard route, which Sarah has advised us is for the most experienced hikers only.<\/p>\n
We have a reasonable level of fitness, but the moderate walk is still a huge challenge. It takes us eight hours, as we push ourselves to take on Wards Peak, and it takes us to the limits of our abilities. Some of the uphills are almost vertical inclines and the rugged terrain underfoot requires careful navigation. We\u2019re thankful we\u2019ve loaded up with food and electrolyte-laced water, but even so, we\u2019re almost broken by the time we make it back to camp.<\/p>\n
We ravenously devour our dinner of venison loin, crispy polenta, ratatouille, roast beetroot and lentil salad, and a decadent chocolate almond cake with butterscotch sauce and whipped mascarpone. We can\u2019t even finish the special bottle of red wine we\u2019ve been saving as our evening reward \u2013 we\u2019re in bed before 9pm and asleep almost before we close our eyes.<\/p>\n
Waking just once in the night, I tiptoe out to the bathrooms at the main lodge building and realise the campsite is under a clear night sky and a blanket of stars.<\/p>\n
Night falls over the glampsite on Aschworth High Country Station. Photo \/ Stephanie Holmes <\/p>\n
Our final day brings one last walking challenge \u2013 a 5km, three-hour walk from camp back to the Murrays\u2019 homestead. Our legs are sore but our spirits are high \u2013 three days of being immersed in nature, fresh air, and absolute peace and quiet has done wonders for our wellbeing.<\/p>\n
As we round the final fields closing in on the homestead, we\u2019re greeted by Hank and Walter and the family\u2019s gorgeous golden retriever and fox terrier \u2013 a cute cheer squad to help get us across the finish line.<\/p>\n
With a late-afternoon flight home, we make the most of being in Blenheim and spend a few hours at Boomtown Brewing and Forest Winery, just down the road in Renwick. Boomtown\u2019s owner Clive Macfarlane is a good friend of the Murrays, and welcomes us in for lunch from the on-site food trucks while we taste flights of Boomtown\u2019s craft beers and Forest\u2019s Marlborough wines.<\/p>\n
Yes, you could come to Blenheim and enjoy a more sedate kind of luxury \u2013 a stay at one of the region\u2019s boutique hotels or lodges, an escorted wine tour, or a waterfront bach in the Marlborough Sounds. But a stay at Aschworth offers the greatest luxury of all \u2013 the chance to focus only on putting one foot in front of the other, while everything else is taken care of for you.<\/p>\n
A two-night all-inclusive stay at Aschworth costs $1295pp for adults and $995pp for children (aged 5-12). There are four tents available to book, either individually or as a group.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll need sturdy hiking boots, a day pack, and a water bottle or bladder with at least 2-litre capacity. Hiking poles are essential but are available to borrow for the weekend.<\/p>\n
Viva travelled courtesy of Aschworth High Country Station.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Champagne and cheese boards come hard-earned at Aschworth High Country Station but the effort is well worth it.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":337215,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[180595,19478,17184,34702,23159,21639,33055,8615,2841,5972,3989,156,180596,2959,24826,78,206,112272,117,111,139,69,8617,13655,6436,19985],"class_list":["post-337214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-aschworth","tag-backcountry","tag-blenheim","tag-boards","tag-challenging","tag-champagne","tag-cheese","tag-come","tag-country","tag-day","tag-effort","tag-entertainment","tag-hardearned","tag-high","tag-hike","tag-in","tag-luxury","tag-multi","tag-new","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-offers","tag-station","tag-well","tag-worth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=337214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337214\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/337215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=337214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=337214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=337214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}