New Zealand Hunting Safaris

New Zealand Hunting Safaris is Stacey and Jen Anderson's operation, running from a private lodge at Hawea about 15 minutes from Wanaka in Central Otago. The business has been guiding from this base since 2008, before which Stacey had guided commercially in Switzerland, Canada, Austria, Turkey, Mongolia, Pakistan and Tajikistan. The operation is a member of the New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association.

The focus is free-range trophy hunting on a mix of public conservation land concessions and private blocks across the Southern Alps and surrounding hills, with access extending from Milford Sound to Mt Cook. Helicopter landing spots used by the operation include Makarora, Fox Glacier and the Dobson Valley. Core species are Otago red stag, Himalayan tahr, alpine chamois and fallow buck, with wapiti, sika, rusa, sambar, white-tail, wild pig and feral goat or ram also offered.

Packages are all-inclusive — lodge accommodation, meals, trophy fees and helicopter time are bundled in. The Big Four safari is a 7-day red stag, tahr, chamois and fallow combo. Pricing is published in USD and the operation also runs separate NZ-resident Kiwi Hunts at lower domestic rates.