When preparing to hike through the pristine wilderness, it's easy to plan for meals of dehydrated potatoes with pasta in a packet and maybe some pre-cooked sausages to break up the colour!

Well... that is unless you are walking with Southern Wilderness NZ, where we are professional "foodies" as well as outdoor guides. It's fair to say that every guide we employ is dedicated to the art of creating a little bit of their own magic in each meal that they prepare for you. So much so, we have become well known as the 'gourmet guided walk' company.

We have developed over time a menu that will keep your thoughts drifting back to memorable moments after the trip's completion - maybe to the Perry Saddle 'Cafe' where you enjoyed plunger coffee with Swiss-style bread coated in local Manuka honey.

Or perhaps to the delicious local salmon that you enjoyed with a glass of award-winning Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - not in a local restaurant but with a backdrop of the stunning West Coast wilderness at the mouth of the mighty Heaphy River. It's such experiences that have led to our international reputation as the company whose guests eat salmon at the Heaphy Hut.

From restaurant class Thai chicken curry, Italian basil and olive pasta to a selection of mouth watering cheeses, walk the Heaphy Track with Southern Wilderness NZ and you will not only experience an area of profound beauty but one which is also rich in wholesome and gourmet foods.

We believe in using fresh foods for each meal and live by the belief that "if the stomach is happy the feet will follow". At each day's end your walk will be rewarded with a culinary delight (and sometimes during too).

And if there is one thing that we pride ourselves on (besides our top class guides, attention to detail and love of the area we work in) it is our passion for enjoying all that adventure has to offer.

Not just the feeling of great achievment at the end of the walk, nor the stories that get shared in the evenings over a glass of Pinot Noir but the ability to do all these things with the comfort of a much lighter pack, gourmet meals and no dishes to do!