Te Wahipounamu
The Trophy Room
Estate
Stravon
Natural Magic
Shackleton's
South Island
What We Do
Our Past
Wildlife
Conservation
Headquarters
Kokatahi Bivouac
New Zealand
Tight Lines
Dark Sky
Greenstone
Twin Rivers
Demystifying The Spey
Deer Stalking
The Valley of the Hunter
YOU'RE IN SAFE HANDS
From the 1850s to the early 1900s many species of deer, tahr, chamois, trout, salmon and even moose were introduced for sport and food. This, in turn heralded in the age of the professional guide. From the great Jim Muir to the modern day guide at Stravon you'll discover guidance that not only encompasses the duties of a professional guide but those of a butler, motivational coach & lifeguard.
Our Guides are expected to have an advanced knowledge of all forms of equipment, safety, decorum/etiquette, conservation, entomology, wildlife, habitat and holistic biodiversity in order to better inform our guests of the environment and wilderness areas they are traveling to.
-
Stravon
+Established: 1864Game: Red Stag / Wapiti / Whitetail / Chamois / Fallow / Turkey / Wallaby / Pheasant / Alpine Goat / Arapawa RamNatives: Native & endemic birdsSeason: All YearSustainability & conservation are at the core of what we do at Stravon, something that will become evident to all guests upon arrival. Beautiful forests of native bush, full of bird song await in an environment teeming with wildlife.
Stravon is big country. Our landscape is vast & challenging. The Hunters Hills date back to the Paleozoic Age and although it took thousands of years for Stravon to make an impression here... we think it'll take far less to leave one on you.
-
Watch
+Stravon has some of New Zealand’s greatest natural wonders quite literally at her doorstep. So, whether it's through a lens or the taking of a fly, you'll discover there's something for everyone yet providing plenty of distractions along the way.
-
Clean, Green & Mean
+We take New Zealand’s unique flora & fauna very seriously and have our own Bio-Security requirements in place. To ensure that no foreign organisms or threats enter our pristine waterways. Our protection measures include cleaning and freezing equipment overnight to ensure all threats are benign.With New Zealand being an island nation we experience weather from all of the seasons in a 24 hour period, none more so than the areas you’ll find yourself in with us and this is why we pack accordingly. We layer our clothes so that if the day starts out nice and then in the afternoon turns for the worst we are prepared for both situations.STRAVON and our other sporting destinations are found in areas where the weather & climate can turn for the good or bad within a few short hours. Fortunately, today’s technology with weather updates etc allows us to be updated with Mother Nature’s plans BUT the correct attire is absolutely crucial.Click here to see our weather forecast... -
Safety
+In collaboration with our Enviro Gold & OutdoorsMark Awards and with your safety in the forefront of our minds we have created the Wilderness Area Response Plan or W.A.R.P. The W.A.R.P is exactly that, a response plan or blueprint for a hunt. Covering everything from a bee sting to the worse case scenario whilst out in the field.
Jim Muir
New Zealand's Finest...
There was an article written about a famous Indian guide who was described as the 'best guide in the world' in a large newspaper. Upon reading this, those who had been guided by Jim Muir said he could match all of those qualities and add many more. Muir was undoubtedly one of the great guides, he seldom failed to satisfy his clients and that's probably why the likes of Eddie Herrick (next slide), one of New Zealand's outstanding sportsman always traveled with this magnificent outdoorsman.
Eddie Herrick
Here's Eddie Herrick, seen here standing in the creek that now bears his name in Wet Jacket Arm with his bull Moose. Eddie spent nearly three months a year in this area for thirty years (10 years!) of his life.
We certainly like the cut of his jib as we love it down there too.
This photo was taken by his guide the late, great Jim Muir.
Deer Stalking
New Zealand has always been a mecca for deer stalking as this early tourism poster indicates.
The Anglers Paradise
It was for good reason that New Zealand was aptly described as 'the anglers el' dorado' as it has always been a fly fishing mecca as this early tourism poster depicts.
