About ECOTRAILS
A more intentional way of experiencing one of New Zealand’s most iconic landscapes.
ECOTRAILS was created from a love of nature, slow living, and a belief that truly experiencing a place takes more than simply passing through it. We offer small-group and private nature journeys designed to help people connect more deeply with the landscapes they’re walking through.
How ECOTRAILS Began.
The idea for ECOTRAILS came from years spent walking New Zealand’s iconic tracks and noticing how often people rushed through them — eyes fixed on the destination, ticking routes off a list, missing much of the beauty around them.
We found ourselves wanting something different.
A way of walking that allowed time to pause. To notice birdsong, plant life, and subtle changes in the land. To understand not just where you are, but how the landscape works and why it feels the way it does.
ECOTRAILS was built to offer that alternative — a guided experience that values depth over distance and connection over completion.
Guided with Care
ECOTRAILS experiences are led by guides who know the land they walk through and genuinely enjoy sharing it with others.
Our guiding style is calm, observant, and flexible — adapting to the interests, energy, and pace of each group. We believe the best experiences are created through conversation, curiosity, and shared moments of discovery, rather than fixed scripts or rushed itineraries.
Our Approach
ECOTRAILS is intentionally small.
We host one group at a time, keeping journeys intimate and gently paced so the day can unfold naturally around the people in it. While our approach is relaxed, each experience is thoughtfully structured to guide guests through a natural progression of environments — from lowland forest and river valleys to sub-alpine and alpine terrain.
This balance allows guests to slow down without missing the full story of the landscape.
Along the way, we share knowledge about:
• Native plants and ecology
• Birdlife and wildlife
• Seasonal and environmental change
• The geological forces shaping the land
Where we operate
ECOTRAILS operates from Queenstown and Glenorchy, guiding guests through carefully chosen landscapes that showcase the diversity of the region — from forested valleys, grasslands meadows and river flats.
Our Hero track is the iconic and infamous Routeburn track, becuase of it's abundance of biodiversity. However if you would like to explore another track in the area, please let us know by reaching out via our email.
We operate year-round, with each experience shaped around weather, track conditions, and the season.
Your Guide - Angelo
ECOTRAILS is co-led by Angelo, a true local with a deep connection to New Zealand’s landscapes and a natural curiosity for how nature works.
With a background in land-based and conservation work, and a long-standing passion for biodiversity and birdlife, Angelo brings both practical knowledge and years of guiding experience to each walk. Years spent working outdoors have shaped his quiet attentiveness to the rhythms of the land — from subtle changes in weather to the call of native birds overhead.
His guiding style is relaxed, grounded, and conversational. There’s space for questions, shared discoveries, and unhurried moments along the track.
Your Guide - Sky
ECOTRAILS is co-led by Sky, a nature enthusiast with a deep appreciation for New Zealand’s landscapes and a lifelong curiosity about how natural systems work.
With a background in plant biology, agricultural science, and land-based environmental work, Sky has spent years observing and working alongside the land. But more than qualifications, it’s a genuine love of being outdoors — noticing seasonal shifts, native plants, birdlife, and the quiet details most people walk past — that shapes each experience.
Join us on the track
Nature journeys for couples and small groups.