Explore and rejuvenate in Makarora Valley, New Zealand.

Makarora River Ranch provides comfortable self-contained accommodation and authentic wilderness experiences for independent travellers in Mount Aspiring National Park in the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

Take advantage of Makarora River Ranch's unique location adjoining Mount Aspiring National Park, a World Heritage area, to explore world-class fishing, hunting and hiking areas, experience life on the farm or simply relax in the peaceful surroundings of New Zealand's most spectacular wilderness areas.

Enjoy the comforts of home in our beautifully restored accommodation - a perfect base for relaxing family holidays, corporate functions or a stopover en route to the West Coast, Fox and Franz Josef glaciers, Wanaka, Queenstown or Milford Sound. Let us guide you to Makarora's best recreational activities for an unforgettable South Island experience.

Makarora River Ranch is owned by Bobby and Dottie Hill of Texas, USA.

We have a small team here in New Zealand working together to run the farm, accommodation, and hunting ventures. As well as our four core team members, we occasionally have local casual workers join us and we work with various local contractors.

Farming together for well over a decade, Craig and Eileen Ferris took over management in February 2016 and will generally be your first point of contact.

Craig has been farming since he was a teenager and particularly enjoys working with deer. He has worked hard over the years to improve the genetics of all classes of stock here at Makarora River Ranch. Adept at traditional mustering methods with dogs, horses and motorbikes he has more recently upskilled and now does some mustering by drone also.

Eileen grew up on a farm and has always had a love for animals. You’ll find her most often accompanied by her dogs or with some sort of orphaned farm animal in tow. She is involved in both the farm and accommodation while also taking great pride in looking after the extensive lawns.

Tony Bryce joined us in October 2019. An electrician by trade, you will now find him out and about on the farm with his dogs Brooke and Jim or in the big orange tractor. A keen hunter himself, Tony will often point hunters in the right direction when they’re searching for a nice trophy stag or tahr.

Tony’s wife Vicki Bryce joined us in March 2023 and has taken over much of the accommodation work. With previous work including house interiors she has a keen eye for detail and is ensuring our guests have a clean and comfortable place to relax.