The madness that is Christmas shopping is upon us, climaxing to extra frantic proportions by Black Friday and then, after two days of supposed reprieve, Cyber Monday. If it feels like your inbox is about to self-combust with promotional spam (along with your mind, perhaps?), here are five off-grid escapes for November - or for whenever your local travel restrictions are lifted.
Multi-day llama treks
Join Hanmer Llamas for a fully-catered 3–5-day llama trek venturing well into the North Canterbury wilderness. With your llama to one side (no piggyback rides here), stroll languidly through remote alpine scenery, stopping to catch wild trout for dinner and setting up camp under starlit skies.
The Whanganui River Great Walk
In contrast to its misleading name, this 3-5-day adventure takes place on a river, in a Canadian canoe. Even in the height of summer, a self-led drift downriver results in great lengths of time spent in solitude, save for the wildlife. Pack devices at your own risk: frequent dips in the water are not always optional. Having said that, there's no better way to escape screen-scrolling than a waterlogged phone.
