Experience True
Adventure Hunting
Creating memories to last a lifetime
Once in a lifetime
The Wild Beyond
Meet Your Guides
Ewan Black
Born and raised in the rugged West Coast rainforest of New Zealand’s South Island, Ewan developed a passion for hunting from a very young age alongside his grandfather and father, who were both professional hunters. Those early years laid the foundation for a lifetime spent in the mountains and backcountry, developing an exceptional understanding of New Zealand’s wild places and game animals.
With over 18 years of professional guiding experience, Ewan is the sole owner and founder of Southern Lakes Safaris. He has built a reputation for delivering authentic, safe, and unforgettable hunting experiences for clients from around the world.
Ewan’s extensive knowledge of animal behaviour, seasonal patterns, and New Zealand’s diverse terrain, combined with his professionalism and unwavering commitment to safety, ensures every hunt is tailored to give clients the very best opportunity for success. Whether you’re pursuing red stag, tahr, chamois, fallow deer, or elk, you’ll be hunting alongside a guide whose experience has been earned through thousands of days in the field.
Friendly, approachable, and passionate about sharing New Zealand’s wilderness, Ewan is committed to creating an experience that extends far beyond the trophy—one you’ll remember long after you’ve returned home.
Meet Your Guides
Ash Charles
Ash Charles has been passionate about hunting from a young age and has spent years exploring and hunting some of the toughest backcountry terrain New Zealand has to offer. His extensive experience has given him an exceptional knowledge of New Zealand’s game animals and the spectacular country they inhabit.
Ash lives in Lake Hāwea with his wife and young child. When he’s not guiding, he specializes in the construction of high-end homes, a profession that reflects the same attention to detail, work ethic and pride he brings to every hunt. Clients will quickly appreciate his kind, honest and professional nature, along with his genuine passion for helping them enjoy an unforgettable hunting experience.
Exceptionally fit, hardworking and passionate about the outdoors, Ash is a fantastic addition to Southern Lakes Safaris. We are proud to have him on our team and look forward to seeing him share his knowledge, professionalism and enthusiasm with clients from around the world.
Real life
Endless Adventure
Discover
The Backcountry
A Southern Lakes Safari’s specialty, these are the hunts we live for. Flying into our public land concession, situated in New Zealand’s most remote and scenic public land hunting grounds, we’ve spent our whole lives gaining the knowledge to be able to make our clients successful in harvesting a truly mature tahr or chamois on public land.
We can adapt these trips to virtually any level of fitness and sense of adventure, but a good base level of fitness will see you enjoy this hunt so much more. We are proud to say we are the only New Zealand outfitter serious enough about mountain hunting, that has our concession directly with the New Zealand Government, and that our guides have high level avalanche qualifications and experience.
Discover
The FRONTcountry
Immerse yourself in the finer things in life with our exceptional lodging and cuisine.
You can choose to stay at our helicopter accessed 5-Star mountain lodge, or more modest 4-Star accommodation in downtown Wanaka.
From here we can depart daily to hunt and sightsee, with a client highlight often being our helicopter scenic to Fiordland national park, complete with lifting a lobster pot with the helicopter and then a gourmet mountain top lunch of fresh lobster.
Our Guests
Love Us
“I had the opportunity to hunt in New Zealand with Ewan at Southern Lakes Safaris this year after being recommended by a friend. Having been on several destination hunts over the years, I can honestly say this one stands out as one of the very best.
Ewan is an exceptional outfitter and guide, but more importantly, he’s a genuinely great guy. We had an incredible time, and every aspect of the hunt exceeded my expectations—from the professionalism and hospitality to the quality of the hunting itself.
If you’re considering a hunting trip to New Zealand, I couldn’t recommend Southern Lakes Safaris more highly.”
– SHAWN O’SHEA – VERGREVILLE, ALBERTA, CANADA
“New Zealand had always been at the top of my hunting bucket list. When my uncle and a friend invited me on the hunt of a lifetime, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Ewan runs an outstanding outfitting business and is an exceptional guide. He consistently put us onto incredible stags and fallow deer, making the experience even better than I had imagined. The lodging and hospitality were A+, and every part of the trip exceeded my expectations. Thanks again, Ewan, for making a dream come true!”
— JORDAN HORVAT – HOLDEN, ALBERTA, CANADA
“My wife Wendy and I met Ewan, owner/operator of Southern Lakes Safaris, at the 2025 SCI convention and began planning a hunt for two. We’ve never been to New Zealand and did not know what to expect. Ewan put it together and made everything effortless for us. The hunting area was an amazing experience; the terrain was rough with abundant game and unbelievable panoramic views. By the end of the hunt, we felt like we had gained new friends in Ewan and his family.”
— TOM AND WENDY AYRES – MICHIGAN
Our Guests
Love Us
“The allure of mountain hunting was one of those far off dreams that had always ended in ‘maybe one day’. What an adventure unfolded with Ewan chasing the ‘Gorillas in the mist’ – Himalayan Tahr and European Chamois which we were successful on both! Despite the inherent dangers of true wilderness mountain hunting, Cam and Ewan always ensured safety was the priority but they knew how to push my limits when we were on the hill along with a laugh or two on the climb. The areas we hunted were first class set in stunning landscapes. With healthy wild populations of both Tahr and Chamois, we were privileged to see the animals feed out on the hill while able to select the old mature animals. The hunting is hard, the scenery is breathtaking, the food and accommodation is great and Ewan will go above and beyond to make this a memorable hunt for you! I can’t wait to get back..”
— VINCE LOMBARDI – AUSTRALIA
“I travelled to New Zealand for a hunt with Ewan from Southern Lakes Safaris on the recommendation of a friend. I was not disappointed. Ewan has the most incredible local connections and access to private land all over the South Island. Ewan’s connections, knowledge, equipment, and approach are outstanding. He can tailor a hunt to suit the desired game, the hunter’s age, level of fitness, and personal preferences. I will hunt again with Ewan at the next available opportunity.”
— MICHAEL SCHWEDE – AUSTRALIA
“I had the pleasure of joining Ewan from Southern Lakes Safaris on a guided tahr hunt this year. As this was my first overseas hunting trip, the planning process was seamless. The hunt exceeded my expectations; the location was spectacular and there was an abundance of tahr. Ewan was an exceptional guide with a deep understanding of tahr behaviour. Ewan is organised, professional, thoughtful, and dedicated to providing a first-class hunting experience.”
— SIMON MUNIANDY – QUEENSLAND
Our Guests
Love Us
“First of all, you’re as solid as they come.
The spot was AWESOME! Trophy Country.
You set up everything for a great time in the mountains, were very easy going, positive and gave me just enough of a push each time that got us through the obstacles presented. It was a big ask for you getting us off the hill then on the road home after such a big day, and again I’m thankful for your efforts. Good hustle! I thoroughly enjoyed your company, cooking and conversation (not in any particular order), and would jump at the chance to hit the hills with you again. It was an experience I’ll not forget..”
— BLAIR LAZ – New Zealand
“I bought a hunt with a friend at a Safari club auction with Southern Lakes Safaris. I didn’t know what to expect but it exceeded my expectations by 1000 percent. I shot a stag of a lifetime and a fallow buck and a bull Tahr as well. Ewan runs a first-class outfitting business and his wife is a fantastic cook. We all became friends and I’ll be back sooner than Ewan thinks. Cheers!”
— DARCY ZWARICH – LAVOY, ALBERTA, CANADA
“After a chance meeting during a NZ ski trip, I booked a hunt with Ewan Black of Southern Lakes Safaris. I hunted with him the following year and have booked for next year. I’ve hunted extensively in Australia and overseas and the NZ alpine hunting experience is second to none. If the scenery isn’t enough, the food, accommodation, and conversation are impeccable. I ALWAYS come home with great stories and trophies. It’s the best way to spend my children’s inheritance.”
Our Guests
Love Us
“Fawn and I had an excellent time Hunting With you guys you are exceptional Outfitters and first class mates.”
— JEFF HALSEY – USA
