Wilderness Quest

What Wilderness Quest does

Monarch Pursuits is a New Zealand-registered, privately-held, full-concierge outdoor adventure and travel company founded in 2020 by former All Black rugby player Luke Romano. It is headquartered at 60 Cashel Street, Christchurch, with hospitality operations at Kakahu Lodge near Geraldine and hunting operations at the private Fiery Peak Station in the South Island. The company employs approximately 5 people and is positioned as New Zealand's only full-concierge outdoor adventure operator, providing curated trophy-hunting and adventure-travel itineraries to high-net-worth international guests.

The core product is trophy hunting across six species — red stag, bull tahr, fallow buck, arapawa ram, chamois, and elk (wapiti) — anchored on private estates that include a 50,000-acre property for tahr hunting. The firm owns the genetics producing the current World Record Red Stag (1085 SCI inches by rifle) and claims a 100% success rate on tahr hunts. Pricing is per-animal/unit-based on SCI score: Red Stag hunts range from $7,500 (up to 360 SCI) to $50,000+ (651-700 SCI), with a 5-Animal MEGA Hunt bundle priced at $30,000, helicopter access at $1,500-$3,000 per hour, and add-on species priced individually. The Mountain and Fjord Tour ($5,950 for two) extends the offering into non-hunting tourism including Mt Cook, Milford Sound flights, wine tasting, and jet boating.

Monarch Pursuits monetizes via direct-to-consumer one-time package sales with non-refundable deposits and a 3% credit card surcharge. The go-to-market is sales-led concierge: website enquiry forms, phone, email, and personal outreach, supplemented by US trade-show presence at Dallas Safari Club, Houston Safari Club, and Safari Club International Nashville (all January 2025), plus Facebook, Instagram, and an email newsletter. Customer segments are primarily HNW international hunters, with secondary segments in discerning adventure travelers and groups/families. Technology is a standard web stack with CRM and CDN; there is no public app, no disclosed revenue, no funding rounds, and no parent company.

Name

Wilderness Quest

Legal name

Monarch Pursuits Ltd

Website

https://wildernessquestnz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Monarch Pursuits is New Zealand's full-concierge luxury hunting and adventure travel company, founded in 2020 by former All Black Luke Romano to deliver bespoke trophy hunts, lodge stays, and curated South Island itineraries for high-net-worth international guests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Hunting & Outdoor Adventure Tourism

NAICS

Hunting and Trapping (114210)

SIC

Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAGAIAJ

Hunting & Fishing Lodges (Sporting Lodges)

Travel & Hospitality/Lodging & Accommodation/Lodges (Nature, Safari, Wilderness)

SECONDARYTHAGACAD

Safari & Wilderness Luxury Resorts

Travel & Hospitality/Lodging & Accommodation/Luxury Hotels & Resorts

Keywords

• Trophy hunting services
• Luxury hunting packages
• Guided big game hunts
• Outdoor adventure tourism
• Hunting lodge accommodation

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Hunting Packages: All-inclusive trophy hunting packages with pricing based on trophy score (SCI inches). Red Stag hunts range from $7,500 USD (up to 360) to $50,000+ USD (651-700). Packages include accommodation at Kakahu Lodge, chef, laundry, meals, beverages, guide, rifle rental, and airport transfers.
2. Add-on Animal Hunts: Additional trophy animals added to Red Stag packages: Bull Tahr ($7,000), Elk ($10,000-$20,000), Fallow Buck ($5,000), Arapawa Ram ($2,500). Chamois priced on request.
3. MEGA Hunt Package: 5 Animal MEGA Hunt including 360-400 Stag, up to 400 Elk, Ram, Fallow and Tahr for $30,000 USD.
4. Tour and Experiential Packages: Mountain and Fjord Tour for two people at $5,950 USD including car rental, accommodation, scenic flights, and experiences.
5. Helicopter Services: Helicopter access fees for tahr and chamois hunting, charged at $1,500-$3,000 USD per hour depending on helicopter size.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wilderness Quest (doing business as Monarch Pursuits) sells all-inclusive luxury trophy hunting experiences and curated outdoor adventure packages in New Zealand's South Island. Core offerings center on Red Stag hunts at the private Fiery Peak Station, with add-on hunts for Bull Tahr, Elk, Fallow Buck, Arapawa Ram, and Chamois. Accommodation is provided at the company's own Kakahu Lodge, with full concierge support covering guides, meals, beverages, rifle rental, transfers, and helicopter access. Non-hunting adventure packages (e.g., Mountain and Fjord Tour) extend the offering to broader New Zealand tourism.

Product overview

Monarch Pursuits is a full-concierge outdoor adventure and travel company in New Zealand offering luxury hunting experiences. The core offering centers on Red Stag hunts at Fiery Peak Station, with add-on modules for Bull Tahr, Elk, Chamois, Fallow Buck, and Arapawa Ram hunting. Accommodations are provided at the company's own Kakahu Lodge, while the Mountain and Fjord Tour add-on extends the experience to non-hunting activities including scenic flights, wine tastings, and jet boating. The 5 Animal MEGA Hunt packages multiple species into a single comprehensive expedition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kakahu Lodge: Architecturally designed luxury lodge located near Geraldine in New Zealand's South Island, featuring panoramic mountain views, 15m pool, outdoor pizza oven, and proximity to native plantings with birdlife.

Products and services

• Red Stag Hunts World-class red stag hunting experiences on private estate Fiery Peak Station, featuring record-breaking trophy genetics and roaring stags during the rut season from mid-March to late July. All-inclusive packages priced from $7,500 to $50,000+ USD based on trophy score (SCI inches), including accommodation, chef, meals, beverages, guide, rifle rental, and airport transfers.
• Bull Tahr Hunts Alpine bull tahr hunting in the Southern Alps with options for foot stalking, 4x4 access, or helicopter insertion, including overnight backcountry huts or spike camps. Bull Tahr with helicopter access priced at $7,000 USD plus hourly heli fee; the company claims a 100% success rate on tahr hunts.
• Elk Hunting South Pacific Elk (Wapiti) hunting at Firey Peak Station during bugle season (mid-March to late April), with bulls typically 6x6 or 7x7 and main beams exceeding 50 inches. Elk hunts priced at $10,000–$20,000 USD based on SCI score.
• Fallow Buck Hunts Add-on fallow buck hunting in three color variations (Chocolate, Brown, White) during the rut or 'croak' season from April onwards. Priced at $5,000 USD.
• Arapawa Ram Hunts Year-round Arapawa Ram (big horn sheep) hunting on private property, available as an additional animal to Red Stag hunting experiences. Priced at $2,500 USD.
• Chamois Hunts Heli-hunting expeditions for agile chamois in the Southern Alps, the most challenging game species to hunt in New Zealand, available year-round. Priced on application.
• Kakahu Lodge Accommodation Architecturally designed luxury lodge near Geraldine, South Island, featuring panoramic mountain views, infinity lawn, outdoor pizza oven, 15m pool, and outdoor playground. Serves as the accommodation base for all-inclusive hunting and adventure packages.
• Mountain and Fjord Tour Six-day New Zealand tour for two people at $5,950 USD including 7 days car rental, 2 nights Mt Cook, scenic flight with glacier landing, 1 night Gibbston Winery, 3 nights Queenstown, Milford Sound flight and cruise, and Shotover Jet Boat experience.
• 5 Animal MEGA Hunt Comprehensive hunting package combining Red Stag (360-400), Elk (up to 400 SCI), Arapawa Ram, Fallow Buck, and Tahr in a single expedition for $30,000 USD.
• Helicopter Services Helicopter access fees for tahr and chamois hunting charged at $1,500–$3,000 USD per hour depending on helicopter size.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% success rate on Tahr hunts
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Safari Club International New ZealandcoreOthersMonarch is a member of Safari Club International New Zealand, indicating commitment to hunting ethics and industry standards. SCI is a major international hunting organization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Singita: Ultra-luxury African safari and lodge brand. Comparable on the premium per-guest wilderness hospitality positioning and exclusive estate access, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• &Beyond: Global luxury lodge and safari operator with high-end wilderness properties. Comparable on luxury concierge model, multi-product stays, and HNW international guest base, though operating at larger scale and across multiple geographies.
• Wilderness Safaris: Established luxury African safari operator. Comparable on the 'premium wilderness hospitality for HNW international travelers' axis, though focused on photographic/photographic-plus-big-game safari rather than NZ-style trophy hunting.

Emerging players

• Heli-Hunter New Zealand: NZ helicopter-access hunting outfitter focused on Tahr, Chamois and Red Stag. Directly comparable on helicopter-assisted alpine hunting but typically at lower price points and without full-concierge lodge infrastructure.

Others

• Safari Club International: Industry organization whose annual conventions (Dallas, Houston, SCI Nashville) are the primary customer-acquisition channels for Monarch. Ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, but critical for accessing the HNW US trophy-hunter buyer pool.

Direct peers

• Glen Dene Station: South Island NZ high-country station offering trophy hunting (Red Stag, Tahr, Chamois) with on-site lodge. Direct overlap on species, geography, and HNW trophy-hunter customer base.
• Rora Station: NZ high-country hunting estate offering Red Stag, Tahr, and Chamois packages with luxury lodge accommodation. Comparable pricing tier and Southern Alps / high-country positioning.
• Taharua Lodge: NZ hunting lodge specializing in Red Stag, Elk, and Tahr hunts with luxury accommodation. Directly comparable on product mix, geography, and HNW international clientele.
• Poronui Ranch: New Zealand high-country luxury hunting lodge in the central North Island. Operates on a comparable model: privately managed hunting estate with trophy species, helicopter access, and full-service lodge accommodation targeted at international HNW hunters.

Regional players

• Fiordland Lodge: NZ South Island luxury wilderness lodge focused on non-hunting wilderness tourism (fishing, heli-flights). Comparable on luxury wilderness hospitality and NZ South Island geography, but no trophy-hunting offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/monarchnewzealand
• Instagraminstagram.com/monarchnewzealand
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilderness-quest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wilderness Quest