You won't find "sheep trip" on most wilderness lodge activity menus, but it's the must-take tour at Arthur's Pass. At this working sheep farm on a 6,000-acre nature reserve on New Zealand's South Island, you can start the day by shearing a Merino or bottle feeding an orphan lamb.

In the springtime, the farm shears roughly 1,000 sheep per day, which not only provides high-end wool for auction but also ensures that the ewes will nudge their lambs toward the warm, protective shrubland.

You won't find "sheep trip" on most wilderness lodge activity menus, but it's the must-take tour at Arthur's Pass. At this working sheep farm on a 6,000-acre nature reserve on New Zealand's South Island, you can start the day by shearing a Merino or bottle feeding an orphan lamb.

In the springtime, the farm shears roughly 1,000 sheep per day, which not only provides high-end wool for auction but also ensures that the ewes will nudge their lambs toward the warm, protective shrubland. You'll go home with a whole new appreciation of your favorite socks and sweaters (SmartWool and Icebreaker are two of the companies that buy this wool).

The lead guide for this and other Arthur's Pass activities is co-owner Gerry McSweeney, an ecologist, past president of New Zealand conservation group Forest & Bird, and a founding member of the Nature Heritage Fund. The lodge also belongs to the New Zealand Birding Network, and the owners don't take any of these affiliations lightly—conservation and wildlife education are cornerstones of the lodge's existence.

Yes, this is a good-for-you vacation, but don't expect to sacrifice comfort or adventure. The lodge itself is quite plush, with elegant "mountain view" rooms that overlook the Southern Alps, and four alpine lodges tucked into the sandstone in a secluded beech forest. Large windows frame stunning views of snowcapped peaks and the Waimakariri River Valley (get a second-floor room if you can). The common spaces, including a lounge and library, are uncommonly inviting.

Off-the-farm activities include hikes on the lodge's 20 miles of trails—from an hour-long amble on a self-guided path through beech forest to half-day mountain trips and custom, full-day "Day of Discovery" excursions—as well as kayaking, canoeing, and trout fishing. In addition to the long list of à la carte tours, there are two complimentary guided trips each day, including the sheep trip, a night-sky walk, and naturalist-led introductions to the surrounding forest and its inhabitants.

Also included in your stay are home-style breakfasts and four-course dinners. The house restaurant features gourmet set menus that change every evening. Meals showcase local veggies, fish, and meat—including Wilderness Lodge lamb.

If you plan to take advantage of the more extensive tours, consider planning your stay during one of two annual Wilderness Weeks, when nature enthusiasts gather at Arthur's Pass and its sister lodge, Lake Moeraki, to hike, canoe, and birdwatch, as well as "botonise, geologise, and learn." The $1,000 rate covers lodging, all meals and activities, and a $100 donation to the Wilderness Lodge Nature Protection Programme.

Kimberly Lisagor is a freelance journalist who covers travel and the environment from her home base in San Luis Obispo, California. She is the co-author of the book Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them and has written for publications including Outside, National Geographic Adventure, and Men's Journal.