Over the past few years, something has come over me; I have entered my hiking era. This new love of multi-day hiking has led me to blitz Western Australia’s famed coastal walk Cape to Cape and venture to the hills, well, mountains in Alaska’s backcountry. My abs were given the ultimate workout, carrying a house on my back — tent, food, water, clothes and, dare I mention, a pee funnel — and slowly making my way through trails less trodden.
The thought of encountering grizzly bears and snakes was another burden that weighed on me. So, imagine my delight in discovering there are, indeed, multi-day trail experiences absent of menacing sharp claws, slithering jaws and hauling gear.
Stepping on to the Hollyford Track feels like a dream. If my mortal enemies are only sandflies, so be it. Located in the World Heritage-listed Fiordland National Park, the 56km one-way track is bound by epic mountainous scenery. It winds through the almighty Hollyford Valley, with still lakes, misty falls, and rainforests festooned with water drops and bright carpets of moss, all aiding its mystical appearance.
Adding to the fantasy is knowing I won’t resemble a tortoise with a big bag glued to my spine, subsequently matching it in the speed stakes. I’m completing the trail with Hollyford Wilderness Experience. Owned and managed by Ngāi Tahu Tourism, the four-day, three-night all-inclusive guided adventure traverses a 39.5km portion of the track by foot and the rest by jetboat and helicopter. Tent-peg work on earth is not required, with stays in off-grid luxury private lodges and courier services (aforementioned joy rides) transferring luggage between lodges.
The real legwork kicks off on day two after journeying from Queenstown to Te Anau (a two-hour drive) on day one. It’s a primarily flat 19.5km to the first wilderness luxury, Ka Tuku Lodge. Local guides Jack Turner and Claudia Rowland bookend the dozen mature-age hikers following the bends of the Hollyford River, sharing the region’s Māori and pioneer history en route.
Pyke River Swingbridge on the Hollyford Track. Photo / Supplied
“Every day, the park is in its prime for whatever reason,” Turner says as we trample single file on a patchwork of autumn leaves strewn across the forest floor, taking in the beauty of the fallen. It glistens with the previous night’s downpour. As the day unravels, so do my layers. I was anticipating rains in the country’s wettest region, but only mist fills the air.
Our single-file formation eventually peters out, and knowing Ms Rowland has my back puts me at ease. I relish having my space to appreciate hearing the trickles of streams, leaves rustling and birdsongs. A friendly South Island robin accompanies me briefly, darting over before taking its curiosity elsewhere. Cute.
Over the saddle towards Little Homer Falls, I pass the national park’s two highest peaks, Mt Tutoko (2746m) and Mt Madeline (2537m); the looming giants peek-a-boo from dissipating grey cloudy skies. It’s not long until I journey around the river bend; happy hour awaits.
Hikers can enjoy the local flora and fauna, including friendly South Island robins. Photo / Julia D’Orazio
I feel like I completed a marathon, with lodge hosts Kate and Bryce Jenkins enthusiastically greeting me outside the cosy cabin overlooking Mt Madeline with a welcome mocktail — a refreshing mix of rhubarb, raspberry, and rosehip. Turns out, it’s their standard welcome. My quick-footed counterparts are inside by the cabin fire, already snacking on an antipasto platter the size of a kid’s surfboard.
Wine corks are popped and energy stocks are replenished with a restaurant-quality meal— a hearty steak and vegetables. Soon, we retreat to creature comforts (a double bed and my own bathroom equipped with a hot shower). Forest life sure is fancy.
Day three follows a different pace. It begins with a 4km walk, then on to a jetboat along the Hollyford River and Whakatipu Waitai/Lake McKerrow. It’s an exhilarating way to take in the true spectacle of the alpine fault, with no other souls or jetboats in sight, just us and the wild.
Under mountain shadows, the scenery changes so much. I again am made to feel small passing gigantic rimu, kahikatea, and tōtara trees that have stood as sentinels for nearly a thousand years. Time has almost stood still; we go from green giants to coastal gardens, visiting the former site of the ill-fated late-19th-century settlement Jamestown. After 11km on foot, a log fire and three-course feed await at Waitai Lodge.
The jetboat on the Hollyford River. Photo / Julia D’Orazio
The last leg feels like being at the world’s end, walking along Martins Bay Spit, sandwiched between the roaring Tasman Sea and Hollyford Valley. We then bid farewell to the Hollyford Track in style on board a helicopter, again appreciating the dramatic coastline before making our grand entrance in Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. On either side, numerous waterfalls flow from soaring granite peaks. Tourist ferries below appear as bath boats. The sheer size of it all is overwhelming.
The Ka Tuku Lodge. Photo / Julia D’Orazio
Reality hits back on land, back in the real world, where traffic overcomes birdsong. Ms Rowland does her bit to offer words of consolation.
“A sign of a good day is that your hair is messy, you are muddy, and your eyes are sparkling,” Ms Rowland says as we disembark at Milford Sound. Being treated to good sleep, bistro food, no back pain, hot showers, and flushing toilets while exploring the fiords would have that effect.
Checklist
The four-day Hollyford Track Wilderness Experience is $4095 a person (based on twin share), from Queenstown or Te Anau.
