What Makes NZ’s Hollyford Track a Walk to Remember

Before hiking Aotearoa/New Zealand’s Hollyford Track, Julia’s multi-day hiking CV mainly consisted of her resembling a human turtle trekking with a full backpack. She shares how the Hollyford Wilderness Experience is a welcomed change of pace without breaking her back!

I’ve experienced both extremes of hiking – one when you’re carrying the world on your back and the other when it feels like a walk in the park. Trekking Aotearoa/New Zealand’s Hollyford Track with the Hollyford Wilderness Experience fits the latter category – even if it feels like I’m trekking at the world’s end.

Located in Fiordland National Park on the Te Waipounamu/South Island, the legendary track winds through the Hollyford Valley, passing ancient forests, tranquil lakes, gushing falls, and soaring sand dunes under the shadows of countless peaks. And while I’m far from civilisation, creature comforts are well within reach.

The trail features a trio of private luxury lodges, with the only ‘hard yard’ being trekking yourself to each.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

Instead of hauling gear, bags are ported for much of the trek. And with the trail primarily flat with a few slight inclines, you can imagine life without muscling extra weight and grueling climbs, and instead mountains and untamed wilderness where few dare to venture, is the dream.

Does hiking in one of New Zealand’s less-frequented corners while feasting on bistro food, sleeping on a proper mattress, and not worrying about the threat of wildlife appeal to you? I knew it would. Join me on the ultimate stroll in the park….

Hollyford Track History

The one-way 56km Hollyford Track winds through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Fiordland National Park. Parts of the track were first conceived in the 1930s when farmer Davey Gunn led guests through the Hollyford Valley as part of cattle muster, with a walk further developed by Ed Cotter, Davey’s assistant. The valley became part of Fiordland National Park in 1959, and ten years later, the track opened.

However, the region’s human history goes back much further. From the mid-17th century to the turn of the 19th century, Martins Bay was an important place for Māori to gather food and resources. In the mid-19th century, the Europeans arrived and established Jamestown along the wild coast in the 1870s. The township was short-lived; it was abandoned due to isolation and less-than-desirable weather conditions.

All that remains are metal scraps on the forest floor and a sign commemorating its existence.

Fortunately, guides go into greater detail, discussing the region’s Māori and pioneer history throughout the hike.

Read more: 7 of the NZ South Island’s Best Kept Secrets

What is the Hollyford Wilderness Experience?

The Hollyford Wilderness Experience is owned and managed by Ngāi Tahu Tourism. The four-day, three-night, all-inclusive guided adventure explores a section of the Hollyford Valley, traversing ancient ecosystems. The hike is catered to all ages above ten, with the maximum group numbers capped at 18.

While the track is 56km long, the guided trek covers a smaller portion, roughly 40km. Most of the trail is flat, with trekking rocky terrains, coastal sands, and undulating landscapes kept to a minimum. The rest is completed with ease and in style – hello jet boat and helicopter rides! (Hiking adventures sure are fancy in this neck of the woods!).

The jet boat ride journeys along the Hollyford River and across Lake McKerrow, marginally off the West Coast. The hike then goes full-blown Hollywood blockbuster, hopping on a helicopter from Martins Bay and making a dramatic entrance into Piopiotahi/Milford Sound, flying between soaring granite peaks. (More on this climatic part of the trip later.)

As for sleeping, instead of being a few inches off earth and calling a tent home, stays are in small, off-grid luxury lodges where private rooms, proper mattresses, flushing toilets, and hot showers (!!!) are a thing. All meals and drinks (including alcohol) are included, with food far from basic camp fare.

Expect to have three-course dinners, cooked and continental breakfast, find fresh muffins in the wilderness (for real!) and a charcuterie board so large it rivals a kid’s surfboard. Each lodge is fully licenced, stocking local beverages, including wines and beers. The total cost for the experience comes in at $3790AUD per person.

What It’s Like to Walk the Hollyford Track

The real adventure begins on day two after travelling two hours from Queenstown to Te Anau.

Two guides, Jack Turner and Claudia Rowland, are bookending us ‘dirty dozen’ hikers journeying the narrow bends of the Hollyford River. The first leg of the multi-day hike requires us to carry our bag for 19.5km, but it isn’t as back-breaking as it sounds, as the terrain is mostly even on compacted ground.

We experience four seasons in one day, with the wettest part of the country living up to its reputation. I go back and forth, gearing up for a downpour, but luckily, it’s just light intermittent rains and melancholy grey skies.

The moody weather hardly deters Turner’s enthusiasm for wandering the wilderness.

‘Every day, the park is in its prime for whatever reason’, Turner says as we trample over fallen autumn leaves carpeting the track. At eye level, I can’t get enough of seeing bright moss blanketing trees and the poky ends of dead trunks, with big water droplets glistening like glitter on leaves. It all looks so magical, and I half-expect fairies to suddenly appear in the misty forest (unfortunately, they don’t).

In the afternoon, the sun eventually emerges with blue skies. I’m now walking by myself and love that I can listen to the sounds of nature without hearing humanity – bird tweets, leaves being crushed under my boots, and the river’s flow. My alone time is short-lived as I pass the saddle towards Little Homer Falls. An inquisitive South Island robin darts around me before flying off to perform birdsong elsewhere.

I journey past the park’s two highest peaks, Mount Tutoko (2746m) and Mount Madeline (2537m). I feel reinvigorated at the sight of the looming mountains – the scenery has changed so much. It wouldn’t be the last time I see them, either.

I’m greeted by lodge hosts Kate and Bryce Jenkins outside the cosy cabin overlooking Mount Madeline. What a way to finish day one of the hike, receiving a welcome mocktail – a refreshing mix of rhubarb, raspberry, and rosehip. Some of my fellow hikers who blitzed the trail as if running a marathon are inside by the cabin fire, feasting on an antipasto platter the size of a kid’s surfboard.

A bistro-style meal of hearty steak and vegetables soon follows the snacking. With our bellies full, we head to our individual rooms, each with a double bed and bathroom. A flushing toilet and hot shower in the middle of the forest – I’m impressed!

The next day follows a different pace on land and sea.

A leisurely 4km hike is followed by speeding things up with a thrilling jet boat ride. We rule the waterways of the Hollyford River and Whakatipu Waitai/Lake McKerrow, zipping around each bend and taking in the cinematic scenes of the alpine fault.

Back on land, we walk in the shadows of mountains and centuries-old giant trees. Scenes of soaring rimu, kahikatea, and totara trees eventually transition to coastal gardens and the remnants of the late 19th-century settlement, Jamestown.

After trekking for 11km, a three-course meal next to a log fire awaits us at the riverside Waitai Lodge. It all feels so luxe. This is a hiking experience I could get used to.

The last hiking day feels like walking at world’s end. We begin the day traversing the sands of Martins Bay Spit, sticking out like a finger between the Tasman Sea and Hollyford Valley.

The wild winds, grey sky, and roaring coastline add to the feeling of being detached from all civilisation.

The morning stroll is an optional add-on, and I’m glad to have woken up early to see another side of this sprawling national park.

Some hikers decide to rest their feet at the lodge, enjoying coffee by the fire. An excellent way to cap off the morning, too.

Our time on the Hollyford Track has now come to an end, but not without a dramatic exit – a Hollywood-style departure onboard a helicopter. It’s a mind-blowing way to take stock of all we’ve seen over the last few days; we were merely ants following a small trail compared to the immense landscapes surrounding us.

The helicopter zooms along the coastline, passing crying crags, tears gushing into the sea. We begin to make our grand entrance into Piopiotahi/Milford Sound and my head turns like a propeller, spotting the many waterfalls flowing from granite peaks and the tourist ferries bopping like toy bath boats below. It overwhelms me in the best way.

Read more: Best Hikes in Milford Sound, New Zealand

We make our landing and reality hits. People, traffic – I can’t hear the birdsong, the sounds of my shoes stepping on leaves under me.

Rowland offers her words of solace: ‘A sign of a good day is that your hair is messy, you’re muddy, and your eyes are sparkling.’

Experiencing this spectacular region of New Zealand and being treated to luxuries en route definitely leaves me with a lasting impression. I smile just thinking about it.

Julia D’Orazio was a guest of Ngāi Tahu Tourism. All thoughts and opinions are her own. 

FAQs Hollyford Track

What is the best time to hike the Hollyford Track?

October to April is a great time to visit as the weather is a bit warmer and the days are longer.

How long is the Hollyford Track?

The full track is approximately 56 km but if you’re on the Hollyford Wilderness Experiences, the total adventure is about 40km.

What wildlife can I see on the Hollyford Track?

Enjoy trying to spot native birds like keas and tuis, and hopefully some dolphins and penguins along the coast.