3 Day Guided Hollyford Track Walk

For a more relaxing start to your multi-day hiking adventure we recommend beginning in Te Anau, where you will meet the group at the Distinction Te Anau Hotel at 8:30am. In contrast, if you start in Queenstown you will be picked up from your accommodation or central meeting point from 6:30am. Follow the swift, clear waters of the Hollyford River beneath the gaze of the mighty Southern Alps, including Fiordland National Park’s two highest peaks - Mt Tutoko (2,746m) and Mt Madeline (2,537m). You will retrace the footsteps of original Maori and early pioneer explorers, as the track undulates gently through native beech forest and beside impressive tumbling waterfalls. At the end of the first day of your guided walk adventure, you’ll be welcomed at Pyke Lodge by your friendly lodge hosts. Here you’ll enjoy hot showers, impressive three-course cuisine, and the opportunity to relax with a post-dinner drink and savour the majesty of Mt Madeline while reflecting on a great first day of your guided walk experience.

As the morning sun shines over the mountains, a delicious breakfast puts everyone on track ready for the mystical forest, glistening Lake Alabaster, and the optional crossing of one of Fiordland’s longest swing bridges. After a short walk you'll board our jet boat for the next part of your adventure. These powerful and safe machines provide an exciting scenic ride along the Hollyford River and down to Lake McKerrow, where the glassy waters whisk past and the mountains rise dramatically above. You may even encounter a family of Bottlenose Dolphins who regularly visit the lower river and lake. The human history in the Hollyford Valley is as incredible as the scenery. Throughout your multi-day adventure you’ll discover the triumphs and tragedies of ill-fated Jamestown, you’ll pass ancient forests with thousand-year-old giants such as native rimu, totara and kahikatea, and soon, the towering lowland podocarp forest transforms into a tenacious coastal garden. Thunderous surf on the rugged West Coast is a prelude to a bay of boulders, where the rare Fiordland Crested Penguin is a seasonal visitor. Continue on and Long Reef plays host to a rookery of native New Zealand fur seals; here you’ll marvel at their nimble skills in the crashing surf and watch as they laze on the rocks. Martins Bay Lodge completes an unforgettable second day. Raise a glass to the traditional ‘Hollyford Toast’ as a wonderful way to finish your day.

After another hearty breakfast you’ll explore Martins Bay Spit, a famous landmark separating the powerful Tasman Sea from the Hollyford Valley. Here you will view historical sites, where Chief Tutoko and his people guarded entry into the Hollyford Valley, controlling access into and out of highly valued pounamu (greenstone/jade) gathering areas. Your guide will also highlight the plant and wildlife of this unique environment, helping you to discover the diversity of this remote area. You will have the opportunity to explore the sand dunes and wander along the isolated beach at your own pace, with the Tasman Sea as your companion. Returning to Martins Bay Lodge for lunch, your lodge hosts bid you farewell as you board the helicopter for a scenic flight along the rugged coastline and into the dramatic Milford Sound, where you'll marvel at the grandeur of vertical granite walls rising from the sea. Once in Milford you’ll be met by your return shuttle host and travel along the impressive Milford Road, up through the famous Homer Tunnel cutting through a divide of sheer granite rock, and stopping at the source of the Hollyford Valley and River before embarking on your last leg back to Te Anau and Queenstown.