Travel from Queenstown (please advise if you would like to book the transfer to Te Anau from Queenstown) or Te Anau to your accommodation at the Distinction Te Anau Hotel & Villas, located at 64 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau where you will attend a pre-departure briefing and enjoy dinner at the hotel. Please arrive at 6.25pm for the 6.30pm briefing.
Te Anau is the gateway to the Fiordland National Park and home to the South Island’s largest lake. Situated on the lakefront, the Distinction Te Anau offers chic, elegant accommodation and is only a short stroll from the Te Anau town centre.
On the morning of departure from Te Anau, you will be able to enjoy a cooked or continental breakfast at 7am. We meet at the hotel reception at 7:45am, ready to depart at 8am.
Once at the start of the track we put on our packs (see our FAQs for packing advice to keep your pack light) and start our journey to Pyke Lodge. You will 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 of Mt Tutoko (2746m) and Mt Madeline (2537m).
You’ll retrace the footsteps of original Māori 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 3 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.
The rustic Pyke Lodge is well appointed with a lovely lounge and dining area kept cozy and warm with an open fire. Watch the sun set over the Darren Mountain range while you enjoy a healthy and filling 3 course meal prepared and cooked by experienced chefs. The Lodge accommodates 16 hikers, in comfortable two person rooms, with shared bathroom facilities.
Today we cover 15km by foot and your main pack will be transported to Martins Bay Lodge while you carry a smaller day pack (that we provide) for your daily essentials. After an initial 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. Before the ride is over even your professional jet boat driver will have a story to share.
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 relax 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.
The remote Martins Bay Lodge is located in the isolated and rugged wilderness of Fiordland, yet offers a level of hospitality, comfort and indulgence you may not expect so far from civilisation. Enjoy the remarkable scenery surrounding you while your hosts prepare your delicious evening dinner. The lodge is very well appointed, accommodating 16 hikers in comfortable two-person rooms with shared bathroom facilities.
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 or Queenstown.
