Tuatapere is situated 100km from Invercargill and 100km from Te Anau on the Southern Scenic Route. Return transfers from Queenstown, Te Anau and Invercargill can be booked if needed. The shuttle from Invercargill departs at 12.30pm, Queenstown 10.45 am and Te Anau 4.30pm. Otherwise make your own way to Tuatapere, arriving at the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track Office (31 Orawia Rd) by 5:30pm for a meet and greet. Your accommodation is at the Last Light Lodge.
The Last Light Lodge is at the fringe of Fiordland National Park, nearby the South Coast, surrounded by inland mountains, rain forests, bush and farmlands, a piece of paradise if you like nature and quiet. Private rooms with shared bathrooms. Each room has a small kitchenette including tea and coffee making facilities. The Lodge also has a restaurant (bookings essential), and also offers hearty breakfasts.
Morning pick up from your accommodation. Join the bus ride to the pick up point for your scenic helicopter flight at Rarakau. A helicopter ride over Te Wae Wae Bay delivers you to the start of your walk. You will climb up to the top of the Hump Ridge, experiencing the diversity of beautiful native bush as it changes dramatically with elevation gain. After a brief rest at Stag Point to take in the views over Stewart Island and the Southern Ocean, you will head to the top of the ridge and walk around the breathtaking Loop Track with 360 degree views of Fiordland. Arrive at Okaka, a lodge on 'top of the world' (890m), and unwind as you admire the views, settle into your room and of course, take a hot shower. You will feel at home with our lodge manager's home cooking and hospitality.
The Okaka Lodge is located at the highest point of the Hump Ridge Track. Sitting at almost 1000m above sea level you are treated to 360° views of Tewaewae Bay and Waiau Valley. This backcountry lodge has a spacious communal dining area and sleeps up to 40 people in a variety of bunk rooms or private rooms. The lodge managers provide you with a beautiful three course meal, cooked breakfast and hearty packed lunches for the day ahead; drinking water is available. Flushable toilets, hot showers, bed linen and pillows are provided for your comfort.
After breakfast you will wander down the Hump Ridge, enjoying stunning views of Te Wae Wae Bay, the South Coast, Waitutu terraces and mountains of Fiordland. While you are walking over the two mighty wooden viaducts (and around the Percy Burn viaduct) on the way to Port Craig Village, consider the men who built them almost a century ago. The guide will share many stories from the days when Port Craig was a bustling sawmill town.
During the 1920s Port Craig had the largest and most modern sawmill in New Zealand. The milling company employed over 150 men and produced up to 1800 cubic metres of timber a month. Logs were transported to the mill along a tramway from the terraced forests to the west, between Port Craig and the Wairaurahiri River. Large hardwood viaducts were constructed to carry the tram lines over ravines. The Percy Burn Viaduct is 125 metres long and 36 metres above the creek bed. It was fully repaired in 1994. The other viaducts were refurbished in 1999. Timber was shipped directly from Port Craig and the old wharf piles remain, along with old building materials and the Port Craig School. Milling ceased in 1932.
If you are interested in the history that surrounds Port Craig, take the interpretive trail and explore relics from the sawmilling days. Alternatively just meander down to the beach and watch the resident Hector Dolphins playing in the bay. At Port Craig lodge, the friendly lodge manager will welcome you to your room and you can once again enjoy their hospitality while taking in your new coastal backdrop.
The Port Craig Lodge is located in the historic coastal settlement of the same name, once home to the country’s largest sawmill. Relax and enjoy the coastal views while your Lodge hosts prepare a lovely 3 course meal and provide a cooked breakfast and packed lunch. The communal dining area is a great place to meet other like-minded hikers from all parts of the world. Comfortable beds with linen are provided in shared bunk rooms and private rooms.
Mornings at Port Craig start (weather permitting) with a chorus of bellbirds and tuis. Fantails, brown creepers, riflemen, grey warblers, moreporks, silver eyes and tomtits are also abundant.
To complete the track, your group and guide will meander through native bush canopy, then along the beautiful golden beaches - one named Blowholes because of the waves that are blown up by the outcrop ring of rocks. To finish your day, walk along Bluecliffs Beach and out to Rarakau Car Park where you will be driven back to the office in Tuatapere arriving there 3pm (approximately) in time to meet the shuttle to Te Anau/Queenstown. The shuttle arrives in Te Anau just before 5pm. Those continuing on to Queenstown will arrive there 7.30pm. Transfer to Invercargill is also available.
