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 saw-milling 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. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Kiwi-Style Hiking
Great Walks
Hiking Tours
Alpine Hikes
Custom Groups
