Travel via private coach from Queenstown, or meet us in Te Anau (please advise if you would like to book the private coach to Te Anau) 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 the hotel from 6.30 am. We meet at the hotel reception at 7:30am, ready to embark on your journey through the Hollyford Valley.
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 Ka Tuku 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 Tūtoko (2746m) and Mt Madeline (2537m).
We’ll retrace the footsteps of 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 our guided walk adventure, we’ll be welcomed at Ka Tuku by our 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 Ka Tuku 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 ensuite bathroom facilities.
After breakfast, we begin our day with a short walk to Lake Alabaster and take in the spectacular views of the Skippers Range, After which, we’ll board a jet boat for the next part of our adventure. These powerful and safe machines provide an exciting scenic ride along the Hollyford River and across Lake McKerrow to the historic Jamestown We may even encounter a family of Bottlenose dolphins, who regularly visit the lower river and lake.
After lunch, jet boat across to the sandspit and explore the Martins Bay sand dunes and beach, where you will hear stories of Māori chief, Tūtoko and other early settlers, before finishing the day at Waitai Lodge.
Today, your main pack will be transported to Waitai Lodge while you carry a smaller day pack (that we provide) with your daily essentials. Waitai Lodge completes an unforgettable second day. Unwind under the stars with a soak in the new wood-fired hot tubs, then raise a glass to the traditional ‘Hollyford Toast’ as a wonderful way to finish your day.
The remote Waitai 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 ensuite bathroom facilities.
Experience the impressive dawn chorus at Martins Bay, bird-song made possible through extensive conservation initiatives in the area.
This morning, we walk throught the awe-inspiring podocarp forest. Marvel at the ancient forests with thousand-yar-old giants, suchas native Rimu and Kahikatea. Return to Waitai Lodge for lunch, our lodge hosts bid us farewell as we board the helicopter for a scenic flight along the rugged coastline and into the dramatic Milford Sound, where we marvel at the grandeur of vertical granite walls rising from the sea.
Once in Milford we’re met by the 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 our last leg back to Te Anau arriving approximately 4.00pm or carry on through to Queenstown, arriving approximately 6.30-7.00pm.
