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. Includes dinner.
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 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 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. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
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.
Today we cover 15km on foot, and your main pack will be transported to Waitai Lodge while you carry a smaller day pack (that we provide) with your daily essentials. After an initial short walk, 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 down to Lake McKerrow, where the glassy waters whisk past and the mountains rise dramatically above. We may even encounter a family of Bottlenose dolphins, who regularly visit the lower river and lake. Before the ride is over, our professional jet boat driver will have a story to share.
The human history in the Hollyford Valley is as incredible as the scenery. Throughout our multi-day adventure, you’ll discover the triumphs and tragedies of ill-fated Jamestown, 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 tawaki, Fiordland Crested Penguin is a seasonal visitor. Continue on, and Long Reef plays host to a rookery of native kekeno, New Zealand Fur Seals, here you’ll marvel at their nimble skills in the crashing surf and relax as they laze on the rocks.
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. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
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.
Here you will view historical sites, where Chief Tūtoko and his people guarded entry into the Hollyford Valley, controlling access into and out of highly valued pounamu (greenstone/jade) gathering areas. Our guide will also highlight the plant and wildlife of this unique environment, helping us discover this remote area's diversity. We then 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.
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. Includes breakfast and lunch.
