Ten Scenic Day hikes in New Zealand’s South Island that you shouldn’t miss

November 20, 2016November 29, 2016 / Backpacks Boots & Wanderlust / Leave a comment

New Zealand is famed for its picturesque landscapes, soaring mountains, untouched wilderness and of cause it’s ‘Great Walks’. But if your don’t have the time, money, gear, or simply the will to trek day after day with a heavy pack on your back… why not instead get your boots out and stretch those legs of yours on one of New Zealand’s beautiful days walks? It would pretty much be a crime not to! So, in no particular order, here’s our top pick for the South Island….

1. Isthmus Peak (Wanaka)

Best For: Lake Vistas and all-round awesomeness

When it comes to day hikes in and around the Wanaka area, everyone seems to be all about Roys Peak. But for us, the lesser known Isthmus Peak is where it’s at. The trail, which begins near the head of Lake Hawea, just a short drive from the township of Wanaka, offers expansive views across Lake Hawea, Lake Wanaka and the Southern Alps. That’s double the punch of Mountains and Lake Vistas.

Incredibly, Isthamus Peak hasn’t hit the ‘backpacker’ radar yet in the same way that other peaks have- and that’s one of the things that we love so much about this trail.

Lake Hawea

Lake Wanaka

2. Ben Lomond Track (Queenstown)

Best For: An Ariel view of the Adventure Capital

Looming above the metropolis of Queenstown is Ben Lomond. A lofty peak with a well maintained and marked trail which offers a unique view of the adventure capital of the world. The trail begins with a steep uphill grunt through sweet smelling Pine forrest, before it opens out and continues to ascend through alpine tussuck and shrubs, to Ben Lomond Saddle at 1326 meters. The Saddle is a great vantage point of the sourrounding valleys, peaks and lakes. But for really spectacular panoramic views that will leave you lost for words, continue up a rough, steep and slightly more exposed trail to the mountain summit at 1748 meters. From here, your valiant uphill effort will be rewarded with some of the most stunning 360 degree scenery that any of New Zealand’s day walks have to offer. To the North, vast valleys and canyons cut through the landscape. To the South East is the infamous and striking, Remarkables Mountain Range. To the West the beautiful Moke Lake. And to the South across the vast blue waters of Lake Wakitupu, Walter and Cecil Peaks.It doesn’t get much better than this.

3. Gertrude Saddle (Fiordland)

Best For: Vast valleys and Sea to Summit views

Starting from an unnamed carpark on the eastern side of the Homer Tunnel is Gertrude Valley. This U shaped valley is an incredible example of Glacial carving and offers one of the most interesting and more challenging day walks in Fiordland National Park… if not the whole of the South Island.

The trail to the valley head will take you across bolder strewn river beds, through a small section of native forest and across alpine meadows, before reaching the dramatic vertical walls at the head of the valley. Here, the marked trail abruptly ends and is replaced by a rough, unmarked trail dotted with cairns. Climbing steeply, the faint trail cuts up to the left of the valley, traversing gushing waterfalls, crystal clear rock pools and the dark waters of the aptly named ‘Black Lake’. As the terrain steepens to a near vertical scramble, a number of fixed metal ropes provide a welcomed relief for those with less of a head for heights and only add to the adventure of this trail. The Saddle itself affords views down a densely forested valley, all the way to magnificent Milford Sound and Tasman Sea. An epic view for those lucky enough to land a day in Fiordand which isn’t shrouded in low lying cloud!

*Gertrude Saddle has challenging terrain and can become treacherous in bad weather conditions. It should only by attempted by those with suitable backcountry skills and experience.

4. Mt Campbell (Mavora Lakes)
Best For: Exposed ridge lines and escaping the crowds on off-trail adventures

If solitude and adventure is what you’re after, and you have the back country skills to match your enthusiasm, then Mt Campbell is a great option for an ‘off trail’ day walk. The summit, which sits at 1683 meters, provides spectacular views of the Livingstone Range and magical Mavora Lakes. In fact the landscape around Mavora is so strikingly beautiful that it was used as a number of filming locations for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings series.

Expect a challenge with this one. You’ll find yourself bushbashing through dense forrest, being sliced and shredded by vicious tussock grassland, and then precariously scrambling your way across narrow ridgelines. For me, this is what being in the Mountains is all about.

5. Roy’s Peak Track (Wanaka)

Best For: Stunning Sunrise’s

If you’ve been around New Zealand for a while, then there’s a good chance that your Insta feed will have been clogged up with images of backpackers posing for selfies and jumping into the air starfish style on the popolur Roy’s Peak track. And its pretty easy to see why. The ridgeline that leads down from Roy’s peak to the vast waters of Lake Wanaka and its many picturesque islands, makes for an incredibly photogenic image that will keep you wanting to go back for more.

But for us, the down side to the beauty, relative ease and accessibility of this peak, is the big numbers of hikers it attracts. So to beat the crowds and enjoy the solitude that every mountain experience should entail, start your trek under the star studded cloak of the nights sky to reach the ridgeline just before sunrise. Find a rock, park your ass, layer up and watch as the sky, peaks and lakes are touched by a kaleidoscope of colours as the fiery sun rises on the distant horizon. What a way to start a new day (and for me..my 30th Birthday!) Incredible.

6. Mt John via Lakeshore (Tekapo)

Best For: Being awestruck by Azure waters

Mt John looks like more of a hill than a mountain and certainly would be classed as one in Hymalayan terms. But standing at just 1031 meters, this rounded peak offers a pleasant 3 hour circular walk, with vast views of the azure glacial waters of Lake Teapo, the hidden waters of Lake Alexandrina and the distant snow capped peaks of the Southern Alps. Perfect for a quick stretch of the legs before hitting the road.

7. Rocky Mountain (Wanaka)

Best For: Epic Views:Effort Ratio

Climbing this peak isn’t likely to leave the seasoned hiker with a feeling of accomplishment or even exertion. But for sheer epic views-to-effort ratio, for us, this trail wins hands down.

Beginning from a car park on Aspiring Road just past Glhendu Bay (Wanaka), the trail passes Diamond Lake before gradually climbing to the Summit which boasts beautiful views down to Roys Peninsula and an entirely different perspective of the stunning Lake Wanaka. Normally I’m all about the circular walks, but if you want to get the best views this trail has to offer, plus a little exposure, we recommend taking the East Track on both legs of the journey for this one. Enjoy.

8. Mt. Alfred (Glenorchy)

Best For: Gazing out over graded rivers

At the northern end of lake Wakitupu, between two vast valleys stands a lone mountain- Mount Alfred. Offering incredible views across two graded rivers (Rees & Dart) and grandure of Aspiring National Park and the majestic Mt. Earnslaw, this took place as one of our firm favourites. Unfortunatley, access beyong the bushline to the ridge and sumit has been restricted recently, but we just couldnt exclude this one from our list!

9. Lake Marian (Lower Hollyford, near Milford)

Best for: Hanging Valleys and Majestic Lakes

This track begins with a gentle ten minute stroll along a boardwalk next to the gushing white waters of Marian Falls. The track then becomes gradually harder and evolves into more of a rough trail with some small sections of easy scrambling- making for a more interesting ascent than your typical DOC trail. After a 1.5 – 2 hours push, you’ll find yourself at the foot of the captivating Lake Marian- an Alpine lake sat in a hanging valley, sourrounded by the Darran mountains- a spot that suprisingly often you can have all to yourselves.

10. Sealy Tarns Track (Aoraki/ Mount Cook NP)

Best For: Grand Peaks, ice bergs and sprawling glaciers

Home to sprawling glaciers, permanent snow fields and 23 peaks over 3000 meteres, you might think that Mount Cook National Park would be off limits to all but the most accomplished of mountaineers. But luckily, the creation of a number of trails in and around the Tasman and Hooker Valleys offer mere mortals, like me, a glimpse into a majestic and otherwise inhospitable landscape that is Aoraki. After much deliberation, we’ve decided that our favourite of all the trails, is the Sealy Tarns track. A 1-2.5 hour vertical slog up a never ending stream of steep steps will see you at a picturesque Tarn, overlooking arguabley some of the most stunning Mountain Scenary New Zealand has to offer. Continuing onwards and upwards for another 1-2 hours, you’ll reach the perfectly located Mueller Hut- a great option if your looking for an epic overnight Alpine experience.

DON’T BE THAT GUY

As most people know, mountains may look beautiful but they can also be the most hostile of environments. Mountain weather can be changeable and when the those skies change for the worst, well trodden and popular trails have presented difficulty for even the most accomplished of hikers. During my time in New Zealand we’ve heard of too many cases of trampers winding up in life threatening situations or unfortunatly loosing their lives to the Mountains.
So Before setting out on any of the trails mentioned above, be sure to check that YOUR SKILLS and FITNESS meet the demands of the walk. ALWAYS pack accordingly. ALWAYS check the weather is suitable for the adventure. ALWAYS register your intentions with someone; and ALWAYS check the trail conditons. Many of the trails mentioned above are littered with avalanche pathways in Winter and Spring time and their terrain can become tretcherous, making them unsuitable for all but the most experienced of Mountaineers. Don’t be that guy. A cool ass photo simply isn’t worth your life.

Oh and remember… “Take only photos, leave only footprints“. New Zealand landscapes are incerdible. Lets keep it that way! 🙂

Queenstowns Hidden Gem

October 27, 2016November 11, 2016 / Backpacks Boots & Wanderlust / 2 Comments

Just visible from the pebbled shores of Kinloch, at the northern end of Lake Wakitupu, lies a cluster of small islands. The oddly named Pig and Pigeon Islands are lost amongst the vast volume of water that makes up New Zealands longest lake, but these specs in an obis of blue comprise of more than 170 hectres of mostly untamed land.

Cut off from predators, the Islands have grown into a natural haven showcaseing some of New Zealand’s unique native flora and fauna. And thanks to New Zealand Department of Conservation, rough trails have been formed allowing the opportunity to explore all that the islands have to offer without being ripped to shreads during the dreaded backcountry pasttime of bush bashing.

But despite its beauty and tranquillity, it is a place rarely visited by tourists. And the reason? Well, although these islands lie just a stones throw from the tourist metropolis of Queenstown and run alongside one of New Zealand’s most scenic drives- ‘The Glenorchy road to Paradise’ – these lumps of land protruding from the waters of Lake Wakitupu are only accessible by boat. And with no companies operating commercial trips June through to september, Wakitipus little known Gem, is inaccessible to all but the most inquisitive and determined of travellers during the winter months… Which to us made it all the more appealing.

And so a plan was hatched. We would arrange a day off from wwoofing at the picturesque Kinloch Lodge; get our hands on some Kayaks; paddle an unknown distance across open water; hit the shores of Pigeon Island; make a quick recky of the island; and head back home just in time for some delicious Kinloch Kai.

Unfortunately, in our eagerness for adventure, what we hadn’t accounted for was the southerly that was due to sweep in and smash Otago and Southland. Awakening the next morning we were greeted to a full blown storm which had transferred a usually picturesque lake into what resembled a ferocious sea.

Foolishly determined, Chris and I geared up and headed out to the boat shed at dawn as planned, Danielle reluctantly in tow. Stood in the lashing rain with a backdrop of rolling waves, Chris and I began our attempts to convince Danielle (and ourselves) that no, maybe the conditions weren’t exactly ‘perfect’. Maybe the water was a ‘little’ more choppy than we had hoped for.. and the winds a ‘little’ higher than what might be desirable for a 4 -5 hour deep water crossing… but it was “still totally do-able”. Un-phased by our wilful attempts to convince her otherwise, Danielle (who’d spent the best part of ten years of her life lifeguarding pools) took one look at the lake and then at us as and with a face of disbelief, turned around and quick marched back to Kinloch, point blank refusing to go anywhere near the water “on a day like today”. A decision which, as much as I hate to admit it…probably saved our lives.

Defeated by our commitment to make the crossing as a trio, Chris and I sluggishly followed Danielle back to the lodge where we took our usual spaces next to the roaring log fire. The rest of the day was spent staring longingly out of the steamy windows at the onslaught of rain which had washed away our plans of adventure.

High winds and heavy rain raged on through the day and into the night and our chances of pushing on with our little escapade the following day seemed to be slipping further and further away. But with a new dawn came a new day… and what a day it was!! Brilliant blue skies. Not a cloud in sight. And not a hint of wind. It was on.

Psyched, we grabbed our gear (which for Danielle, included her beloved mini hot water bottle) and raced to the boat shed. In super quick time we dragged out the kayaks, suited up and pushed off from the graveled shoreline.

Mindful of the of Jet boats which usually tear into the bay from the graded shallows of the Dart River, our early morning journey across into the centre of Lake Wakitupu was a blissfully cautious one. It would take just two and a half hours for us to make the crossing and hit land, but it turns out that when you continuously use the body’s smallest muscle group to propel you through water for 150 minutes, kayaking can turn into a pretty painful affair! Luckily the serenity and awe- inspiring beauty of our sourroundings offered momentary distractions from the agony of lactic acid swimming around our shoulders.

After dragging our Kayaks ashore, we took advantage of a quick refuelling opportunity accompanied by a couple of inquizative Weka’s, before setting off through thick bush in search of a trail. Without much effort at all, we stumbled across a well-trodden but a little over grown trail which took us around the circumstance of the island and up to its summit in little over two and a half hours.

The island itself was alive with the sound of song birds and from the highest point, offered stunning 360 degree views of the valleys and mountain ranges surrounding New Zealand’s longest lake. But the sweetest thing of all was that we seemed to be the only ones there to enjoy it. An island all to ourselves.

But for Chris who was struggling with a knee injury and Danielle who was having to face her irrational fear of trees and (I quote) “green nature”, the end of the trek couldn’t have come any sooner!

Back in our Kayaks there seemed to be an unspoken determination in the air. Eager to avoid the plummeting temperatures of the winter nights and the ever changing conditions of an unpredictable lake, we paddled hard, racing the sun as it began to sink behind the white washed peaks of the Humboldt range.

But it wasn’t long before my sense of urgency was lost in the picture perfect scene before me. Resting my paddle across my soggy legs, my kayak eventually slowed to a stop. Sat completely alone, I watched as the peaks around me turned from a glistening white to a fiery alpine orange. Their reflections cast like a mirror image across the eerily still waters of the lake. It was one of those rare moments in life that makes you take a deep breath and realise how incredible the world really can be.

As the day faded away into darkness we arrived back into Kinloch’s harbour. The lodges twinkiling lights and billowing chimney couldn’t have been a more welcomed sight on what was now an icy cold winters night. Slowly clambering from the kayaks, our hands frozen to the touch and our bodies shaking from the inside out, we briefly celebrated our sub 2 hour return paddle victory, before racing inside in search of a burning fire and that much needed Kai.

Another epic day in New Zealand.

*If your thinking of creating your own Wakitupu adventure, stay at the beautiful Kinloch Lodge and YHA. Make use of their Bike and Kayak hire and spend your evening enjoying the food available in their delicious restaurant before relaxing with a glass of your favourite red in the hot tub under a starry sky. For guided tours on Wakatipu check out Kinloch Lodge or for a guided tour to Pigeon Island, we are informed a company called Rippled Earth operate commercial tours October through to May.

http://www.kinlochlodge.co.nz

*Please note….This information is correct to our knowledge at the time of publication 🙂

A winter “WWOOFing” next to Paradise: An unexpected Journey

October 21, 2015November 3, 2015 / Backpacks Boots & Wanderlust / 10 Comments

Nestled on the fringe of the Northern shores of Lake Wakatipu is the tiny village of Kinloch. Home to just 8 residents, this remote idyllic location offers the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of Queenstown and for us a chance to save some serious dollar over the winter months by WWOOFing (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) and working at the beautiful Kinloch Lodge (YHA).

During the summer season Kinloch comes alive with trekkers, tourists and locals in search of culinary delights and a comfortable bed for the night en-route to one of New Zealand’s premiere walking routes. But with avalanche paths making popular ‘tramping’ tracks off limits to all those but the most experienced of Alpinists over the winter months; and plummeting winter temperatures keeping all but the hardiest of people away, our time at Kinloch offered a much, much quieter experience. Which in my opinion is exactly how this incredible setting is best enjoyed.

But for the majority of guests passing through, the idea that we had chosen to spend over two months without a car in a spot where we needed to cycle 9km to our post box, kayak 30 minutes to the nearest store or hitch a ride 70km drive to the nearest sizable town, made them instantly question our sanity before inevitably asking the question… “But don’t you get bored here??”

What I should have replied with was my Dads favourite line when I was growing up, which was ‘Only boring people get bored!’ But instead I’d just smile and shake my head. Because seriously, how could you ever get bored in a place that offers this…

A picture Perfect Scene

To reach the picture perfect shores of Kinloch you first need to take one of New Zealand’s most scenic drives, the Glenorchy Road to Paradise. Stretching 68 km, this river of tarmac dips and winds its way high above Wakatipu’s waters edge, offering breath-taking mountain Views around every turn and bend.

After leaving the lakeside behind, the road begins to briefly snake inland through rolling green farms to an area of natural beauty so iconic that its gnarled forests, towering snow-capped peaks and sprawling river valleys that it became the setting of much of the acclaimed Lord of The Rings series. But in terms of scenic beauty, this was only the start of things to come.

With Lake Wakatipu and the Humboldt & Richardson mountain ranges as the backdrop to our life in Kinloch, stepping outside away from the warmth of a roaring fire felt like stepping straight onto the strokes of an artistic masterpiece. Except this was no man-made scene. This was a living picture that was forever changing depending on a cauldron of factors which could create picture perfection even on the most unlikely of days.

But Kinloch’s beauty wasn’t confined to just the light of day. Sat all alone over 70kms from the bustling metropolis of Queenstown, Kinloch’s lack of light pollution gave the opportunity to spend crisp clear winter evenings in the steamy depths of a hilltop hot-tub, staring up at a blanket of twinkling stars and the mesmerising swirls of the Milky Way. A spot perfect for catching a glimpse of the illusive Southern Lights dancing across the night sky… if your lucky enough that is (we however were not – sleeping through two major solar storms!!)

A playground for adventure

Kinloch’s lakeside location and proximity to countless walking tracks, including one of the world’s top 10 trails, makes it the ultimate base for adventure. Whether we were exploring the surrounding areas on day walks, venturing out on multi day hikes, paddling our way across lakes to uninhabited islands, or running and cycling around woodland tracks and winding mountain roads, we were never short of something to do. Life at Kinloch offered the perfect opportunity to submerge ourselves in the great outdoors and reconnect to nature in the safe knowledge that a roaring log fire and plentiful meals would be the reward at the end of the day.

Work life Variety

With the hostel operating at a lower capacity over the winter months, meaning less beds to change and thankfully less toilet bowls to clean, the majority of our ‘wwoofing’ hours were put to use preparing the building and grounds for the upcoming busy summer season.

Not shy to getting my hands dirty or doing the odd bit of DIY, I opted for the jobs which kept me outdoors and active. From weeding, to clearing out gutters, chopping wood, tending to chickens, painting, collecting drift wood, cutting back meadows of lavender and gardening in the organic vegetable patch, I was never short of a task that was a world away from my previous working life as a Social Worker.

Danielle however, preferring the luring smell of freshly ground coffee beans and the comfort and warmth of a cosy café, opted where ever she could to make the 30 minute scenic drive to Kinloch’s sister business ‘The Trading Post’ café, in hopes of developing her barista skills and the art of pouring the perfect cup of coffee.

And a good bunch of people

As with most of our traveling adventures, it’s often been the people we’ve met along the way that have made our journeys truly memorable and this couldn’t have been truer for our time in Kinloch. With a notoriously quiet winter season and a growing blanket of icy cold darkness about the place, what could have felt more like an eternity in the isolated realms of Mordor or a date with a death eater instead was transformed into an inspiring experience thanks to the majority of people we had the pleasure to work alongside.

In the wwoofing team there was Chris, a Cumbrian mountain dweller who shares my slightly unnerving love for maps and all things outdoors, and who helped to develop our understanding of how to capture those perfect shots through a lens;

Nadia the blonde Beverian who made a mean hot chocolate and taught us to speak all kinds of German with a fridge and its contents as her aid – what more would you need to know?

Flo the long haired Frenchman who made late night feasting on crepes and homemade salted caramel popcorn a regular feature of wwoofing life and whose innate hatred for all things English couldn’t withstand our. witty English charm;

and more recently Michael, Chris and Laura who we had the pleasure of sharing our final nights at Kinloch with, righting the world over many cups of tea.

And then of cause there was the staff. Emma-Kate and Patrick, an exceptionally talented & creative couple perfectly suited and living proof that my work/ life ideology is more than possible. And finally Caro, an incredible woman who has defied the “norms” of society to literally brick by brick and plant by plant, independently built up her organic eco living dreams all around her.

Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to get to know the owners of Kinloch as they were off jet setting on their own around the world adventure for the duration of our time there, but their hospitality and thanks on their return made for a perfect ending to the first chapter of our New Zealand adventure.