Aside from being blessed with absolutely gorgeous scenery, New Zealand’s Queenstown region has one attraction that will surely give travelers who love trekking, the ultimate visual experience. This is none other than the 32-kilometer Routebourn Track.
What makes this route truly amazing is the fact that it crosses pristine blue lakes in Fiordland National Park and Mount Aspiring National park. This allows any hiker following Routebourn to get rare stunning alpine panoramas. Routeburn Track brings you to wide meadows, beech forest, ice-carved valleys nestled below the Southern Alps, also known as Ka Tiritiri o te Moana. Routeburn is the kind of trail that involves not only walking but also tramping. This means that some sections of the track require gradual climbs but they are normally not too difficult for the novice tramper.
Of course, the route is not complete without stopping by Queenstown. But there are also key spots that you should definitely explore while doing the Routeburn Track such as Key Summit and Lake Harris.
Key Summit is a famous walk that makes you climb above the bush line to get a front-seat view of the alpine wetland. From here, you could also admire the Darran Mountains and the Hollyford Valley scenery.
The return trip for this walk takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Experience excitement as you walk along the Harris Saddle ridge situated up Conical Hill and overlooking the Fiordland peaks and Hollyford Valley. Trekking Routeburn reveals all the interesting wildlife that inhabit the region. One of them is the mohua or yellowhead bird, which is now listed as an endangered species.
Another good thing about the Routeburn Track is that you do not have to complete the whole route. If you have less time, you can just follow a section of the track for a memorable day trip adventure. You may begin the track in either direction, which is ether from the Routeburn Shelter or the Divide. There are also tour companies that offer other fun outdoor activities on the track such as guided walks, canyoning in the Routeburn Valley and hunting. The track is also the venue for the Routeburn Classic, an adventure running race held in late April of every year.
Along the track, you will find four campsites and huts where you can rest for the night after doing full treks during the day. During peak season, the huts are equipped with gas cooking stoves and resident wardens who look after them. It is a must that you make bookings for the campsites or huts ahead of time during the Great Walks season, which is usually from the end of October to the end of April. This period is considered the most suitable trekking time as the weather is warmer and transport services to the start and end of the track are more consistent. If you decide to do the trek outside the Great Walks season, then the accommodations are on a first come, first served basis.
To access the Routeburn Track, you will need to first acquire admission tickets from either the Queenstown Visitor Center or the Te Anau. In these facilities, you can also talk to experienced rangers, who will readily provide valuable information about the track as well as weather conditions.
