New Zealand’s Great Walks have become so popular, demand crashed the DOC booking website earlier this year. But taking the DIY approach — and sitting in a queue on the internet — isn’t the only way to experience the beauty of New Zealand’s wildest and most remote places.
Queenstown-based Ultimate Hikes offers an alternative way to walk both the Routeburn and Milford tracks, where walkers carry only a small pack, have all food provided and enjoy the services of knowledgeable and experienced guides.
Daile Foreman, guide manager for Ultimate Hikes, says having a guide not only provides a safety backup but also a knowledgeable companion who can share stories about the area’s history and environment, providing a chance to learn about, as well as enjoy, the tracks natural beauty.
“Our guides do a really good job of ‘reading the room’, working out if walkers want to interact and learn more about the environment, or if they want to enjoy it peacefully and do it at their own pace,” Foreman says.
At 33km, walked over three days and with two nights spent at private lodges, the Routeburn is based on a Māori greenstone trail. The Ultimate Hikes guided walk starts from the Milford Road, climbing up to a lodge at Lake Mackenzie, then through an alpine landscape with spectacular views to the second night’s accommodation. The third day sees walkers descend into a lush valley where rare native species such as mohua, kakariki and pekapeka (bats) live in untouched beech forest.
“The Routeburn is majestic from start to finish,” Foreman says. “You get such diverse terrain, which transforms from day one to day three. Lots of walkers comment about the difference they see from the start to the end of the track, seeing so much birdlife towards the end, which is a direct result of predator control.”
Ultimate Hikes works closely with the Kea Conservation Trust and Routeburn-Dart Wildlife Trust, raising both funds and awareness of the conservation work taking place, which includes trapping predators and tagging and monitoring kea populations.
“We’re also really excited about the release of eight pairs of takahē in the Greenstone Valley — the first time there have been wild takahē there in a long time,” Foreman says. “There has been extensive trapping on the Greenstone for wild cats, which are the main predator risk for takahē there.”
With transportation to and from the tourist hub of Queenstown, Foreman says the Routeburn is the ideal length for a long weekend or shorter getaway. A wide range of people do the guided walk, from families to groups of friends, with private and quad-share rooms available at the two lodges.
“It’s a great way to just disconnect and absorb nature, or to celebrate a significant birthday like a 40th. We see groups of siblings doing it together, or families taking their children before one leaves for university or boarding school — making a lasting memory as a family.”
Foreman says Covid travel restrictions encouraged more New Zealanders to holiday domestically and discover how much their own country had to offer.
“It was really awesome from a guiding perspective, as it made us really proud to share our passion for the walk,” she says. “I think for a lot of people, doing the walk makes them realise how lucky they are to be a Kiwi and how blessed we are to grow up in a country like this and have access to these experiences and locations.”
Foreman says the guided walk experience is ideal for those who don’t feel they have the confidence or experience in the outdoors to walk alone, or who want a bit more comfort along with their wilderness: comfortable beds, warm showers, a drying room, three-course evening meal, breakfast, lunch and transport all provided. For those looking to indulge, the private lodges also stock a selection of New Zealand wine and beverages that can be purchased on track.
Although the hard work is taken out of carrying food and equipment, guided walkers still need to be able to walk 10–15 km a day carrying a small pack. “The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy the experience,” Foreman says. “You won’t be so much in your head thinking about how much it’s hurting, you can be out of your head enjoying the views and the environment.
“Pictures don’t do it justice. Walkers are not only seeing it through their eyes, but smelling it, feeling the wind on their skin — it’s a very tactile environment, and people experience it in different ways.”
For more information visit routeburn-track
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