The Hollyford Track guided wilderness experience operates summer only from late October through to late April and the flora and fauna in the valley can vary within that period. When you travel depends on your interests:

The New Zealand Fur Seal colony is always at Long Reef. Many of the big mature bulls leave in December. Mothers have their pups in January.

The rare Fiordland Crested Penguins come to land to nest in the flax bushes at Long Reef between the months of July to December, they are generally visible in pairs and entertaining to observe. They do come back to land between February and March to moult, however, they are rarely seen then as they are not in pairs and are more timid, tending to hide.

December often is the peak time for Southern Rātā being in flower and the traditional warmer months of January to March see many of the summer flowering plants in bloom including Rātā vine, Manuka and some of the orchid varieties. In April many of the flowering plants may still be in bloom and the weather is usually cooler with crisp clear days.

* Please note the flora and fauna of Fiordland is dependent on many factors outside our control therefore we can not make any guarantees on what may or may not been seen and when.

Fiordland has very changeable weather and you need to be well prepared when walking here as the weather can be unpredictable and change dramatically very quickly. It is important to be prepared for the worst conditions, even if they don’t occur, and carry the appropriate clothing at all times. Summer months average around 20°C but the evenings can be a little cooler, our lodges of course are warm and comfortable. Winter temperatures average around 10°C on the coast with the evenings much colder. Weather in this area can change very rapidly and it is not unusual to experience both summer and winter conditions and temperatures on the same day.

* Please note that due to the nature of Fiordland’s weather we can not make any forecast predictions

Hollyford Track is pleasantly challenging and highly rewarding, without being out of reach for people with an average fitness level. People of all ages and abilities have and will continue to enjoy the Hollyford Track adventure. The average age of our walkers is 40+ but many people in their 60’s and over have also taken up the challenge and enjoyed this unique experience. Remember you only carry your backpack on day 1, on days 2 and 3 all you need to carry is a small day pack and we use our jet boat to transfer the rest of your gear between the lodges. This relieves you of the burden of carrying a heavy pack and leaves you free to make the most of this walk.

Day One: 17km’s walking from the start of the track to Pyke River Lodge with 5 - 7 hours of walking. You will also cover many km’s travelling by our shuttle transport from Queenstown or Te Anau along beautiful lakes and glacial carved valleys to the start of Hollyford Track.

Day Two: 12km’s between Pyke River Lodge and Martins Bay Lodge with 4 - 5 hours of walking. You will also cover approximately 25km’s by jet boat down the Hollyford River and across Lake McKerrow.

Day Three: 8km’s walking along Martins Bay Spit taking 3 - 4 hours. You will also take a spectacular flight along the coast and into the breath-taking Milford Sound before boarding our shuttle transport to return to Te Anau or Queenstown.

View track route and map here

A comprehensive gear check list is provided upon booking but you can view our important info and gear check list guideline here.

Both Queenstown and Te Anau have a number of specialist outdoor stores that sell clothing and other gear required for walking in Fiordland. However, we recommend that you only use these as a back up if you have forgotten something as we can not guarantee that they will have a full range of products or sizes when you are here.

A comprehensive gear check list is provided upon booking but you can view our important info gear check list guideline here.

You will need to make arrangements for your un-required luggage to be stored at your hotel/accommodation. To make this easier we advise that you stay at the same hotel/accommodation before and after your Hollyford Track walk.

You will need to make arrangements for your vehicle to be stored at your hotel/accommodation and generally they will do this while you are walking, if you are staying with them again upon your return. You will need to check this with your hotel/accommodation.

If staying in Queenstown you will be picked up on Day 1 from your hotel/accommodation between 6:30am and 7:00am to depart, or if staying in Te Anau you will need to make your way to the Fiordland Cinema by 9:00am. On Day 3 you will arrive back in Te Anau at approximately 4:30pm and Queenstown at approximately 7:00pm. We highly recommend all our guests to start their Hollyford Journey in Te Anau, for a more relaxing start to the trip. By starting in Queenstown you will be picked up at approx, 6:30am, in comparison, by starting in Te Anau you will simply meet the group for morning tea at 9am!

Both lodges have flush toilets and there are clean long drop style toilets at our lunch huts/stops.

We have many guests that travel with us on their own and many find it a great opportunity to walk and interact with other guests. The lodge bedrooms are twin share rooms and every effort will be made to accommodate you privately should you be travelling alone. However, this may not be possible when your group is at maximum or near maximum capacity of 16 people. If you would like to guarantee your own room a single supplement charge would apply at time of booking.

Lodges run on battery bank powered electricity, and we do conserve energy by turning off some electrical facilities overnight. However, lighting is available throughout the night.

A selection of New Zealand beer and wine is available for purchase at the lodges, please bring a credit card or cash to pay for any drinks you would like on your trip at the end of your walk.

The bathrooms have hot showers with unlimited hot water and flush toilets. Each toilet and shower has its own room and we provide towels, soap, shampoo, and hair dryers.

We can cater for individual dietary requirements so please let us know in advance if you have any special dietary requests or needs such as vegetarian, vegan, food allergies, gluten free etc…, and we will do our very best to cater specifically for you so that we can make your time with us as comfortable as possible.