ROUTEBURN IN 1-2 DAYS

The bus time schedules for the Routeburn track don’t suit 1 or 2 day hikes.

If you are considering hiking the Routeburn Track in 1 or 2 days, you need to have a good level of fitness and be comfortable hiking in all weather conditions. Including snow (even in summer!) /strong wind and broken ground.

Always take 1 more layer than you think you will need and gloves. Stay warm!

Most of the track is in excellent condition with several short rough sections.

The west side of the track has rough sections passing through steep terrain and best done while you are fresh and energetic.

Expect very cold to very hot conditions at all times of the year. Always be prepared no matter what the weather report says.

Download the Map

1 day hike/run

For a 1 day hike, 9 – 12 hours with a light pack.

We recommend starting your hike / run from the Divide, because, your last 7km is mostly gentle down hill. Great if you are tired or a little bit foot sore.

Start early and hike/run at a steady, unhurried pace.

Runners : We will pick up your car by 10am and deliver it to the other end by 5pm. We can deliver it by 4pm on request.

If you think you will get to the end earlier than 4pm, add a side track (Key Summit and / or Conical hill).

Please be aware of track closure. Occasionally, Doc will close the track due to hazards (extreme weather, flooding, snow, landslide).

If unsure check with us or the NZ Department of Conservation.

2 day hike

For a 2 day hike, you should expect 1 day of about 4 – 5 hours and 1 day of 8 – 11 hours, for people with a good level of fitness.

Start from the Divide and stay at Mackenzie hut.

Or start from the Routeburn Shelter and stay at Falls hut.

This way you will do a short day, then eat some of the weight in your pack before your big day.

Best is starting at the Divide as the last 7km of your long day is easy, especially if you are a little bit tired.

 

 

Important info:

Date Changes:

If you decide to change dates at short notice (due to weather) we cannot do this for Routeburn Shelter to Divide direction, because, we are almost always fully booked. Often we can change your booking to Divide to Routeburn.

Daylight and darkness:

Be aware of daylight hours, as you may end up finishing in the dark. Take a torch if you are not sure, especially from mid February onwards or on cloudy/wet days. The last 1-2 hours is not difficult in the dark with a torch.

Watch Mike run the Routeburn track

Side Tracks:

B Side trip – Key Summit

1–1hr 30min return

This popular walk climbs above the bushline to an alpine wetland and, in good weather, offers magnificent views of the Darran Mountains and the Hollyford Valley.

A self-guided trail leads through a range of native vegetation: beech forest, subalpine shrublands and alpine tarns and bogs.

Birdlife is prolific and tomtits / miromiro, South Island robin / kakaruai, New Zealand pigeons / kererū and bellbirds / korimako are commonly seen.

Keep to the track to protect the very fragile alpine plants and soil.

A Side trip – Conical Hill

1hr 30min–2 hour return

A short, steep climb from Harris Saddle / Tarahaka Whakatipu up Conical Hill gives superb views of the Hollyford valley through to Lake McKerrow / Whakatipu Waitai and beyond to Martins Bay and the Tasman Sea.

Be aware that snow and ice can sometimes make this trip hazardous.

I am sure you won’t remember, but I need to say a big thank you to you. 

When we stopped at your place in Glenorchy you shared with us the importance of going down hill with your toes first to reduce compression forces .  My husband was having trouble with his knee/leg with our first hikes and was feeling very apprehensive about how he was going to manage.  He used your advice and we have put on many a painless mile, starting first with Routeburn   

A very big THANK YOU for your help and the value added.  And thank you as well for moving our vehicle; you provide an awesome service.

Sincerely Cindi Pederson

I just wanted to relay our thanks for the service you provided us when in NZ.

When you leave your vehicle and tramp across the country for two days you are naturally nervy as to whether your vehicle will be there at the end. Of course, we needn't have worried.

Superb service, clear instructions and more importantly it allowed us to thoroughly enjoy the fabulous Routeburn!!

Thanks again for the rocking service!

Stuart and family

Thanks for yesterday and the great service.

Really cool hike with amazing views all along the way - and then we arrived on the other side to find our car waiting for us! Also great that we avoided the long drive from Queenstown as our visit today is the Milford Sound.

We have already recommended your services to several people we have met along the way, do you have a Facebook page so we can post something a ca lot of people including locals weren’t aware of this option 🙂

Thanks again allowed us to make the routeburn in a day (otherwise would have been a pass for us due to time) and we would have missed out on the best trek we have ever done!

Matt & Nico

I just wanted to say thank you for your wonderful service! It was very easy and I was so happy when I walked out of a rainy hike and my warm, dry car was sitting there waiting for me!

Also, thank you to your dad for coming out and checking on me.

Casey

Due to closure of the Routeburn Track we had to postpone our hike twice and in the end do it within a day - no problem for Mike and Kiyomi.

They were extremely kind and flexible and even gave us great hiking recommendations for the time we had until the track opened again. Thank you!!!

Nina

Thanks for all your excellent info and service of moving our car for us between the Rees trail head to Chinamans Flat. Everything went well and we feel very lucky to have had a great window of weather. It was a challenging walk but we had a great time on the Rees-Dart. We will highly recommended you to future trampers.

JennyAnn and Guy

Just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for another great transfer.

As with last time, everything worked as described. Really appreciate it. It was lovely to get back to dry clothes and into the warm out of the rain after the track and not have to wait hours of a bus.

You have a lovely corner of the world here. Very jealous.

Vincent

Thanks very much for moving my car, everything worked perfectly.

The hike was great, although quite strenuous, but that’s what I wanted. You were right about the Earland Falls, they were just tremendous! And also the view right after the Harry’s Saddle shelter. A life’s experience.

Thank you very much again for making this journey possible for me.

Best regards, Dmitry 21 Apr 2019

Mike,
It was such a pleasure to meet you and thank you so much for making our journey so easy! We probably had the best weather one could hope for. Clear skies and a perfect temperature. We got to Mackenzie hut in 8 hours before dusk and had a wonderful trip out yesterday.

I just dropped your key lock at the Caltex here in Te Anau. Thanks again for your superior service.

Cheers, Paul 19 Apr 2019

Just wanted to THANK YOU! We had a great Tramp with beautiful weather (luckily we got out before all this rain). It was so nice to have the car waiting for us.

We also appreciate that you provided all the information about Pass Creek and that you were able to accommodate the change which meant some extra driving for you.

After getting the email from DOC which discouraged Pass Creek, it was a relief to know we didn't have to change our plans. We meet many people at the huts who had changed their plans based on the DOC's warnings. Without your advice, we might not have made the right decision.

Thanks for making our tramp go so smoothly.

Kathy 10 Apr 2019

Thanks again for the timely and valuable info you gave us on the Pass Creek. It made the decision to continue when we were about to give up on the tramp. We had a brilliant time and loved it thoroughly!! Pass Creek only took us 1.5 hours to get out.

Cheers - 10 Apr 2019

Just wanted to say thanks for the great service.
Im sorting emails as our flight is delayed, a good opportunity to say thank you for such a positive service experience under difficult conditions. Even though the emergency weather event stopped us doing the Routeburn track this time we had a great time day walking in NZ and were so impressed by your service response all round, thanks.

Best regards, Jacqui 6 Apr 2019

Hey guys,
I just want to send you both a huge THANK YOU for a hasslefree professional TrackHopper experience. You've both been friendly, helpful and knowledgeable throughout our dealings, and working in retail, I know how hard service can be to get right but man, you guys are killing it on every level.

If I ever need a car transfer in this area again, I won't be using anyone else!

3 Apr 2019

I wish to thank you and Kyomi for the magnificent service you provided recently in taking the car of my friends and I from the Routeburn Shelter around to the Divide. We found everything to be as you said it would be, locating your house and thence the lockbox, applying the lockbox with the car keys etc to our vehicle, and then finding our car with the attached lockbox several days later at the Divide. My friends and I are unanimous in that we will have no hesitation in recommending your service to any others that we become aware of as intending trampers of the Routeburn Track. Once again, our grateful thanks to you both.

Cheers from Darcy 9/May 2019

Thank you very much for your understanding and flexible cancellation policy.

We'll be sure to recommend you to anyone we know doing the Routeburn! Since booking we've had friends say how amazing you were when they used your service.

Thanks again. Cheers,
Hilary, 18 Mar 2019

Thanks very much for relocating our car recently while we walked the Routeburn.

Your systems are streamlined and efficient; communication prompt and helpful; and interactions friendly and pleasant.

We would definitely recommend your business to others.

Thank you
Kind regards,
Judy 5 Mar 2019