New Zealand Hiking Expedition

Dusky Track Expedition

Hiking Safari

Start:	7.00am Pinewood Lodge, Queenstown
Finish:	Pinewood Lodge, Queenstown
Length:	5 days
Grade:	E (Heavy packs and uneven terrain.)
Price:	NZ$1900
Departs:	February 14, 2009 - see Departures

Highlights: Spend five days hiking from the shores of Lake Hauroko across exceptionally mountainous country to Supper Cove at the head of Dusky Sound. Definitely not for the faint hearted, deep mud and flooding on parts of the track are common, and as the small group will need to be self reliant for the whole trip, pack weights will be up to 20kgs at times.
This is an opportunity to experience one of the world’s most pristine and rugged areas of wilderness on nature’s terms. The party size will be limited to six plus guide(s).

Day 1: Depart for Tuatapere/Lake Hauroko. Board water taxi to cross Lake Hauroko to start of Dusky track. The track then climbs at a gentle grade to a gorge, before descending to a walkwire over the Hauroko River - prior to its confluence with the Gardner River. The track steepens then descends to the river with flat terrain to Halfway Hut (14 bunks).
Day 2: The track follows an easy grade crossing the Hauroko River just before the top forks. We follow snow poles to Lake Roe Hut (12 bunks), sited at the northern end of Lake Laffy on Furkert Pass. Either explore around the lake and granite outcrops or if weather permits a climb/scramble to the pass below Mt Tamatea. From here there are expansive views across the jagged peaks of Fiordland all the way out to sea at the entrance to Dusky Sound.
Day 3: We spend the first part of the day hiking on the open tops of the Pleasant Range, the route skirts around several alpine lakes with superb views of the surrounding mountains and out to Dusky sound. After 2-3 hours above the bush-line the route makes a sharp descent into the Seaforth Valley. We cross the Seaforth River just before the hut, or if river levels are too high we use a walkwire.
Day 4: The track climbs around Loch Maree and then descends to the Bishop Burn. From the Bishop Burn to the Henry Burn the track is flat going and follows the original track cut by West Coast miners in 1903. From the Henry Burn the track gets rougher as it sidles the slopes overlooking the cove. Supper Cove Hut sits on a small terrace just south of the Hilda Burn.
Day 5: Supper Cove marks the end of our journey on foot. After a leisurely breakfast, we rendezvous with the helicopter that retraces our steps across the mountains on a thrilling 35-minute flight back to our vehicle at Tuatapere. We celebrate our return to civilisation with a hearty lunch at the local pub. In the afternoon we drive back to our accommodation at Pinewood Lodge in Queenstown.

Click here for the detailed trip dossier

This trip goes well with the following tours:

"New Zealand hiking vacations on the South Island of New Zealand."

HIKING NEW ZEALAND
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