New Zealand: Queenstown & Routeburn Track

Day 1: Exploring Queenstown

Our hotel was a short five-minute walk from the center of Queenstown, so first thing in the morning we were off to explore the city. This day was purposely one of the least scheduled of the whole trip (which made Ashley a little uneasy). With so many different activities, things to see, shopping, and a beach on the lake, Stephen was confident that we wouldn’t have any difficulty filling up the day.

First stop, breakfast (and coffee for Stephen). After investigating a few blocks, we found a lakefront  option called Vudu Cafe. Since we were up before the majority of tourists, we were able to grab a table outside with a beautiful view of the lake (although it was a little chilly for Ashley in the shade). The food was delicious, and from our perch, we were able to watch the city come awake around us. We highly recommend this stop if you are able to beat the crowds and snag a place to sit. They were doing a lot of takeaway business while we were there as well, so the food did take a little while to come out. While we were waiting, we noticed several tour companies opening up at a dock on the lake. This area is known for several shallow rivers that feed Lake Wakatipu. One popular attraction is doing jet boat tours through these shallow rivers and canyons. As we wrapped up breakfast, we decided to check their availability. Lucky for us, they had space on the next trip that would still give us plenty of time to grab a quick lunch and get to our early afternoon appointment for our pre-hike briefing with our tour company.

Jet boats use water propulsion instead of a propeller like a standard boat. These boats can navigate extremely shallow water and spin on a dime. Once we were boarded, we were off to the main harbor where our driver showed us just how tight those spins can be! Sitting on the second row helped keep Stephen’s seasickness in check. Soon, we were tearing up the river to find more shallow water. The ride was definitely exhilarating but not for the faint of heart as at times our driver had the boat feet from canyon walls!

Back on solid ground (Stephen was very excited about that after all the spinning), we grabbed a quick pizza for lunch before heading to our briefing. Ultimate Hikes was very organized and made the briefing relatively painless. Following a quick check-in on an iPad, we waited in their gift shop for everyone before heading upstairs for a presentation, where we got additional information about the hike. We both decided to grab an optional backpack designed for multiday hikes since both of us had smaller day packs. Ultimate Hikes provides those for free for those who wish to use one. After confirming a very early 6:00 a.m. departure from their storefront the next morning, we went to explore more of Queenstown with the rest of our afternoon.

Next up, we ascended the Skyline Gondola to the top of a nearby ridge with some breathtaking 220-degree views of Queenstown and the lake. The gondola is part of a larger attraction with a restaurant, a bar, and a luge track. Luge are like little go-carts that you can drive around a course. You can also bring your own bike to take on the mountain bike trails down to the bottom of the hill, riding the gondola back up to do it all over again. After our excitement on the jet boat, we opted to examine the viewing platforms and enjoy a cold beer (for Stephen) and some ice cream (for Ashley) as we watched folks zoom down the luge track. The luge track definitely looked like fun, but with our legs still a little sore from Tongariro, we decided to enjoy the view. This area is worth checking out, especially if you have kids along with you (although the parents were having just as much fun). After the ride down the luge, you ride a short ski lift back to the top of the track, where watching people try to get on a ski lift without the snow was probably the most entertaining part of the whole setup!

Even if you are not interested in the thrills of racing downhill on a luge or a mountain bike, the views from the top were worth the climb. From the top, you get fantastic views out across the lake and down into Queenstown. The midafternoon sun was not perfect for pictures, but if you are a photographer, this is the place to be during golden hour. After wandering the gift shop (of course), we went to find some dinner and finish wandering Queenstown.

Our final official stop of the day was the acclaimed Fergburger. Let’s just say: After a busy day of exploring, the Ferg did not disappoint. Fergburger is one of those places where no one really seems to know why it is famous other than it is and it has a funny name! Started in a garage (like so many great things) back in 2001, Ferg has grown into the best-known burger stop in Queenstown—and maybe even New Zealand. No matter the time of day, there seemed to be a line outside, and after a few folks at our hiking tour walkthrough recommended it, we decided to give it a try. Dining space is tight, so we opted for takeaway. Within 20 minutes, we had our haul, and we found a spot in a park near the water to eat. Yum! Finally, we meandered back to the hotel, strolling by the lake, to finish doing some laundry, repack all of our bags, and get to bed early for our extremely early 4:30 a.m. wake-up call.

Day 2: Start of Routeburn to Lake Mackenzie

Our alarms blared too soon. We had coordinated with the hotel that we could leave our luggage in the room to be moved to storage, so after a quick shower, we loaded our borrowed packs and went to the pickup location. Since it was early, the two-hour ride to the trailhead was quiet until we stopped midway for a stretch and some breakfast. At the trailhead, a light rain started to fall as our bags were off-loaded from the bus and prepacked lunches were distributed. Nervous that we paid all of this money to hike in the rain, we got in line for the toilet and got our gear ready to go. After a mandatory (for us) pre-hike selfie, we were off! The rain quickly blew off, and besides some evening and early morning rain/snow, that was the only precipitation we saw on the entire hike.

Ultimate HIkes provides four tour guides for a group of approximately 40–50 people. One guide is always at the front of the group, and one is always at the end, while the other two spread out somewhere in between. This allows the group to accommodate the various paces of hikers on the tour. This also allows you as a hiker a lot of options based on how you want to experience the hike—we spent time hiking near a guide listening to fun facts about the area, fauna, and New Zealand in general; hiking with others without a guide; and hiking on our own. While we were never the “caboose” as we called it, we were definitely not the fastest hikers either! 

The first day of the three-day hike is the longest at about 7.5 miles and the steepest. Given we were all fresh, we hiked at a pretty good pace, especially since the initial ascent was mostly in tree coverage and there were not many views to be seen for the first mile or so. At the summit of the first climb was our first optional “side quest” as Ashley called them. One of the guides stayed on the main trail, which allowed us to drop our packs and only carry a water bottle and trekking poles up to Key Summit. Determined to do all the side quests on this hike, unlike Tongariro, and with a little encouragement from one of our guides, we climbed to take in the views. 

Although the guide definitely undersold the additional climbing, it was definitely worth the climb. This was our first breathtaking scene on the hike. We felt like we’d stepped into another world: The climb ended on a plateau with a small boardwalk path looping through small hills, bush-like trees, and scrubs. All around us were high mountain peaks, piercing through clearing clouds into the blue skies. A marsh-like yellow green fauna covered much of the ground, and everywhere you looked were brightly colored yellows and greens from the recent rain. Although we were wondering if the hike would live up to its descriptions from Stephen’s parents and online commentators on the steep initial ascent, we realized how unique this experience was going to be standing on Key Summit. Back on the main trail, we caught up with the rest of the group who were just starting lunch at Lake Howden.

As part of the tour, we were given a pre-packed lunch of sandwiches, fruit, and trail bars. We found out the guides were also carrying giant thermoses of hot chocolate, making their hiking speed even more impressive! Lunch was a fun time to start getting to know our hiking comrades as we listened to the guides talk about their experiences on this and many of the other “Great Walks” of New Zealand. After lunch, we hiked toward the middle of the group near Holly, one of the guides. For about an hour or so, Holly shared info about the plants, the work the guides and other organizations do to help combat invasive rodents, and where we can refill water along the trail from natural springs. While we did not hike with a guide the entire time (like you would with a really small group), having the ability to walk with a guide occasionally enhanced the experience, and we found our time with Holly enjoyable and informative.

The post-lunch hike was mostly through thick forests, with the occasional break with breathtaking views looking back down the mountain toward the trailhead. We had a midafternoon break by Earland Falls, a large waterfall, where we put our feet in the water (some others changed into swimming suits and jumped in but the idea of hiking wet afterward was unappealing). At this stop, we also experience another fantastic part of a guided hike: first aid help! Unfortunately, the blisters on Ashley’s feet that started on Tongariro had grown on this hike. In a jiffy, one of the guides jumped into action, wrapping her foot, and teaching her how to use hiking wool to prevent more blisters. Several times during the hike, the guide checked on Ashley, and she helped wrap Ashley’s foot each morning after this. This was astonishing considering how sweaty Ashley’s foot was after spending hours in a hiking boot at this point.

With just another 3 miles to go, we were back on the trail. Beyond the falls, the trail begins to ascend out of the forest with more magnificent views of the valley we started in. Finally, we reached the highest point of the climb, as some rain clouds began coming in over the mountains. We hurried down a small descent and emerged from the trees into a beautiful and unique clearing—and, finally, we found Mackenzie Lodge. We didn’t see Lake Mackenzie (found out later it was a bit further up the trail and we would see it in the morning), but we were fine with that as we got checked in and headed to our room. We were also greeted by two funny birds hopping around the roof of the lodge and rooting through an old stump in the middle of the compound. About the size of a crow in the States, these forest parrots are known as keas. Our lodge hosts explained that although at times troublesome like adolescent boys, they are harmless. We enjoyed watching them play around with each other and throw debris from the stump in the air. After watching our welcoming show for a few minutes, we indulged in the hot showers (what a luxury in the middle of the mountains) and washed out clothes before locating the drying room. Each lodge has a room filled with cedar drying racks with hot air and fans. Wool is recommended for the majority of your hiking clothes not only because of its natural moisture wicking ability, but also because of how quickly it dries in one of these rooms. After running our clothes through a hand-cranked drying machine, we hung our clothes, a little wary that they wouldn’t be dry in the morning. Thankfully, we were proven wrong!

We settled into the common room of the lodge as the rain rolled in. We absolutely lucked out on our hike, with rain occurring both nights after everyone had made it safely to the lodge. Dinner was delicious, and we sat down to converse with a few other hikers before our eyes began to droop. Our first night, we roomed with three women who were in their late 50s who were on a friends’ trip. There are private rooms for couples in the lodges for a higher price, but since we booked late (November for a late February hike) only shared rooms were available. Since the common space was so nice, this wasn’t an issue for us. Like many others on our hike, our roommates were native New Zealanders from the North Island.

Day 3: Full Day in the Mountains

Our third day on the South Island was our first full day of hiking on the Routeburn Track. Although the rooms and beds were fairly simple, they were comfortable enough to allow us to both get a great night’s sleep (tired legs and an exquisite dinner helped). The team had a delicious breakfast ready for us with a lot of options, including made-to-order hot breakfast. After breakfast, we packed our own lunch and snacks from a self-service selection of options. From there, we repacked, geared up, and headed out as a group.

Given this is the only full day of hiking and there are some nice waterfalls near our next lodge, we got a pretty early start in the morning. Although it was a bit painful to wake up early again, we did not feel rushed throughout the day and had time to do some of the optional add-ons (aka side quests). The total miles on the second day to Routeburn Falls Lodge is only around 7 miles, but the elevation gain and total elevation are the most of the trek. This section of the Routeburn also has the most impressive views of the entire hike, so you have to work for the best parts.

The first stop of the hike was just a few hundred yards from the lodge where we stopped at Lake Mackenzie for a group photo. The lake was definitely not appealing enough for a swim, but it was a great place to get a shot of the entire group and guides. From there, we started the biggest ascent of the day to the ridgeline of the mountains. After a couple hours of climbing, we reached the top of the ridge for our midmorning break and snack. Wow, the views were incredible. The trail leveled off into a bit of a peninsula with views both back west to Queenstown and east to Milford Sound and the ocean. The morning clouds and threat of rain had burned off, so we were able to see all the way to the Milford Sound. We really lucked out with the weather the entire day from there, with mostly sunny skies and a few clouds that gave the vistas depth and interest as we hiked. We followed the trail along the ridge for a couple more miles, where the guides did a great job sharing where you could safely refill water bottles without needing filtration systems. Delicious, crisp mountain water!

Our next stop was a late lunch at the base of the day’s optional side quest: Conical Hill. Exhausted and aware that Ashley’s blistered feet needed another round of attention from the guides, we debated doing this up and down to the top of Conical Hill (while it may be called a hill, everything was looking like a mountain at this point). Upon hearing from other hikers how amazing the views were (the speed hikers had now started to come down), Ashley’s notorious fear of missing out (FOMO) kicked in—so, naturally, we decided to do the climb.

And man we were glad we did this side quest! Overall, the climb is extremely challenging, with numerous switchbacks and steps. You basically climb straight up a few hundred feet to the top of the hill. There were parts where you were scrambling on hands and knees up loose rock, which made the way back down tricky. But all of our hard work paid off. First, about halfway up, we noticed a half dozen large birds soaring above. As we got closer, we realized they were a bunch of juvenile Keas, the same forest parrot we saw at the first lodge. They were playfully practicing gliding in the thermals coming up the side of the mountain. They were also undertaking a game of tag: One of them seemed to be “it” and was chasing the others around until suddenly it was someone else’s turn. The interactions were absolutely mesmerizing to watch.

At the top, we were rewarded with probably the most spectacular sight of the entire hike—a 360-degree view of the mountains and valleys around us. Although it was one heck of a hike up, we were feeling like we’d made the right decision. At least, that was before we started to make our way back down! The hike down was arduous, and we were glad that we were able to leave our heavier packs with a guide back at the hut. Even with that, there were several sections going down where we had to shuffle on our backsides to keep steady. On the way down, we chatted with a group of college kids (as they whizzed by us making us definitely feel 30+). Turns out, they were all from UNC–Chapel Hill, the same university we both went to. Even in the middle of nowhere in the New Zealand mountains, you can find another Tar Heel. What a small world.

Back on the main trek, we were by ourselves for the rest of the hike. Most of the group had either opted to skip Conical Hill or had gone up ahead of us while Ashley was having her foot looked at again. As we would round bends on the path, we’d find ourselves completely alone with some of the most beautiful sights we have ever seen. Immersed in nature, this section of the trail also has several alpine lakes, adding to the scenery. Once we hit the descent, we picked up our pace as we were tired, running low on water, and looking forward to dipping into the mountain water for a swim at the lodge! Down some steep stairs, we could see the valley where Routeburn Falls Lodge was nestled. We made our way there. 

After our welcome drinks, we dropped our gear, changed into our swimsuits, grabbed our lightweight towels, and made for the nearby creek and waterfalls. We braved the freezing cold water to go for a quick swim and soaked our tired feet for a while. Burr, it was cold! We jumped into a warm shower, had a cold beverage (or two), enjoyed a gorgeous sunset over the valley, and dined a delicious steak dinner before we tucked ourselves into bed for the evening. We could get used to this!

Day 4: Last Day on the Routeburn Track

Since the third day of the hike was the easiest (mostly downhill or flat) and shortest, we were able to get a slightly later start than the previous day, even with a strict timeline to meet the bus. We woke up to a surprise: The downpour the night before, which was a pleasant symphony for sleep, had turned into snow on higher elevations! It was absolutely lovely in the early morning, providing a distinct line in the elevation of the mountains around us. Incredible!

After breakfast and packing lunch again, we made our way down the mountain into the valley. The trail descended steadily this time through fairly dense forest. Within a couple hours, we were on the floor of the valley and pulled off at a picnic area for our early lunch break. Here, we had some really nice views back up the mountains we had come from next to a creek. We had another hour or two meandering through forests, over a river, and on an undulating path. We saw the parking lot right as Ashley’s feet were starting to give out! It was time to go through our gear, clean ourselves up, and wait for the remainder of the group before we could get on the bus and head back to Queenstown. Following our bus ride, we checked into our new hotel for the night, and Stephen went to collect our luggage from our old hotel. We found a nice Italian restaurant by the water and enjoyed our final night in Queenstown. Routeburn was quite an adventure—it lived up to the hype.

Recap

We had heard from Stephen’s parents that hiking the Routeburn was magical, and our high expectations were not disappointed. This was easily the highlight of our entire trip to New Zealand! First, the hike itself had so many breathtaking moments. As our first multiday hike, it was surprising how isolated you feel from the rest of the world—in a good way. If it fits into your budget, doing a guided hike is also a valuable way to ease into multiday hikes since most of the planning is taken care of and you don’t have to pack food.

We also adored getting to know others on our trip, especially the deep conversations we had in the evenings after the hikes. We were surprised to find the majority of our fellow hikers were native Kiwis, mostly from the North Island. Most were on anniversary or milestone trips of some sort. For many, this was their first trip to the South Island or their first time doing anything other than visiting Queenstown. Similar to our interactions on the North Island, it highlighted how many New Zealanders didn’t seem to explore their own country. For a country full of beauty and wonder it was really surprising.

We highly recommend fitting a multiday hike into your New Zealand trip, and hiking with Ultimate Hikes is a great way to do it!