Routeburn Track

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Routeburn Track emergency shelters at Harris Saddle

The Routeburn Track is a world-renowned tramping (hiking) track found on the South Island of New Zealand. The track is usually completed by starting on the Queenstown side of the Southern Alps, at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, and finishing on the Te Anau side, at the Divide, several kilometres from the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound.

The New Zealand Department of Conservation classifies this track as a Great Walk and maintains four huts along the track: Routeburn Flats Hut, Routeburn Falls Hut, Mackenzie Hut, and Howden Hut; in addition there is an emergency shelter at Harris Saddle. The track overlaps two National Parks; the Mount Aspiring National Park and Fiordland National Park's with the border being Harris Saddle.

This area gets much less rain than the Milford Sound, and the forests are very different, especially on the eastern side of the saddle, where there are a lot of large pines and other trees, and relatively few ferns. The track spends a long time on the high ridges around Harris Saddle, with great long distance views in many directions.

[edit] Tramping

Access to the Routeburn Track is not as tightly controlled as the Milford Track. Camping is allowed, though both huts and camping spaces must be booked in advance. There is a surcharge for non-ticket holders. There is a choice of which direction to go, and which huts to stay in. On the western side, almost everyone stays at the MacKenzie Hut, but on the eastern side, one can stay at the Falls Hut or Flats Hut. The Falls Hut is more popular, since staying there breaks up the climb to the saddle better, especially coming from the east. Camping is not allowed at Falls Hut, however.

Much of the Routeburn Track is also accessible to day hikers, especially Key Summit on the western end, the site of a popular viewpoint and nature walk not far from the roadway.

[edit] In popular culture

The Routeburn Track was named one of the top eleven trails in the world by the National Geographic Adventure Magazine in May 2005.

No filming was done for the Lord of the Rings trilogy on the track itself, but the Dart River Valley just north of Glenorchy and before the track starts, was the scene for Isengard.