Routeburn Track
The Routeburn Track is a hiking trail between Mount Aspiring - and Fiordland National Park in the southwest of New Zealand's South Island . The 32 km long path, bridging almost 800 meters in altitude between the highest and lowest point and leading through both rainforest and high alpine terrain, is one of the most popular hiking trails in New Zealand with up to 13,000 hikers annually and has been classified as a Great Walk by the Department of Conservation .
history
The Routeburn Track was probably first used around 1500 by the Māori in search of the pounamu , which was valuable to them. Although little jade could be found in the Routeburn River itself, from this time today's Routeburn Track was probably used regularly and, for the sparsely populated South Island, often as a connection between the sites in the Dart Valley and the Arahura River on the west coast.
The first Europeans on this route were David McKellar and George Gunn on June 9, 1861, who climbed the summit of Key Summit in search of pastureland from the west. Little by little, the entire route was opened up by European surveyors, gold miners and explorers. After the gold was found on Lake Wakatipu , consideration was even given to expanding the route to connect Queenstown to a port. In 1870, construction work began on a horse trail, but four years later this was stopped again because Martins Bay, intended as a harbor, was too isolated.
However, the touristic development of the route began as early as 1880. First, visitors were brought by horse from Kinloch (near what is now Glenorchy) to the Routeburn Flats hut and then on foot to the Harris Mount Saddle. At the beginning of the 20th century, under the auspices of the newly established New Zealand Government Department of Tourism, the expansion of the route continued and overnight huts were built on the Routeburn Plain and on Lake Howden. However, there was as yet no direct connection from Harris Saddle to Lake Howden; instead, an arduous detour through the Hollyford Valley had to be made. A direct connection to the foot of the Key Summit was only made accessible in 1912, but the work was interrupted in the course of the First World War and was not completed until 1930. After that, the popularity of the Routeburn Track steadily increased; new and more modern huts were built, and there have been guided tours since 1968. Today you have to book the overnight stay, both in the huts and in your own tent, and in view of the continuously high number of visitors this should be done as early as possible.
nature
The route roughly follows the course of a larger fold of the earth, so that both metamorphic and sedimentary rock can be seen. During the last Ice Age the area was covered by the Hollyford Glacier and was formed by it.
The otherwise typical ferns and tree ferns as well as trees overgrown by lichens and mosses can only be found along the Routeburn Track at the start and end points. Instead, the landscape is covered with southern beech forests. In the Routeburn valley itself you will mainly find the red beech ( Nothofagus fusca , red beech), especially on the frost-free southern slopes. In higher areas, the mountain southern beech ( Nothofagus cliffortioides , mountain beech) dominates, while the New Zealand silver beech ( Nothofagus menziesii , silver beech) is found on the rougher northern slopes . Often, however, the trees do not find enough support on the bare ground and so there are always scree avalanches that leave a trail of devastation behind them. Mallow plants ( Plagianthus ; English: ribbonwood), which are among the few deciduous New Zealand trees, settle along these aisles . This settlement in turn forms the basis for the renewed growth of beeches. Above the tree line you will find grasses ( Chionochloa flavescens ), herbs and flowers such as buttercups ( Ranunculus lyallii ), daisies ( Bellis perennis ) and mountain thimble ( Ourisia macrocarpa ). Sundew ( Drosera ), water hoses ( Utricularia nova-zealandiae ), orchids and bog spirits ( Pinus rotundata ) can also be found on the mountain lakes .
The most popular observation object in the animal world is probably the kea ( Nestor notabilis ), one specimen is even a regular guest at the Routeburn Falls hut. But in addition, there are numerous other birds like Grenadier ( Acanthisitta chloris ) Makomako ( Anthornis melanura ), yellow-crowned parakeet ( Cyanoramphus auriceps ), yellow head ( Mohoua ochrocephala ) South Island Robin ( Petroica australis ), tomtit ( Petroica macrocephala ), gray fantail ( Rhipidura fuliginosa ) and wood pigeon ( Columba palumbus ). In the evenings, native bats and New Zealand cuckoo owls ( Ninox novaeseelandiae ) can also be heard. The rare duck- billed duck ( Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos ) and the paradise kasarka ( Tadorna variegata ) also live in the valley . Furthermore, above the tree line you can find rock slippers ( Xenicus gilviventris ) and Maori falcons ( Falco novaeseelandiae ). White-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) and red deer are among the introduced animal species, as are the fox kusus , rats and weasels, which unfortunately also exist here .
Route description
The route described here leads from the Routeburn Shelter to The Divide , but of course you can also walk the route in the opposite direction. The Routeburn Track is not a circular route, by car there are more than 350 km of partially unpaved road between these two endpoints. But you can walk it as a circular route in connection with the Caples or Greenstone Track. The starting point is usually Glenorchy, 48 km north of Queenstown, or Queenstown itself. Another 25 km northwest of Glenorchy is the Routeburn Shelter , a small shelter with a toilet, which is the actual starting point of the hike.
From the Routeburn Shelter to the Routeburn Flats Hut
The path first leads over a suspension bridge that crosses the Routeburn River, then follows a rather leisurely stretch through beech forest to the Routeburn plain. On the way there, both the Sugarloaf brook and the Bridal Veil brook are crossed on wooden bridges (there is a small waterfall on the latter). The Routeburn Plain itself is unwooded, and the Routeburn River meanders through a grassy landscape there. On the Routeburn level, the Routeburn Flats Hut and the neighboring campground are also the first place to stay. A four to five hour side detour along the northern branch of the Routeburn River is possible, which offers a good view of the peaks of Mount Somnus, North Col and Mount Nereu in good weather. The route is marked, but there are no bridges.
From Routeburn Flats Hut to Routeburn Falls Hut
Probably the most strenuous part of the hike begins in the Routeburn plain, the 2.3 km ascent to the Routeburn waterfall, which is about 400 m higher. The path continues through a dense beech forest, a view of the valley is only possible from an aisle that was created by a scree avalanche that was triggered recently. However, caution is required at this point, as rocks can still loosen from the rock. Two rivulets are crossed on this section of the route, with the wooden bridge over Emily Creek roughly marking the middle of the route. The second accommodation is located directly at the Routeburn waterfall, the very modern Routeburn Falls hut. The hut is exactly at the height of the tree line, so that a view of the valley is possible directly from the balcony. A few meters higher there is also a private hut that is used by the guided tours.
Routeburn Falls Hut to Mackenzie Hut
From the Routeburn waterfall, which does not have a particularly high fall height, but carries a large amount of water at high flow speed, the climb to Harris saddle begins, part of the 11.3 km longest section of the route that many consider to be the most beautiful. Shortly after the waterfall, another side detour is possible, at the end of which you have another - this time another - view of the valley of the Routeburn plain. The trail is now approaching Harris Lake, which feeds the Routeburn River. The mosses growing here form a fragile ecosystem that is protected in places by boardwalks. The path continues up to Harris Saddle, the terrain is slowly becoming more impassable, but looking back offers a good view of Harris Lake and the surrounding mountains. When crossing the saddle itself, you immediately notice the different environment, not least because of the now bare and snow-covered instead of tree-covered mountains. At the level of the saddle ( Tarahaka Whakatipu in the Māori language ) there is a small shelter with the Harris Saddle Shelter with a toilet, but overnight stays are not allowed here. Shortly after this shelter you can see the Hollyford Valley for the first time, but this can be seen even better from Conical Hill , to which an approx. One to two hour detour leads. In addition to Lake Harris, you can also see McKerrow Lake, Martins Bay and sometimes even the Tasman Sea from there on good days.
Soon after, the “Deadman Track” descent into the Hollyford Valley, classified as a route , branches off from the main path .
The main path now leads back into lower regions, but does not drop as steeply as the ascent, towards the end it meanders like a serpentine until it finally reaches the tree line again and shortly afterwards also the Mackenzie hut with adjoining campground. The Mackenzie Hut is located directly on the lake of the same name, which spreads out in a valley formed by a glacial river. Another small side detour to Hole in the rock (a split rock) at the end of the lake is possible.
Mackenzie Hut to The Divide (via Howden Hut)
From the Mackenzie Hut, the path continues gently into the valley; the most impressive sight on the way is the 174 m high Earlland waterfall. The Routeburn Track runs almost directly under it, but there is also a small bridged detour in case the river has too much water and becomes impassable. At the end of the section there is another mountain lake, Howden Lake. The Howden Hut is the last place to spend the night. If you want to run the Routeburn Track as part of a circular route, you have the option to switch to the Caples or Greenstone Track. The terrain now rises slightly again at first. A few meters behind the hut there is again the possibility of an approx. One hour side detour to the 919 m high Key Summit, which is again above the tree line. On the one hand, this is a watershed and has an interesting ecosystem with a raised bog, and on the other hand, one has an excellent view of the Hollyford, Eglinton and Greenstone valleys, the Humboldt and Darren mountains and Lake Marian . From the fork in the road to Key Summit, the path drops a little steeper again until you finally reach The Divide , the lowest pass in east-west direction within the New Zealand Alps. This time, the somewhat larger shelter with toilet located here is generally considered the end point of the Routeburn Track. The closest town is Te Anau, 85 km away, but you can also take a detour to Milford Sound.
The Routeburn Track is usually estimated as a three-day hike, for trained hikers it can be done in two days. However, it is worth setting aside a day for the middle section of the route so that you can enjoy the impressions without time pressure.
Overview of the route
Route section with length, height difference between the end points and hiking times estimated by the Department of Conservation . During the off-peak season , the time required can be significantly higher; with several deaths demonstrating the dangers of the tour.
| Starting place | Destination | length | Altitude | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Routeburn Shelter | Routeburn Flats Hut | 7.5 km | approx. 200 m | 1.5 to 2.5 hours |
| Routeburn Flats Hut | Routeburn Falls Hut | 2.3 km | approx. 400 m | 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Routeburn Falls Hut | Harris Saddle Shelter | approx. 3.1 km | approx. 200 m | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Harris Saddle Shelter | Mackenzie Hut | approx. 8.2 km | approx. 400 m | 3 to 4 hours |
| Mackenzie Hut | Howden Hut | 8.6 km | approx. 250 m | 3 to 4 hours |
| Howden Hut | The Divide | 3.4 km | approx. 150 m | 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Routeburn Shelter | The Divide | 33.1 km | East side: 797 m West side: 723 m |
11 to 15.5 hours |
Web links
- Routeburn Track - Introduction . Department of Conservation,accessed February 23, 2012.
- Routeburn Track . (PDF; 1.6 MB)Department of Conservation,accessed on February 2, 2012(English, information brochure).
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 44 ° 46 ′ 3 ″ S , 168 ° 10 ′ 23 ″ E