Te Anau Adventure

Our latest trip mirrored off the very successful Glenorchy Adventure.

Bookings open Thursday 10th July 2025 @ 9.15am

Price $1825.00

Trip Date; 9th to 13th March 2026

If you have any queries about any of our trips, please contact the trip co-ordinator

ABOUT:

Te Anau is a picturesque town on the edge of Lake Te Anau and the gateway to Fiordland National Park. Our group will be staying at the Te Anau Downs Campus (owned by John McGlashan College) which provides us with a good home base to enjoy a variety of walks in the area and will give everyone some memorable scenery and a small taste of what Fiordland has to offer. The lodge is on the shore of lake Te Anau so plenty of opportunities for swimming. This promises to be a very memorable week.

It is essential that everyone has a good level of fitness and is well equipped to cope with strenuous exercise in remote alpine areas.

ITINERARY:

Note: Schedule may be changed around to suit the weather.

Day 1; Our vans leave from outside the Leviathan Hotel at 9.00am. One stop on the way at Gore for a cuppa/ early lunch. We can pick people up at Dunedn Airport (providing flight arrives before 9.00am) and enroute to Te Anau. Time for a look around the town before heading to accommodation at Te Anau Downs. Once settled in we will walk the Lake Mistetoe walking track which is close to the lodge and takes around 1 hr.

Day 2: We drive to the end of the Hollyford Road passing Gunn's Camp, originally a Public Works Department camp for road construction workers it has a rich history in the Hollyford Valley. Established in 1938 to house men working on the Hollyford-Okuru Road it was purchased in 1951 by Davey Gunn who used the buildings as a base for his farming and tourism ventures. The camp evolved into a unique destination, offering accommodation and serving as a base for exploring the surrounding area and the Hollyford Track, unfortunately it was severely damaged in a bad weather storm in 2020. On reaching the end of the road we start out on the Hollyford Track enjoying a relatively easy 9 km (2-3 hour) walk on a formed track with boardwalks over swampy areas and a swing bridge over Humboldt Creek to Hidden Falls where we will have our lunch stop and then make our way back the way we came.

Day 3; Drive up the Milford Road to the Lake Marian car park. Then walk into Lake Marian a gorgeous alpine lake in a hanging valley surrounded by spectacular mountain peaks and waterfalls (aprox 3 hours return), a little technical but you won’t be disappointed and is often rated as the best walk between Te Anau and Milford. Worth taking your swimming togs for a dip in the crystal-clear waters of the lake. A short drive back to the divide for lunch then a walk to key summit. The first part of the walk is in the bush under a beautiful canopy of trees, ferns and with the small waterfalls tumbling along the sides of banks you’re walking alongside. The gentle incline of the track turns into switchbacks until you emerge out of the bush into the more alpine terrain of tussocks, shrubs, and smaller trees. You definitely need to remember your sunscreen for this one! Shortly afterwards, you’ll come across the turn-off to the Key Summit Track itself (the previous part of technically the Routeburn).It gets a little steeper on this part and you’re not under any cover, so if you’re walking in sun make sure you use sunscreen or wear a light long-sleeved shirt. It’s only about 20 minutes to the top from the turn-off and then you’ll be treated to stunning panoramic views of Fiordland National Park. Looking north is the Hollyford Valley, with the Alisa and Darren mountains on either side and above the Lake Marian bowl are Mount Christina and Mount Crosscut. Looking east is the Greenstone Valley.

Day 4; A highlight of the week will be the 2 hour exhilarating jet boat ride on the Waiau River and 30 minute Helicopter Ride which will take us across the Kepler Mountain Range, Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri and includes an alpine landing where you can soak in the magnificent panoramic views). Then after lunch in the afternoon we will walk from the control gates to Brod Bay and return approx. 3-4 hour walk.

Day 5; After packing up, we'll head to the walking/cycling track that links Te Anau to Manapouri and walk a few kms along the very picturesque Waiau river. Quite a different view compared to being on the river in the jet boat. Then back to Te Anau to have a complementary lunch at a café before heading home to Dunedin. On the way home stopping at Mandeville for a cuppa at The Moth Restaurant located beside Croydon Aviation Heritage Centre which houses an extensive collection of de Havilland aircraft and locomotives. We plan on arriving back in Dunedin late afternoon and can drop people off at Dunedin airport for flights after 7pm.

TRANSPORT AND FOOD:

Our vans leave from the Leviathan Hotel in Dunedin at 9.00am.

We can pick you up enroute to Te Anau. If you choose to meet us in Te Anau there is no discount to the cost of the trip. Prices are all based on travel from Dunedin.

Food is catered by us and a local caterer from Te Anau who will come each day to the campus and prepare/cook our evening meals for us where we can relax enjoy great scenery, company, and meals. As this is lodge based you can bring your own refreshments to enjoy with your evening meal.

CONTACT:

Janine Dunlop

Phone; 027 233 9755 (please contact after 5.30pm)

Email: borland@ortt.org.nz