The Star: August 03, 2017

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday August 3 2017 33
Travel
Hollyford Track – a walk in the park
• By Mike Yardley
DREAM OF embarking on an
unforgettable trek in Fiordland?
Earlier this year I lost my
multi-day hiking virginity, undertaking
a three-day guided walk
on the Hollyford Track with Ngai
Tahu Tourism.
It’s the only major low altitude
track in Fiordland National Park
– ideal for newbies like me.
Add to that the lure of well-appointed
private lodges with twin
share rooms, piping hot showers,
flush toilets, first-rate cuisine,
jet boats and chopper rides, and
these all-inclusive indulgences
soften any qualms about physical
discomfort.
In spite of that, I had spent
several weeks getting “trampready”,
hauling a backpack with
bricks in it, all over the Port Hills.
In hindsight, my training was
far more arduous than the actual
hike, itself.
Truth be told, it’s a walk in the
park. Our lead guide was Justin,
a gregarious 30-year-old with
a disarming, free-spirited Kiwi
demeanour. He was like a walking,
talking wilderness Wikipedia,
with a trusting, first-hand sense of
authority, knowledge and reverence
for the natural realm.
In spite of Fiordland’s notoriety
for high rainfall, the weather gods
were on their best behaviour as
the sun was blazing and the mercury
was nudging 25 deg C.
Beneath the exalted gaze of the
serrated Southern Alps, our first
day’s assignment followed the
crisp, swift blue-green waters of
the Hollyford River, on a gently
undulating track through native
beech forest, along the valley at
the base of the steep and darkforested
slopes of the Darren
Mountains.
Refuge from that beaming sun
soon unfurled as we walked in
dappled light under the cooling
shade of the vast canopy of beech
and ferns.
The pace was leisurely as Justin
brought to life the fascinating history,
geology, botany and ecology
of the Hollyford.
Sections of ribbonwood and
podocarp forest, liberally draped
in mosses, ferns and lichens,
added great variety and texture to
the dominance of the silver beech,
before the relatively flat track
served up a short climb over Little
Homer Saddle.
With an elevation of 182m, it
was entirely manageable, after
which we took in the gushing cascades
of Little Homer Falls ahead
of the day’s triumphant finish line
of Pyke Lodge.
As the lodge shuffled into
view, a frisson of ecstasy rippled
through my body, as lodge hosts,
Jesse and Skye, warmly greeted us
on the lawn with an inviting tray
of thirst-quenchers.
After settling in to our private
rooms and savouring a steaming
hot shower, we retired to the
lodge lounge, to be showered
again, with an evening of pampered
hospitality.
I gazed out the window at the
dreamy view of Mt Madeleine,
tinged in pink, as the lowering
sun spangled her peak.
Dinner was a delight, headlined
by a succulent venison steak and
drool-worthy lemon tart. As
much as I was ready to fall into
a deep sleep, Justin had a playful
nocturnal encounter lined up for
willing night owls.
We followed Justin by torchlight
to the banks of the Hollyford
River, where a voracious feeding
frenzy fast ensued, as he fed the
native eels the leftovers from the
evening’s venison.
They’re possibly the best fed
eels in New Zealand, growing 3m
long – and some are 70-years-old.
This frenetic riverside exposition,
alongside the glow worms and
a powdered sky of bright stars,
brought the curtain down on a
cracking day.
UNSPOILT: Fiordland’s
Hollyford Valley offers
magnificent views. Right – At
the end of a day’s tramping, a
venison steak at Pyke Lodge
was delightful.
FAST FACTS
•The Hollyford Track is
a three-day easy-paced
walk, across 43km, from the
mountains to the sea. The
walk is suitable for all ages
– it’s particularly popular
with 40-70 year olds. This
is ‘glamping’, or glamorous
tramping so you carry little
and are well catered to.
Expert guides, top-knotch
cuisine, comfortable lodges
with private bedrooms,
transport from Queenstown
or Te Anau, day packs and
rain jackets are included
in the price. Hikers carry a
light pack with clothing and
lunch on their first day and
thereafter an even lighter
day pack. A maximum
number of 16 guests
provides for a fabulously
personal experience.
The guided walk departs
every second day from
mid-October to late April.
Book well in advance! For
more information www.
hollyfordtrack.com