Hiking 160 miles Across New Zealand
Kraig AdamsNov 2023
- Days
- three weeks
- Direction
- Four separate tracks in turn: Rees-Dart, Kepler, Routeburn, then the…
- Cost
- about US$830 (about 1,500 (NZD), ECB rate 2026-11-12)
- Lodging
- Huts and tent
Oceania · New Zealand
Four tracks across New Zealand
South Island, New Zealand
- Distance
- 155 mi249.1 km
- Days
- 21 daysthree weeks
- Elevation gain
- 23,448 ft7,147 m
- High point
- 5,016 ft1,529 m
- Season
- November 10 to 28, 2023: early spring,…
- Lodging
- Huts and tent
Hikes / Oceania / Four tracks across New Zealand
In November 2023 I went to New Zealand for the first time and walked four tracks on the South Island in three weeks: the Rees-Dart, the Kepler, the Routeburn and the Milford. I flew direct from New York to Auckland, one of the longest flights I've ever done, then on to Queenstown, and I stayed around Queenstown for most of the trip.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Moderate · about 7 mi (12 km) and 1,117 ft (340 m) of climbing a day over 21 days, up to 5,016 ft (1,529 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
Relief map
The route, day by day
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (LINZ, SRTM) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tap a day for his map of it
Download GPX1.2 MB · free
Each day and variant (14 files)
- The full route 1.2 MB
- The full route 1.2 MB
- The full route 718 KB
- Day 1: Muddy Creek to Dart Hut (18.8 mi / 30.3 km) 536 KB
- Day 2: Dart Hut to Daleys Flat Hut (12.1 mi / 19.4 km) 342 KB
- Day 3: Daleys Flat Hut to Chinamans Bluff (11.5 mi / 18.6 km) 323 KB
- Day 4: Kepler Track car park to Luxmore Hut (9.8 mi / 15.8 km) 273 KB
- Day 5: Luxmore Hut to Moturau Hut (21.9 mi / 35.2 km) 605 KB
- Day 6: Moturau Hut to Te Anau (12.3 mi / 19.9 km) 349 KB
- Day 7: Routeburn Shelter to Lake Wilson (11.4 mi / 18.3 km) 308 KB
- Day 8: Lake Wilson to The Divide (14.5 mi / 23.4 km) 410 KB
- Day 9: Glade House to Pompolona Lodge (13.1 mi / 21.1 km) 361 KB
- Day 10: Pompolona Lodge to Quintin Lodge (13.5 mi / 21.7 km) 367 KB
- Day 11: Quintin Lodge to Sandfly Point (15.9 mi / 25.6 km) 425 KB
The film
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Hiking 160 miles Across New Zealand
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- Muddy Creek car park, on the Rees-Dart
- Finish
- Sandfly Point, the end of the Milford Track, then a boat to Milford Sound
- Direction
- Four separate tracks in turn: Rees-Dart, Kepler, Routeburn, then the Milford
- Usual difficulty
- Easy to moderate on the Great Walks (I called the Routeburn pretty easy and the Milford easy); the Rees-Dart is rougher, with a snowy pass
- Best time
- November 10 to 28, 2023: early spring, the start of the Great Walks season
- Permits
- Great Walk huts and campsites must be booked on bookings.doc.govt.nz; in season you can't stay without a booking
- Getting there
- Flying in. I flew direct from New York to Auckland, about 18 hours, then on to Queenstown. Queenstown has direct flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. At the end I flew Queenstown to Auckland (NZD 172 on Jetstar) and home from there.
Nearest airport: Queenstown (flights from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Australia) - Lodging
- Huts and tent
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
What Kraig carried
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 2400 · Amazon Essentials Quick-Dry Tech Hoodie · Salomon Speedcross · Katadyn BeFree AC · 1L · my tent · an umbrella · hiking clothes, camp clothes, camera gear and a few snacks · Hyperlite Mountain Gear 20° Quilt and 20 more.
Bookings and permits
When bookings open, from the sources named under each. Dates move: confirm on the official site.
DOC Great Walk hut bookings (Milford, Routeburn, Kepler)
Open in May for the season starting that October or November: for 2026-27, May 13 (Milford), May 15 (Routeburn) and May 19 (Kepler), 9:30 a.m. New Zealand time. DOC announces the 2027-28 dates early in 2027.
Next: about May 13, 2027 (a typical date: confirm on the official site)
Book on bookings.doc.govt.nz.
Source: Kraig Adams's New Zealand guide: Booking the huts. Checked November 2026.
Alert me when bookings open
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency: 111. There's no cell coverage on most of these tracks. Rent a personal locator beacon (PLB) before you go: in Te Anau at the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre, Caltex Te Anau or Bev's Tramping Gear Hire; in Queenstown at the DOC Visitor Centre, Macpac, Small Planet Sports or Mobil Frankton. 2026 prices from the Southland Locator Beacon Trust: from NZD 30 for three days, NZD 40 for a week.
Phone signal
- DOC says there's no cellphone coverage on the Milford, and I didn't count on it on any track.
- Carry offline maps and a personal locator beacon, which you can rent in Te Anau and Queenstown.
Insurance
- Check that your insurance covers tramping and medical evacuation.
- ACC helps pay for local care if you're injured, but not delayed travel or lost income.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, Muddy Creek to Dart Hut. Before the saddle, turn around and walk back down the Rees to Muddy Creek. Shelter Rock Hut is the place to stop. Once you're over the saddle, Dart Hut is closer than going back. Don't cross Rees Saddle in bad weather or cross a flooded Snowy Creek: wait at the hut.
- Day 2, Dart Hut to Daleys Flat Hut. Go back up the valley to Dart Hut and out over Rees Saddle. With the Dart Track closed below Daleys Flat Hut in 2026, that's also the way out unless you've booked the helicopter.
- Day 3, Daleys Flat Hut to Chinamans Bluff. In 2026 the only ways out from Daleys Flat Hut are back up the Dart and over Rees Saddle, or the pre-booked helicopter over the slip. In my year, the shuttle at Chinamans Bluff was the exit.
- Day 4, Kepler Track car park to Luxmore Hut. Walk back down the way you came. From Brod Bay, the water taxi runs back to Te Anau in the afternoon (2:45 and 4:30 p.m. in 2026-27).
- Day 5, Luxmore Hut to Moturau Hut. On the ridge, go back to Luxmore Hut or on to Iris Burn Hut, whichever is closer. The emergency shelters are for emergencies only. From Moturau Hut, Rainbow Reach and its shuttle are 1.5 to 2 hours away.
- Day 6, Moturau Hut to Te Anau. Rainbow Reach has a car park and a shuttle to Te Anau (10:30 a.m., 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. in 2026-27).
- Day 7, Routeburn Shelter to Lake Wilson. Walk back down to Routeburn Falls Hut, Routeburn Flats Hut or the shelter. The shuttle leaves Routeburn Shelter for Queenstown at 9:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. (2026-27).
- Day 8, Lake Wilson to The Divide. Lake Mackenzie Hut is the halfway point. The Harris Saddle shelter is day use only. In bad weather on the alpine section, turn back to the nearest hut.
- Day 9, Glade House to Pompolona Lodge. There's no road. Stay put at a lodge or hut and wait for the rivers to drop if it floods; the guides and DOC rangers organize anything else.
- Day 10, Pompolona Lodge to Quintin Lodge. Before the pass, go back to Mintaro Hut or Pompolona. On the pass, the shelter gives cover; decide there whether to go on. In season DOC may fly walkers over dangerous sections at their own cost.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 21 days, about $830, huts and tent.
Hiking 160 miles Across New Zealand
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Typical: three weeks (the hike's facts).
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Planning questions about Four tracks across New Zealand, answered only from this page's facts, the creators' versions and hikers' public tracks, with where each answer comes from. When the data doesn't say, the answer says "not given".
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Four tracks across New Zealand?
I walked 11 days over 19 days in November 2023: three on the Rees-Dart, three on the Kepler, two on the Routeburn and three on the Milford. Plan three weeks in New Zealand if you want all four.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How much does Four tracks across New Zealand cost?
For 2026-27, Great Walk huts cost international adults NZD 132 a night on the Kepler and Routeburn and NZD 152 on the Milford. New Zealand residents pay NZD 88 and 106. Shuttles between trailheads run NZD 60 to 120 each way. The guided Milford is NZD 2,925 in a shared room. See what I paid.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike Four tracks across New Zealand?
The Great Walks season runs from late October or November 1 to April 30. For 2026-27 that's October 27 on the Kepler and November 1 on the Routeburn and Milford. Outside the season the tracks become alpine winter routes.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How do you book Great Walk huts?
Book on the DOC website the day bookings open in May, at 9:30 a.m. New Zealand time. For 2026-27, huts cost international adults NZD 132 a night on the Kepler and Routeburn and NZD 152 on the Milford. I couldn't get Milford huts, so I joined a guided walk.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Can you camp on the Milford, Routeburn and Kepler?
There's no camping on the Milford. The Routeburn and Kepler have booked campsites, and the park bylaws ban camping within 500 m of the track elsewhere. I wild camped at Lake Wilson, about 2 km from the Routeburn Track.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How do you get to the tracks?
I based myself in Queenstown for the Rees-Dart and Routeburn and Te Anau for the Kepler and Milford. Info & Track and Tracknet run shuttles to the trailheads, and the Milford needs boats at both ends because there's no road to either end.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.