Sarah WallockLonging for the Routeburn
Conquering the Routeburn, one of NZ’s Great Walks, has been high on my list since arriving to the South Island. With its crystal clear river and beautiful valleys, there’s nothing not to love! The Routeburn is on one side of Mount Aspiring National Park, which we visited from the northern end last summer. This weekend, we spontaneously decided to go for a day hike on the Routeburn.
The Routeburn shut and reopen a number of times this year due to flooding and trail maintenance. Simultaneously, we kept trying to find time to hike between our work schedules. Next, the restrictions for Covid-19 were in place. And finally, we made it!
The world is virtually shutdown from Covid-19 and everything is just beginning to reopen in New Zealand. All Department of Conservation sites, parks, huts, and facilities were closed for the last six weeks. Luckily, local trails remained open so I was able to enjoy my extended backyard in Queenstown.
Nick and I headed out 80km north from Queenstown past Glenorchy to the Routeburn Shelter, which was a 1.5 hour drive. We drove through clouds, rain, and finally, sunshine, as the weather changed in classic New Zealand fashion. Though, the temperatures and winds turned out to be very comfortable all day. We headed out to Routeburn Flats Hut for a 3-hour return.
Although the carpark was nearly full, we didn’t see another soul for the entire walk towards the Routeburn Flats Hut. The walk was very mild, with no major hills or uneven sections of trail. The sun came beaming out by the time we reached the valley.
An Autumn Afternoon
We walked along a beautiful blue stream and throughout a shaded beech tree forest for the majority of the track. We crossed a few swinging bridges. These exist in clearings where you can see beyond the forest to the snowy mountain peaks, dense forests, and further along, the meandering Routeburn River. In the past, Maori used to walk the Routeburn to mine and transport Pounamu stones.
After arriving at the hut, we basked in the sunshine, ate our lunch and sat quietly enjoying the valley. The valley caved around us and we sat by the river with the sun beaming in every direction. People arrived at the hut and passed us on the trail throughout our return. Most people on the trail had Kiwi or French or English accents. We passed at least 4 families that were beginning multi-day backpacking trips.
Everyone seemed relieved to be outdoors, and just out of the house, after the state the world has been in. We checked the hut’s guestbook to see when people had first arrived since the loosened Covid-19 restrictions and it was just one day before us.
The Routeburn is one of the most popular hikes in New Zealand. The huts sell out for every night during the peak season and remains popular all year. It was really special to be some of the first people allowed back on this stunning trail.
We didn’t plan to go backpacking or complete the whole 33km track, but I would love to return to see what the middle portions hold! Truly, I didn’t know much about the Routeburn multi-day trek as we pretty much hopped in the car, walked as long as we felt comfortable, and were on our way. It’s when I began writing this piece that I researched the full tramp and became intrigued.
Although a day hike on the Routeburn was perfect for crisp Autumn weather, I look forward to completing the full multi-day hike next summer.
