The Hollyford Track is one of those hikes lots of people are aware of but don’t get around to completing for a couple of reasons. Having completed the track, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. This post will help you understand why, and help you plan your Hollyford Track adventure.

The Hollyford Track is amazing. There are a whole host of ways you can complete the trail which makes it confusing to plan. But take your time to read through this post and you’ll have a much better idea of how to complete all and/or some of the 56km trail in Fiordland National Park.

Let’s get into talking about walking the Hollyford Track independently (a lot of people walk the Hollyford on a guided tour).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Essential Hollyford Track Info
2. Planning Your Hollyford Track Trip
3. Hollyford Track Hiking Itineraries
4. Is There A Good Day Hike On The Hollyford Track?
5. Huts vs. Campsites On The Hollyford Track
6. Where To Stay On The Hollyford Track
7. When To Hike The Hollyford Track
8. How To Book The Hollyford Track
9. What To Pack For The Hollyford Track
10. Notes From The Hollyford Track

1. ESSENTIAL HOLLYFORD TRACK MAP & INFO

The above is a map of the Hollyford Track. I’ve zoomed out a lot so you can grasp where exactly it is on a map, it’s further north than I realised! You can click on to see the trail on topomap.co.nz, and you can zoom in and out.

You can also see the map on Maps.me, which is a good backup as an offline map.

Trail Length: ~56km one way.
Elevation Gain: ~1300 metres.

The elevation profile below is from the Hollyford Road trailhead to Martins Bay (it ends about 1.5km from the hut).

Time: Most people will spend 3-5 nights on the Hollyford Track, but this can be changed.

Type of Trail: End to end. You can combine the Hollyford Track with the Pyke-Big Bay Route to create a loop, but the Pyke-Big Bay Route is for very experienced trampers only.

Trailhead: You can start from either end of the track:

• Martins Bay Hut
• Lower Hollyford Road

We met people who were walking in both directions. Your mode of transport and itinerary is going to dictate what the best end to start from is.

Back to the top

2. PLANNING YOUR HOLLYFORD TRACK TRIP

STEP #1: CHOOSE YOUR TRAILHEAD

• Starting from Martins Bay: The benefits of this are that you’re heading inland, so if you’re planning to fly into Martin’s Bay you can be sure when you arrive all you need to do is walk back. If you’re planning to fly out of Martin’s Bay, you can’t be sure what the weather is going to be like a few days later and you might be stranded until a weather window comes through.
• Starting from Hollyford Road: Leaving a car at the trailhead is never a bad thing, and the trickiest river crossings are early on in the walk. If you can’t get beyond them, then you won’t be stranded and can return back to the safety of the car park.

STEP #2: DECIDE HOW MANY DAYS YOU’LL NEED

Based on talking to others, most people spend 3 nights and 4 days on the track (which includes a night at Martin’s Bay Hut). With the trail coming in at 56km (give or take), that’s an average of 15km per day.

You can take it really easy, staying at all the huts and make it a 6 night, 7 day experience. That’d give you a chance to explore the surrounding areas in depth.

You can make it any amount of days though. We’ll talk about this later in the post.

Back to the top

3. HOLLYFORD TRACK HIKING ITINERARIES

Hiking the Hollyford Track over 4 days – Recommended Itinerary.

Starting from Hollyford Road.

• Day One: Hollyford Road to Alabaster Hut, 19.5km
• Day Two: Alabaster Hut to McKerrow Island Hut, 10.5km
• Day Three: McKerrow Island Hut to Hakuri Hut, 13.8km
• Day Four: Hakuri Hut to Martins Bay Hut, 13km

If you’ve got a late start, you could reach Hidden Falls Hut on day one (9km), and walk to McKerrow Island Hut on day two (21km).

You can do this itinerary in reverse as well.

Can you do the hike in fewer days?

Yes!

I completed the Hollyford in two days, fast packing:

• Day One: Hollyford Track to Demon Trail Hut.
• Day Two: Demon Trail Hut to Martin’s Bay Hut.

Could you do the track in one day? Yes, if you’re super fit, and just keep chugging along. But even in the summer it’ll take most of the day, and you’ll want to enjoy some spots along the way.

Back to the top

4. IS THERE A GOOD DAY HIKE ON THE HOLLYFORD TRACK?

Not really, given the fact it’s so out of the way and there’s no real amazing views you can get too. And you’ve got the likes of the Lake Marian Track and Gertrude Saddle nearby. But if you’re going to make me choose, here’s what I’d suggest.

From the Hollyford Road Trail Head: Head to Hidden Falls (it’s before the hut) where you can swim at the base of the falls).

From Martin’s Bay: If you’re spending a few days at Martin’s Bay/Big Bay, you could head walk the first 10km of the track or so and hang out along Lake McKerrow.

Back to the top

5. HUTS VS. CAMPSITES ON THE HOLLYFORD TRACK

The majority of people hiking the Hollyford Track stay in huts, but there are some who will take a tent and spend nights under the stars.

HUTS ON THE HOLLYFORD TRACK

Pros

• A good shelter on a track where the rain can reaaaaally rain
• Eaiest way to meet others on the hike
• The huts are on the affordable side

Cons

• If you get unlucky, the hut might be full and you’ll need to sleep on the floor
• If you get a snorer, these aren’t big huts 😀

CAMPING ON THE HOLLYFORD TRACK

Pros

• Camping under the stars is awesome
• There are lots of places you can camp
• The track doesn’t take you over mountains so there’s no snow to deal with

Cons

• If it rains in this region, you’re probably going to get wet wet
• Carrying extra weight (tent and mats) is never fun
• You might feel isolated from everyone

I’m sure there are more you can think of, but that’s all I’ve got.

Back to the top

6. WHERE TO STAY ON THE HOLLYFORD TRACK

HUTS

There are six huts on the Hollyford Track. They’re a mix of serviced and standard huts. I’ll pop the pricing for each below.

• Hidden Falls Hut (12 bunks – serviced)
• Lake Alabaster Hut (26 bunks – serviced)
• McKerrow Island Hut (12 bunks – standard)
• Demon Trail Hut (12 bunks – serviced)
• Hokuri Hut (12 bunks – serviced)
• Martin’s Bay Hut (24 bunks – serviced)

Serviced Huts:
Adult: $15/night
Youth: $7.50/night
Child/Infant: free

Standard Huts
Adult: $5/night
Youth: $2.50/night
Child/Infant: free

And if you have a Backcountry Hut Pass, you can use this to stay at all the huts year round!

CAMPING

You can camp besides all of the huts. It’s free to camp at McKerrow Island Hut, with a small fee for the rest of the serviced huts:

Adult: $5/night
Youth: $2.50/night
Child/Infant: free

Back to the top

7. WHEN TO HIKE THE HOLLYFORD TRACK

Anytime! That’s the benefit of the Hollyford Track compared to lots of the other tracks in the area.

The track doesn’t go over 150 metres above sea level so there’s very minimal risk of snow inteferring with your plans in winter, or crazy cold temperatures. That doesn’t mean you won’t have to deal with obstacles though, it wouldn’t be a Fiordland NP hike without them 😉 The track crosses several rivers which can become uncrossable under heavy rain.

So you can walk the Hollyford Track anytime of the year, but it’s best completed during a good weather window.

Back to the top

8. HOW TO BOOK THE HOLLYFORD TRACK

Accommodation: You don’t need to book any huts or campsites in advance on the Hollyford Track.

Transport: I’ll write a full post about the Hollyford Track Transport options, as there are quite a few ways you can get to/from the track.

Back to the top

9. WHAT TO PACK FOR THE HOLLYFORD TRACK

With all multi day hikes on the South Island, getting your packing right can make your trip a lot better than packing in willy-nilly fashion. On the Hollyford Track, consider the following:

Food: There’s no food to buy on the track. Your last stop to buy food before getting to the trailhead is in Te Anau. Check the opening hours of the Fresh Choice and Four Square as they can close early.

Cooking things: You’re on your own with needing pots, pans, cutlery, and gas. That’s if you’re planning to cook your meals. Or will you survive off dry food?

Sleeping bag: You’ll need a sleeping bag year-round here, whether you’re staying in huts and camp sites.

Reusable water bottle: Make sure to bring a water bottle/flask/bladder type thing. I’d suggest at least getting one litre of capacity…there’s plenty of water to be found along the track in streams and rivers. And the water at the huts was fine to drink without being boiled (in my experience).

Hut Tickets: Take enough to stay in all the huts/campsites, and bringing extra never hurts. Or make sure you have your Backcountry Hut Pass handy.

Power Bank: There’s no reception on the track, but after a few days out there you’ll want to make sure your tech has enough juice to take some photos 🙂

Insect Repellent: There are sandflies galore on the Hollyford Track!

Sunscreen, Sunglasses and a Hat: While there are lots of sections of bush on this track, Lake McKerrow, Lake Alabaster and Martins Bay are all spots where you’ll want protection in the summer months.

Hiking Poles: There’s not a whole lot of elevation on the Hollyford Track, but hiking poles could be handy on the Demon Trail.

Waterproof layer and bag protection: Even if the long range forecast looks good for the days you’re on the hike, make sure you bring a good jacket like the Macpac Tempo. The weather can change quick out here.

Back to the top

10. NOTES FROM THE HOLLYFORD TRACK

• The Demon Trail has quite the reputation. It’s not the hardest hiking trail out there, but I can imagine in the wet it’s very, very slippery.
• The three-wire-bridges are fun! You may freak out when you first see them, but they’re solid as.
• McKerrow Island Hut can be accessible if there’s heavy rain.
• I found there wasn’t heaps of orange triangles, and sometimes doubted if I was still on the right track. An offline topo map app and/or Maps.me is handy.
• This is a popular track for pack rafters. They’ll hike one way, then packraft back the other.
• There was lots of kea, kereru, and fantails on the track when I was there.
• It’s possible you’ll get stranded on the track in bad weather. A PLB is a wise idea on this hike.

Back to the top

---

I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Hollyford Track. Having spent so much time hiking in and around Otago, I think it was the chance to take on a flatter walk that was nice. And finishing at the ocean is never bad.

If you have any questions about hiking the Hollyford Track drop a comment below or email jub@churnewzealand.com.