The Motatapu Track is a tough 3-4 day hike between Arrowtown and Wanaka with three big climbs (see the elevation profile below). This track is a historic route linking Wanaka and Arrowtown, but by crikey they didn’t choose the easiest route. It’s also a section of the Te Araroa Trail.
The Motatapu Track is a well-known track that traverses the hills between Arrowtown and Lake Wanaka. If you’re doing the Te Araroa Trail this can be a tough section. If it’s hot and dry, there’s very little shade between the huts. And if the weather packs it in, navigation suddenly becomes tricky.
I mentioned the three big climbs earlier, and while they have some great views, they’re pretty tough. Having talked to some who have hiked the track in both directions, the easiest direction is starting from Glendhu Bay.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Essential Motatapu Track Info
2. Planning Your Motatapu Track Trip
3. Motatapu Track Hiking Itineraries
4. Is There A Good Day Hike On The Motatapu Track?
5. Huts vs. Campsites On The Motatapu
6. Where To Stay On The Motatapu Track
7. When To Hike The Motatapu Track
8. How To Book The Motatapu Track
9. What To Pack For The Motatapu Track
10. Notes From The Motatapu Track
1. ESSENTIAL MOTATAPU TRACK INFO
Trail Length: 34km between Macetown to Wanaka, or ~50km if you’re going to/from Arrowtown.
Time: 3-4 days.
Type of Trail: Point to Point.
Trailhead: You can start at several points:
Motatapu Track Elevation Gain: ~3100 metres between Arrowtown and Glendhu Bay.
This is the elevation profile starting from Arrowtown and finishing at the car park on the Glendhu Bay car park:
2. PLANNING YOUR MOTATAPU TRACK TRIP
Step #1: Choose Your Trailhead
There are three trailheads on the Motatapu Track.
- Starting from Glendhu Bay (North to South): This is the easier direction and is a short drive from Wanaka.
- Starting from Macetown (South to North): Macetown is a historic settlement where the Motatapu Track officially starts/finishes on the DOC website. This is about 15km from Arrowtown, and you’ll need a 4WD to get there…and low river levels. There are companies that will shuttle you there too which I’ll mention these later in the post.
- Starting from Arrowtown (South to North): Arrowtown is where most people walking in this direction will start (there are lots of awesome walks in Arrowtown).
You’ve got two options to hike to Macetown from here:
– walking along (and through) the Arrow River
– via the Big Hill track which is the tougher but more scenic route.
Step #2: Decide how many days you’ll need
With three huts along the way, the majority of people will spend 4 days/3 nights on the Motatapu Track.
You can skip a hut comfortably, but keep in mind that one day is going to be a long day if you skip a hut and need to get all the way to Arrowtown. But there’s the option to spend a night camping in Macetown as well.
The total distance isn’t crazy, but the hills have a steep incline and on warm weather days this is draining. There are no real side trips along the way, but there are more hills surrounding the peaks you could scramble up to help fill in your days.
RELATED READ: BEST MULTIDAY HIKES ON THE SOUTH ISLAND
3. MOTATAPU TRACK HIKING ITINERARIES
Hiking the Motatapu Track over 4 days – Recommended Itinerary
- Day One: Glendhu Bay to Fern Burn Hut, 7km
- Day Two: Fern Burn Hut to Highland Creek Hut, 6km
- Day Three: Highland Creek to Roses Hut, 11km
- Day Four: Roses to Macetown, 10km or to Arrowtown, 25km
Can you do the Motatapu Track in 1, 2, or 3 days?
Yes.
For three days, you’ll need to have one bigger day where you skip a hut. But as you can see in the itinerary above, you can combine days 1 and 2 for a manageable 3km.
To do the Motatapu in two days you’ll have two solid days of hiking, but if you’re hiking fit it’s doable. And trail runners will often use the Motatapu Trail as a big training run (that’s what I did) to get the trail completed in one day (or compete in the Macpac Motatapu Ultra).
4. IS THERE A GOOD DAY HIKE ON THE MOTATAPU TRACK?
There is! A couple in fact.
The most popular option would be to walk from Glendhu Bay to the Fern Burn Hut return. That’s a 14km return walk along sie the Fern Burn Stream and has a variety of terrain to navigate. But there’s plenty of other popular walks in Wanaka I’d recommend you do before you do this one. In Wanaka for a while? Put this on the to-do list.
You can walk the section between Arrowtown and Macetown, but that’s going to be quite a long day of hiking by the time you do a return trip (25km+). If you were to do this, I’d recommend you go up to Big Hill first, then return via the 4WD track.
If you happen to be staying in Macetown for a couple of days camping, you could walk in towards Roses Hut and keep going until you decide to turn around. It’s about 10km in each direction between Macetown and Roses Hut.
5. HUTS VS. CAMPSITES ON THE MOTATAPU TRACK
The huts on the Motatapu Track are all clean, modern 12 bunk huts. They’re beautifully placed in the valleys and have plenty of space in the immediate area to relax after your day of hiking.
But you can camp near the huts on the Motatapu Track too. As always, there are pros and cons to each.
HUTS ON THE MOTATAPU TRACK
Pros
- Solid roof over your head
- They’re spread across the track reasonably evenly
- Easier to meet others hiking the track
- Matresses provided
Cons
- More expensive than camping (but they’re $5 dollar huts)
- If you get snorers you may not get much sleep (bring ear plugs)
- You cannot book them in advance, and they’re not the biggest of huts
CAMPING ON THE MOTATAPU TRACK
Pros
- You’re allowed to camp next to the huts (it’s the only place you can)
- It’s free to camp
Cons
6. WHERE TO STAY ON THE MOTATAPU TRACK
All three Motatapu Track huts are 12-bed bunks and are on private land. The pricing for all of them is:
- Adult (18+): $5/night
- Youth (11–17): $2.50/night
- Child (>10): free
If you don’t have a Backcountry Hut Pass, you’ll need to buy a standard ticket for each of the huts before you go and leave them in the honesty box.
Fern Burn Hut: This is the hut where many people will go for a day hike from Wanaka (or on an overnight trip), so it’s the most popular hut on the track. If you’re planning to skip a hut, this is the one you’ll want to skip as it’s only 7km from the trailhead. There are a couple of short trails up the surrounding hills you can explore for sunset/sunrise too.
Highland Creek Hut: This is the hut where people arrive and start to get a gauge of how tough the Motatapu Track is. It’s located in a nifty little spot and feels like a spot where you really are a million miles from everything.
Roses Hut: I really liked the position of this hut in a valley and it’s fun to see where you need to go when you’re up on the ridge (in both directions). Depending on your schedule you may need to skip this hut.
Macetown: There are no huts in Macetown, your only choice is to camp…but there are plenty of spots to camp. There’s a long drop, but you’ll want to make sure you have your own toilet paper here as it’s often run out.
7. WHEN TO HIKE THE MOTATAPU TRACK
You can hike the Motatapu Track year-round, but it’s generally a hike people do in the summer. That said, the highest peaks on the trail are lower than 1300 metres so in the winter you’ll have periods where there’s very little snow on the peaks.
But you’ll definitely want to be prepared for cold weather if you’re planning to do this track in winter.
I think the best time to do this track is in autumn when the hottest days are over and the chances of snow are minimal (but before daylight savings changes over).
8. HOW TO BOOK THE MOTATAPU TRACK
Accommodation:
You don’t need to book the huts on the Motatapu Track or a camp spot in Macetown. So you’ll just need to know where you’re staying the night before and after your hike. There are plenty of accommodation options in Wanaka/Arrowtown and Queenstown so that’s no issue. And there’s the massive Glendhu Bay campsite which is 2km or so from the trailhead.
Transport:
…to Arrowtown: If you’re planning to start hiking the Motatapu Track from Arrowtown, you don’t need to book any transport in advance. And if need be, here’s how to get to Arrowtown from Queenstown.
…to Macetown: If you’re planning to start from Macetown, you’ll need to figure out how to navigate the 15km 4WD track. If you’ve got a 4WD with a high wheelbase, you can do this yourself…but you’ll want to do a key swap this way as going back in to get the car after you finish the track isn’t fun.
The other option is to get driven in with Nomad Safaris. They don’t mention the drop-off service to Macetown directly but get in touch with them and they’ll give you a quote. They also have great knowledge of the route.
You could potentially hitchhike here, but there’s a chance you won’t see anyone all day on the road. The best chance of getting a ride to Macetown is in the Christmas/New Year period.
…to Glendhu Bay:
If you’re starting in Glendhu Bay, you’ll likely be staying in the Wanaka area the night before. It’s easy to hitchhike to Glendhu Bay from Wanaka, then you’ll need to walk the last ~2km to the trail site. Alternatively, you can call Trail Connect or
9. WHAT TO PACK FOR THE MOTATAPU TRACK
Food: There’s no dairy on the Motatapu Track! Make sure to shop at the supermarkets in Frankton or Wanaka before you start the trail. Make sure to bring food for your main meals, and pack lots of your favourite hiking snacks. And bring a bag to store your rubbish in…I always forget this!
Cooking things: Some people (me) are okay surviving off dry/cold food, but most normal people need/enjoy warm food. A lot of people love the solo pot set from Macpac and make sure you’ve got your stove and gas packed.
Sleeping bag: In the summer you could perhaps get away with a liner in the huts, but make sure you’ve got a decently warm sleeping bag. Even in the summer, you can come across some cool nights in the huts sitting in the valleys.
A tent/sleeping mat: This is a hike where you’ll want to try and keep your pack as light as possible, so having a good quality, lightweight tent and sleeping mat is key if you’re planning to camp.
Reusable water bottle: Water can be tough to come across at times on this trail so I’d recommend you take enough flasks/bottles/bladders to carry 2 litres. And top up whenever you get a chance.
Hut Tickets: Make sure to buy your hut tickets before you start out on the track. If you have a Backcountry Hut Pass, that’ll work at these huts year-round.
Battery pack: Not that there’s any reception on the Motatapu Track, but you might have a rechargeable headtorch, phone, etc. to keep charged over the time you’re on the track.
READ MORE: I USE THE KNOG BILBY RUN 400 HEAD TORCH
Insect repellent: Sandflies are not a massive issue on the Motatapu Track, but it’s always a good idea to have some in the back country.
Sunscreen, Sunglasses, and a hat: This track can be brutal in the summer when it’s hot. There’s little shade, and doing anything to make yourself more comfortable on the track is a great idea.
Waterproof layer and bag protection: Despite how good the forecast looks while you plan to be out on the Motatapu Track, the weather can change in these valleys so make sure to bring a good rain jacket (I wear the Macpac Tempo Jacket) and a good dry bag (no one wants a wet sleeping bag).
Good hiking clothes: Be practical. There’s a whole host of hiking clothing you can buy (UPF clothing is handy), just don’t be that person who goes in jeans.
10. MOTATAPU TRACK NOTES
- Magpies can be a menace during the breeding season, swooping at you for ages. It’s relentless. I was lucky to avoid this time, but mates have had a nightmare in the past (from September to November usually).
- Once again, I was lucky with there being lots of water in the tanks at huts available. But friends have been when there’s been none, and they’ve suffered from being dehydrated. Any chance you can get to fill up, do so!
- The ascents and descents on this track are pretty brutal. If you’re not experienced with steep hills at all, do some day hikes with some steeper climbs to get the feeling for them. Poles are always handy.
- The toughest section is between Highland Creek Hut and Roses Saddle Hut where you’ve got two steep climbs to navigate.
- The easiier direction is starting from the Glendhu Bay end. But it’s not a big difference in my opinion.
- If you’re walking from Glendhu Bay, as you approach Macetown, you’ll see a sign where the track splits to a high water route and a low water route. As long as there’s been no recent rain, take the low water route…the high water route is what I chose and it’s not the nicest section with lots of overgrown trails and Matagouri to push through. I didn’t realise this was an option when coming from Macetown.
The Motatapu Track is a challenging hike, and a fun way to travel from Wanaka and Queenstown…if you have time!
But it’s also a cool hike in general and if you’re not able to do the Te Araroa Trail, it’s cool to be able to say you’ve done a section of it.
If you’ve got any questions and/or comments about the Motatapu Track, leave a comment below or email jub@churnewzealand.com
And I’ll finish this with a few more photos from the Motatapu Track:
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.