Hollyford Track - 3 Day Experience

Hollyford Track- 3 Day Experience Photo #1 of 1 Walk the Hollyford Valley from the mountains to the sea. The Hollyford Track 3 Day Wilderness Experience is a 3 day / 2 night all-inclusive multi day adventure. Following your experienced guide you will traverse this historic valley by foot, jet boat and finally helicopter as your guide brings to life the diversity of the landscape, vegetation, wildlife and history. The Hollyford Track Guided Wilderness Experience includes: Pre-departure briefingHollyford Little Homer falls group Return coach transport with hotel pick ups from Queenstown or a pick up from the Distinction Te Anau Hotel on our way through. Friendly, knowledgeable & professional guides Wilderness jet boat journey down the Hollyford river and across Lake McKerrow Amazing helicopter flight into Milford Sound Friendly professional lodge hosts Track accommodation in well-appointed private lodges with twin share rooms, hot showers and flush toilets All bedding including duvets and hot water bottles, towels, soap, shampoo and hairdryers All meals on the track Use of backpacks and rain jackets if required Transport of your main pack from Pyke Lodge to Martins Bay Lodge (while you use one of our smaller day packs for essential gear only) Photo copyright Hollyford Track.

Hollyford Track

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Overview

The Hollyford Track guided wilderness experience has a long and interesting history and it started life back in the 1930's when farmer and local legend / icon Davey Gunn began guiding guests through the valley as part of his cattle musters. The product then was more about joining Davey on a cattle muster up the valley rather than a true guided walk and the walk aspect was developed more by one of Davey Gunn's assistants, Ed Cotter.

In 1959 Hollyford Valley was incorporated into Fiordland National Park meaning previous attempts to farm the area were no long permissible so Ed put even more focus into developing this rather raw walking product into a more focused guided walk. In the mid sixties he introduced boating into the walk itinerary to bypass the notorious Demon Trail and shorten the trip.

Ed struggled to make a living from the walk and in 1968 Jules Tapper and Viv Allot took up the ailing business, registered Hollyford Tourism Company and conducted their first year of operation in the summer of 1969 / 1970.

Jules and Viv purchased a 21 foot diesel powered launch 'Davey Gunn' and put her on Lake McKerrow in 1969, followed by two 18 foot alloy jet boats shortly thereafter. These jet boats were the first alloy V nosed fine stemmed commercial jet boats in New Zealand. Jules and Viv also made extensive additions and improvements to the buildings that were originally in the area as prior to this there was no electricity, running water, bathrooms or toilets in either of the lodge sites. In addition they developed their own airstrips to make the operation viable and self sufficient as there wasn't, and still isn't, any road access.

In the late 1990's, the company was sold to Peter Archibald, Stephen Fisher, Matthew Rose, and Mo and Louise Gardiner who set about making extensive improvements, including refurbishment and extension of the Martins Bay Lodge accommodation block and bathroom unit, the building of a new Pyke River Lodge, the purchase of a new twin engine jet boat and 20 seat shuttle. A strong customer focus was also introduced with time and effort being placed on getting the product right for the customer. The result being a 100% recommend rate of the Hollyford Track to friends and family from the 1500 of their customers that were surveyed.

In June 2003 Ngai Tahu Tourism recognised the potential of the Hollyford Track and purchased the business to complement its other high quality, iconic tourism companies including Shotover Jet, Dart River Jet Safaris, Franz Josef Glacier Guides, Abel Tasman Aqua Taxis, Kaiteriteri Kayaks, Rainbow Springs and Hukafalls Jet.

Ngai Tahu Tourism have invested heavily in Hollyford Track bringing it to the highest of standards that it is today with a refurbished lodge at Pyke River and a new lodge at Martins Bay, plus significant investment in upgrading or replacing much of previous the plant and facilities. Today the Hollyford Track guided wilderness experience is renowned as one of New Zealand's greatest walks with a diversity of experiences and premiere delivery which are unequalled by any other walk in the country.

Ngai Tahu Tourism will continue to invest in Hollyford Track, not only as one of New Zealand's premiere wilderness experiences but also as Hollyford Valley plays a significant role in the history and heritage of the Ngai Tahu people.

Evidence of Ngai Tahu's connections to the Hollyford Valley can be seen in the many place names of the areas. Each geographic feature was named, acting as oral memory aids preserving the histories of several layers of settlement spanning centuries including the people of Waitaha, Rapuwai, Ngati Wairangi and finally Ngai Tahu. These oral survey pegs of the past follow the ancient pounamu (greenstone) trails beginning in Te Awawhakatipu (Dart River) and cross Ka Mauka Whakatipu (Ailsa Mountains) before descending to Whakatipu Katuku (Hollyford River) through to Whakatipu Waitai (Martins Bay).

With Ngai Tahu's migration into Te Tai o Poutini (Westland), the lands were subdivided among the leading chiefs of the conquering hapu (tribe). Tutoko's (a local chief) Ngai Kaipo (sub tribe) were given charge of Whakatipu Waitai which was well known as part of the pounamu trails leading from Te Tai o Poutini to Murihiku (Southland), but also as an important mahinga kai (food gathering site) and waka (canoe) building centre around Lake Alabaster or Wawahi Waka (to split tress for canoes).

Ngai Tahu Tourism's association with the area enables the iwi to add an additional layer to their presence and their voice as a key stakeholder in the area and recognition of their kaitiakitanga (guardianship) over a landscape that bears their histories.