Tramping The Rees Dart Track
The Rees Dart track is a spectacular 3-5 day tramp near Queenstown in the south island of New Zealand. There are superb views of large mountains and glaciers. The Rees-Dart track itself is four day tramp, but many people wisely take an extra day to do the Cascade Saddle side trip which is probably the best part.
Rees Valley Rd - Shelter Rock Hut
This 17.5km section is marked as a 6-8 hour tramp. Any one with a reasonable level of fitness would have no trouble meeting the suggested time. The track starts at around 500m above sea level and eventually rises to 900m at the hut. The first 10km of the track is very flat through an open river valley with just the occasional rise to skirt around some small bluffs. Even these small rises can be avoided by staying down in the river valley as long as the river isn't flooded. It's fantastic to walk on such flat ground with mountains all around. There are a couple of places to camp under rock overhangs which could be very useful if trapped by flooded side streams. It's always hard to imagine when you see these little ankle deep creeks, but they can become very dangerous after heavy rain. After crossing the swingbridge the track gets a little more difficult with a few more short rises, but still it's pretty easy going.
Shelter Rock Hut - Dart Hut
A 9km section is marked as 4-6 hours. This takes you up over the Rees saddle at 1470m altitude and then back down to about 900m again at Dart Hut. This is obviously more strenuous than the first day but the marked times are once again quite easy to meet. The first 4km or so rise gradually, there were several keas here when I walked through. The last couple of hundred metres up to the saddle a really quite steep. The views are brilliant though so if you need a break on the way up there is plenty to look at. From the top of the saddle you gradually descend the rest of the way to Dart hut. Along the way there are more great views everywhere. At almost any point along the track you get views that would be worth a tramp just to see that one thing.
Cascade Saddle - Side trip from Dart Hut
Taking an extra day to enjoy this side trip is highly recommended. The walk there and back is 16km and takes 6-9 hours. This is plenty of time to complete the walk but you may want to allow more time to explore the area around the saddle. The first 5km have fairly gently undulations as you walk through some rocky terrain, even in the middle of summer you will be surrounded by snow capped peaks. As you get closer to the saddle you'll be able to see the dart glacier. The track gradually becomes steeper eventually becoming quite difficult just before reaching the saddle. The views from the saddle on a good day are just brilliant! From one point near the edge of a steep drop you can see the previously mentioned Dart glacier, Mount Aspiring, some very high waterfalls and the Matukituki river way down below winding it's way through the river valley. I spent about and hour here soaking up the views. I needed to remember them well because I forgot to take my camera.
Dart Hut - Daleys Flat Hut
This 16km piece of track is marked as 6-8 hours walking time. The track is quite different from here on, it spends a lot more time in the forest which makes for a nice contrast. Whenever the track comes out of the forest you will once again be treated to spectacular views of the mountain scenery.
Daleys Flat Hut - Chinamans Road End
  This section is 15km long but is mostly flat so only takes 4-6 hours. There are basically only two hills here one at Sandy Bluff and the other Chinamans Bluff, at both points you must go over the bluffs which give great views of the Dart river below.The Dart River can be very grey in colour which comes from the glaciers melting |
Transport toand from this track from Queenstown or Glenorchy can be arranged. The vans actually go daily for most of the year but they prefer you to make a booking. The three huts on this track are very well maintained, they even have flush toilets. There are no gas cookers though so you'll have to take your own.
Photography by Morag Aldridge