Tracking the Greenstone

Take the easy option and hike hands-free through the enchanted forests and mountains of Fiordland.

Words & photographs: Sue Moody

I KNOW SOME PEOPLE who disparage tramping as a good walk spoiled – spoiled by the near (rear) view of a fellow tramper’s boots and backside. As for paying for that particular privilege – forget it, they say.

So here’s a challenge: take a three-day hike in the wildly beautiful and historic Greenstone Valley and be prepared for a change of mind. This unheralded gem, named for its valuable pounamu (New Zealand jade or greenstone), lies just inland from Queenstown Station Road that sweeps around the north-western arm of showy Lake Wakatipu. Get frisky and combine the 36km tramp with the better-known Routeburn Track, thereby completing the Grand Traverse (75km all up). It’s called Grand because you cross the spine of the Southern Alps twice, including the 1277m high Harris Saddle; Traverse refers to the terrain and tramping track.

The modest Greenstone Track (designated easy in the guide books) forms part of the 2.6 million-hectare south-west New Zealand world heritage area, Te Wahipounamu. A global concept, the tag identifies natural and cultural sites of world significance.

Remarkably, in this area of beech forest, high tussock meadows and rivers, some of the best examples of animals and plants once found on the ancient super-continent Gondwana still flourish. Spend an afternoon walking under the shadowy light of the red beeches and be transported back to before-time. In our ancient pre-history 20 million years ago these trees flourished on the legendary continent. That they are genuine relics has been proven by the fact that their spores don’t travel – there was simply no other way for them to arrive here.

More recent history recounts the toils and triumphs of colonial settlers in their quest for grazing land and, during Queenstown’s gold rush, for a commercial route west to the coast where a port could be established.

Maori traditionally crossed the Greenstone Valley from Fiordland to reach rich pounamu deposits near Lake Wakatipu. These days Ngai Tahu lease the valley to run-holders for grazing but are scoping more ambitious plans to develop tourism. This includes a proposed aerial cableway that would run gondolas across the Greenstone and neighbouring Caples Valleys to link with road transport to Milford Sound.

The snowy peaks of the Darran Mountains are
reflected in the tarn at Key Summit.

Modernity aside, it’s the other-worldly tranquillity of the Greenstone Trail that’s so enchanting. Our group of 22 (all imports from the North Island) was unanimous in praise of the trail’s luxuriant beech forests, delicate ferns and fungi, moss-covered rocky pools, fairy filtered light and springy underfoot sphagnum moss. The contrasts of forest canopy, river as constant companion, stony mountains, golden pampas-grass flats and wide blue-dome sky made for a subtle walk that complements the dramatic alpine scenery of the better-known and busier Routeburn which attracts 13,000 walkers every year.

This is trout-fishing heaven. The track shadows the river with its deep pools and abundant brown and rainbow trout (fly fishers only). We walked in early February in exceptionally hot, dry weather so were grateful for the clear swimming spots in rivers and lakes, especially at Lake McKellar where we took a rest day before tackling the Routeburn Track.

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