Happy Father’s Day! For the holiday, my family let me plan our activity and joined me as enthusiastic participants. We decided to do a bit of a longer hike—or tramp as the Kiwis would say—up near Glenorchy, which is about an hour or so from Queenstown.

The hike we picked was the easternmost section of the Routeburn Track, which is one of New Zealand’s multi-day Great Walks. Over 3 or 4 days, the hike cuts through the mountains to reach the Fiordlands. The distance is only about 20 miles as the kea flies, but driving takes about 4.5 hours, since a car must go all the way south through Te Anau like we did when we were in the Fiordlands.

We’d actually hiked some of the Routeburn Track from the other side on Day 7. On that day, we’d hiked from 8 along the small semicircle to the tiny lake, with a side quest up to the top of Key Summit. This time, we planned to tramp from 1 to 2.

We set off a little before lunch down a very twisty road toward Glenorchy. After passing through the small town, we drove further up into the valley towards the trailhead. Along the way, we stopped at another Lord of the Rings filming location.

They’ve taken the Hubbards to Isengard!

Back in the car, we ate some sandwiches so that we could hit the trail quickly after parking, and by 1, we were on our way.

As expected, the hike was spectacular. The trail passed through the same red beech forests we’d seen in the Fiordlands, which makes sense since they were so close. At breaks in the trees, we could see soaring mountains in the distance in all directions.

The expansive green of the forest was stunning, from the huge trees to the tiny mosses and ferns.

And there were more beautiful mushrooms (that we did not eat).

The trail steadily rose, following the Routeburn River, which somehow was simultaneously incredibly clear and incredibly blue.

We spotted a small trail toward the water and couldn’t pass it up.

The rocks along the water were surprisingly white, which no doubt enhanced the blue color of the water.

Down by the water we also found a skull. I’m pretty sure it was an orc.

Further down the trail we came across another spur trail toward the water. Here, the river widened and slowed forming a large sapphire pool. On a warmer day, we’d consider a quick plunge, but the temperature was just over 40. It was just a smidge too cold.

During the hike, the trail zigzagged over the river, we crossed three swinging bridges. The bridges look solid in the photos but sway quite a bit when you walk on them, especially if a daughter or two is trying to make it swing.

My fern-loving father would have loved this hike. The hardy ferns were enormous!

The trail continued to follow the river and soon reached an expansive flat area, completely surrounded by mountains.

The river slowed, adding to the feeling of calm serenity.

Unfortunately, it was time to turn back. I would have loved to keep going, but while the sun was still glinting off the high peaks, down in the valley where we were hiking it was getting darker.

We made it back to the car a little after 5. All in, it has been about 10 miles, and I’m delighted that we got to experience pieces of the Routeburn Track on both ends. After driving back towards Glenorchy, we pulled over for another look at the mountains.

Traveling the South Island in the off season, we’ve been amazed by how few people there are. It’s felt like our own private New Zealand, making already amazing places even more wonderful. 10 out of 10. Strongly recommend!

-Will