Tourist Guide to Mt Aspiring National Park
One of the most beautiful mountainous parks in New Zealand is best visited from November to March. This National Park feeds the souls of Nature lovers with the dense and native forests, glacial and river valleys, and towering snow-capped peaks. The mischievous kea parrots are ones to keep an eye out for here.
Locating the Park
The park is situated in the Southern Island in the backdrop of the Southern end of the beautiful Southern Alps engulf the park. The park is located towards the north of the Fiordland National Park. The Westland and the Otago regions of the South Islands form the park. The closest towns to the park are Wanaka, Queensland, and Te Anau
Getting there
The Haast pass is a principal road that cuts across the North-eastern part of the park used to get into the Park. The state highway six on the other hand gets you to the North-western region of the park.
Must have experiences
Hikes
The park provides highly diverse hiking opportunities for tourists to take on, from the glacial valley, riverside, forest to mountainous tracks. You can take on climbing the Mt Awful or Aspiring if you are fit and experience in climbing or you can take on a leisurely walk on the Haast Pass and Blue Pools walk.
Rees-Dart Walk
This is a relatively long walk recommended only to experienced hikers. It takes 4-5 days to conquer and follows the two rivers, Rees and Dart. The landscape throughout the trail is of river valleys set at a backdrop of cascading mountains.
Rob Roy glacier
This track is frequented by tourists to enter the region of the Mt. Aspiring National Park. It is a less strenuous and easily track which can be taken on by any age group. The track does not take longer than 3-4 hours to complete. The starting point of this route is from a swing bridge across the river Matukituki. You cross the dense beech forests and alpine vegetation of the park as you travel on this path.
This track boasts of the best views of the famous Rob Roy Glacier located in the park from a high Cliffside view.
The best time to take on this walk is from November to March.
French Ridge
The hike begins at the Raspberry Creek Car Parking. As you travel through the track you are taken along a valley, cross a massive and picturesque bridge over a river and also climb a steep region in the path.
One of the major gauges of your fitness while taking on this trail is the tree root climbing which makes you feel like a true jungle adventurer. Once you have tackled the climbing you witness the stunning alpine landscape where the hut is situated.
Blue pools
This walk is a short but memorable walk which takes only around one hour to cover. It is also a stroll rather than a difficult hike and is accessible to all age groups. It is a flat track taking you through the beech forest until you reach the deep and crystal clear pools of blue water. The water of the pools comes straight from glaciers that finally flow into the Makarora river and are a delightful sight to the eyes. You spot many birds and native wildlife even in this short walk, owing to the vegetation of the region. The walk begins from a location very close to the Makarora town.
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Matukituki Valley
There are two hikes to access this valley, one on the eastern side and one on the western side.
The east Matukituki Valley is a road less travelled and is not a popular track among tourists but it is truly a hidden gem and a very beautiful track. The track takes you through farmlands, dense and green forests, and if you are fit and capable of hiking peaks you can explore the Dragonfly peak and the Mt. Eostre while on this trail. The good places to camp while on this hike are Aspiring Flats and Ruth Flat. The roaring and gushing waters of the Turnbull Thomson Falls are also a stunning spectacle to watch while you explore your ways on this hike.
The west end of the valley is a popular track to reach the Matukituki Valley and is a place where solitude rules the region. The place to stay while on this track is the famous historic stone Mt. Aspiring Hut. The valleys you cross on this track and dense in vegetation and there is a plethora of wildlife. Camping tents are allowed throughout the track.
The nature of the walk requires only some basic fitness as even the climbs are not too straining but the views from the small peaks are wonderful. While on this trick you get great views of waterfalls, glaciers, and the Southern Alps.
The walk from the West valley to Dart valley which is known as the Cascade Saddle route is a mountaineer’s favourite and takes 4-5 days to tackle.
Routeburn Track
This track is a bridge between the two famous parks in the Southern Islands. It begins from the Mt. Aspiring National park and takes you into the Fiordland National Park. This route is for those who want to have the experience of being on top of the world as the track involves climbing alpine paths. It is a 32km trek taking about 2-4 days that is also chosen by a lot of people as an option to enter the Fiordland area.
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Greenstones and Caples
This route takes you through the original travel path of the Maoris between the regions of Otago and the West coast. The route is a long track which takes around 4 days to tackle, but as it is a circuit track you will need to arrange transport only from one place. The track takes you through flat tussock lands, dense beech forests, and the Caples valley. The route finally leads you to the wide and distinct Greenstone Valley where most of the Greenstone is gathered and collected in all of New Zealand.
Canyoning
The great adrenaline rich adventure of Canyoning is a great way to explore the depths and the heights of the Mt. Aspiring. It is an adventure with the perfect mixture of a thrilling experience while enjoying the natural beauty. The trek through gorges, waterfalls, and rock pools allows you to confront nature in its true form.
Jet boating
The two major sites to offer jets boating in this park are Wilkin and Makarora.
In Wilkin, you experience the ultimate shallow-river boating experience through the Wilkin River.
Both experiences take you through the native landscape of green bushes, river valleys, and the snow-covered peaks. The best way to explore the national park through its waters is by going on jet boat rides. The boat ride offers a tour of the scenic river shots of the Lord of the Rings series as well as up-close views of glaciers and glacial valleys.
Scenic flight
This is an experience of a lifetime for those who love heights and enjoy the feeling of being on top of the world. The best views of the entire range of the Southern Alps are gotten from the scenic flights preferably taken on in a helicopter. The view of the glacial valleys and the snow-capped Mt. Aspiring Park peaks are a sight to behold. You get the opportunity of landing on an alpine region if the weather permits and this lets you explore the remote mountainous regions by foot making the experience highly fruitful. The best location to land is overlooking the huge and spectacular Isobel glacier. You can combine this helicopter ride with Heli-Skiing during the winter season.
Staying there
While you are taking on long hikes, the Department of Conservation has ensured ample space to pitch your tents as well as back-country huts to stay on the way.
But to stay close to the National Park you can choose to stay in the nearby towns from where you can easy access the Park.
Camping
Pleasant Flat Campsite and Haast Holiday Park
Budget
Heartland Hotel Haast and Camp Glenorchy Eco Retreat
Mid-range
Glenorchy Motels and Haast River Motel
Luxury
Blanket Bay and Glenorchy Lake House
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Ensure that you have checked the eligibility for your New Zealand eTA. If you are from a Visa Waiver country then you can apply for an eTA regardless of the mode of travel (Air / Cruise). United States citizens, Canadian citizens, German citizens, and United Kingdom citizens can apply online for New Zealand eTA. United Kingdom residents can stay on New Zealand eTA for 6 months while others for 90 days.