Parking
Park at Rarakau Car Park (Bluecliffs) near Tuatapere; no public transport—drive or hitchhike.
Overview
About South Coast Track
Why go
- Historic tramway with four wooden viaducts between Port Craig and the Wairaurahiri
- Frequent Hector’s dolphin sightings right from the beach
- Far quieter than Fiordland’s Great Walks for a true remote feel
Heads up
- Extended bog and mud west of the Wairaurahiri slows progress
- Tide-dependent beaches and unbridged streams can stall your day
- No public transport to the trailhead complicates logistics
A true Fiordland backcountry classic, the South Coast Track serves up wild beaches, regenerating podocarp forest, dramatic headlands, and a heavy dose of history. Expect swing bridges, sections of beach walking, and an old timber tramway with four historic wooden viaducts. If you’re lucky, Hector’s dolphins cruise just offshore. It’s quieter than the park’s Great Walks, but also rougher and more remote—exactly the appeal for many.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy goMap & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Fiordland Tour Guide
Your drive to South Coast Track, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Fiordland National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Fiordland audio tour- 126 audio storiesacross Fiordland’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, Fiordland Penguin, Blue Duck, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 68 trails, 124 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking South Coast Track
Route overviewThe standard east–west traverse runs one way for about 38 miles (61 km) from Rarakau Car Park…
The standard east–west traverse runs one way for about 38 miles (61 km) from Rarakau Car Park near Tuatapere to Big River. The first leg to Port Craig is the gentlest, with well-formed track that’s fine for less experienced trampers. Highlights early include Blowholes Beach and the Port Craig milling relics with interpretive panels. From Port Craig to the Wairaurahiri, the track follows the old tramline—mostly flat travel punctuated by those photogenic viaducts. West of the Wairaurahiri toward Waitutu, the going gets boggy for much of the way before improving; from Waitutu to Big River, it feels the most remote, with arguably the best forest and overall scenery.
Difficulty and conditionsDon’t be fooled by the low elevation—this is an advanced tramping route once you’re past Port…
Don’t be fooled by the low elevation—this is an advanced tramping route once you’re past Port Craig. Expect deep mud, uneven, rooty tread, tide-dependent beach sections, and unbridged stream/river crossings that can be impassable after rain. It’s slow going in places and navigation includes beach route-finding. Cell coverage is limited to nonexistent. Allow 4–6 days for the full traverse (roughly 21–29 hours on foot, depending on tides and conditions). A popular shorter option is the out-and-back to Port Craig (about 20 km, ~7 hours one way).
Huts, water, and campingHuts are spaced sensibly along the route, including Port Craig, Wairaurahiri, Waitutu, and Big…
Huts are spaced sensibly along the route, including Port Craig, Wairaurahiri, Waitutu, and Big River. DOC huts here are first-come, first-served—carry hut tickets or a Backcountry Hut Pass. There’s also a private lodge at Port Craig if you want more comfort (book separately). There are no services along the track; you must be self-sufficient. Water from huts should be boiled before drinking. Campsites exist but can be scarce and damp; experienced trampers sometimes use unofficial camping near Big River.
Access and logisticsStart at Rarakau Car Park (Bluecliffs).
Start at Rarakau Car Park (Bluecliffs). There’s no public transport to the trailhead—most people drive or hitchhike. Several sections are tide-affected; plan your day around the coast windows. Download offline topo maps/GPS data ahead of time and check current advisories on the Department of Conservation track page. If you want to extend your mission, this route can link with the Hump Ridge Track or the Teal Bay–South Coast Track.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Fiordland
1,181 sightingsKeaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
199 sightingsFiordland PenguinMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
228 sightingsBlue DuckMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
32 sightingsBottlenose DolphinMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
247 sightingsNew Zealand Fur SealMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
58 sightingsKākāMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Fiordland. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
