Makarora Track to Makarora Hut

Makarora Track to Makarora Hut is an advanced backcountry out-and-back from the true left of the SH6 road bridge between Kiwi Flat and Davis Flat. Allow about 10.5 km each way (21 km return) and seven hours each way; this is best treated as an overnight trip, not a long day walk. The track is steep and rough, with scrambling, unstable slips, unbridged water and sections that need route-finding. The upper river-flat approach has no marked line, so the exact distance can vary with the route across it. This is for experienced trampers who can judge crossings and navigate through changing terrain. The short Stewart Falls walk is a separate, much easier outing.

The track follows the Makarora River before climbing steeply beside Stewart Falls. Beyond the falls it sidles high above the gorge; that traverse is slippery when wet, and the descent across a large unstable slip is marked only with tape. Expect to navigate through small open flats, beech forest, more slips and fallen branches before reaching the main valley flat. A large side stream on the way cannot be crossed safely during or after heavy rain.

The marked track ends at the main valley flat. From there, the hut is about 50 minutes away on an unmarked route, and the easiest line may cross the river several times. Go only when the water is low and the crossings have safe entry and exit points; wait or turn back if they do not. The four-bunk hut sits at the northern end of the flat beside the bush on the true left. It has mattresses, heating, a non-flush toilet and stream water that is untreated; bookings are not needed, but hut tickets or a pass are required. Bring food for the trip. Dogs are not allowed in the national park.

The forested gorge opens onto long grassy flats below the basin of Mount Brewster. From the open ground, the braided river makes a strong foreground for a view up the valley. The steep surrounding ranges are shaped by glacial carving, and the forest is mainly tawhai, or silver beech. Rifleman and yellow-crowned kākāriki are among the birds recorded in the wider region, though sightings are never guaranteed.

Māori travelling inland from coastal Otago and Southland used camps in the Makarora valley, known as Kaika Paekai, or “the place of abundant food.” Haast Pass was also a route to the West Coast for pounamu. A pack track crossed the valley and pass by 1876; the road linking Wānaka and the West Coast was completed in 1965.