Home
Guestbook

The Copeland Track is about a 17 km (11 mile) tramp that takes you into the Westland National Park amidst waterfalls, mountains, and fantastic views. It ends, fittingly, with a 22 person Cabin and natural hot springs tucked in-between the Southern Alps.

  Jeannine and I took off from Dunedin with three other people in our group; Doug, Fiona, and Denise. We had been invited along as part of their holiday for the Labour Day Weekend. From Dunedin, we drove about 2 hours northwest to the town of Wanaka. After meeting up with some of Doug and Fiona's friends; Joanna and James, we stayed the night in a Motor Home Park and then took off the next morning to the West Coast town of Haast.

Along the way to the West Coast--which is about three hours away--there was some amazing scenery. Gigantic glacial lakes surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, lush forests, and flooded rivers appeared around every turn. What made it stand out even more was the fact that there was little to no human population anywhere around these beautiful sites. Even the pristine lakes below some of the best ski slopes in the world were devoid of the usual commercialization that would spoil such a place. You have a sense that you are viewing the world in a way few get to see: natural and unspoiled. It was simply stunning.

From the Haast Visitor Centre, we learned that much of the track might be impassable due to high flood waters. We decided "what the hell", paid our $10 to hike the trail, and headed out towards the track. Along the 45 minute route, we passed by the rugged west coast of New Zealand and were able to see some interesting vegetation and the famous black sand beaches. It was hard to believe that with only six hours of driving we could easily go from coast to coast. This place has so many diverse regions that you sometimes forget you're still on an island.

Once at the Copeland Track, we packed our bags together, made some last second decisions to leave some stuff behind and set off to cross the first river. Since the rain during the day had dropped off, river levels were low and were able to pass our first challenge without too much trouble. Being soaked up to our knees in cold water, we set off as soon as possible to get warm and arrive at the hut before dark. The time was 12:30PM. We had six long hours to go.

The Track itself takes you through lowland forest covered in moss and vines, along rivers, and up through mountain passes and gorges. It's also heavily uphill moving from sea level to 2150 feet in little over 17 km. Some of the best highlights are the various rivers and streams you have to cross to reach the next part of the trail. Most of these are easily forded depending on the weather. However, some crevices are simply too wide or deep and require the use of a walking bridge. These bridges, while safe, take a little courage to cross for the first time. Some appear very similar to the bridge Indiana Jones had to cross in The Temple of Doom. That being said, they're great for peering down into rapids that are roaring past some 30-40 feet below..

Another highlight was the various places in the track that required you to "Keep Moving for 500M: Active LandSlide Area" or "Active Avalanche Chute". It was here that we would all scramble over gigantic boulders and uneven cliffs to reach the other side before something "bad" could happen. On our first pass through the landslide area, across the river, a small landslide did in fact occur. It scared the shit out of us and sounded like a thunder clap. After that, we stopped taking photos of us next to giant boulders in the Landslide Area and kept moving to avoid being crushed. With rain falling constantly, it was just too much of a threat to fool with. Good times.

After about the fourth hour, I was starting to think that I really shouldn't have brought that extra banana. My pack was killing my back and the rest of the group was starting to show signs of slowing down as well. The track entered into the toughest part with constant movement upwards and difficult obstacles to overcome. After awhile, your body starts to shutdown and lose that sense of balance that's important when walking three foot wide ledges and hoping over desk size boulders. We still had to two hours to go. The only thing that really kept us going was the thought of the hot pools.

Finally, at around 6:30PM, we made it to "The Welcome Hut". We were all wet, exhausted, and looking forward to getting next to something warm. The Welcome Hut is a modern looking cabin with enough room for 22 people. The kitchen area is the largest part of the hut with a small cooking stove and two sinks for drinking water and washing supplies. Of course, there is no electricity and the only outside contact with the world is a small two way radio on the wall. All supplies to build the hut were flown in with helicopters and the only way out is the Copeland Track. All around you are the beautiful Southern Alps. The real attraction though--at least for us--were the natural hot springs that run parallel to the hut. These large pools are absolutely the best cure for a six hour walk through the bush and--with a few glasses of wine--relax the body like nothing else. Even the cold rain pouring down around us could do nothing to spoil the moment. Another highlight of the pools is the opportunity to watch some amazing avalanches pour off the Southern Alps. We were 'laxing in the waters when such an avalanche announced its presence with a thunder clap that filled the valley. We then watched as it poured off the mountain top and combined with a waterfall below it. Really amazing.

After eating our dehydrated dinner and chatting up with some other hikers, we all headed off to bed and tried to keep our minds off the dreaded six hour hike that awaited us again the next morning. To keep it short, we left the next morning at 10am, hiked through the pouring rain, and arrived exhausted once more back at the car park at around 3pm.

So, it was simply an awesome way to spend the weekend. I would recommend this track to anyone in good shape and looking to check out the unspoiled beauty of the region. The hot pools are an extra bonus and will ease anyone cursing the trek after six hours. Just bring comfortable walking shoes and prepare to get wet.

THE COPELAND TRACK
Information: +64 3 750 0809
Weather: Can range anywhere from sunny to absolute pouring rain. Be prepared for anything and get used to getting wet. Stream crossings may range from one foot to four or five.
Accommodation: Welcome Hut sleeps 22 people. If bookings are full, there are also various rock overhangs that can be slept under near the hut.
Track Rating: Difficult
Personal Rating: Highly Recommended

Video: Hot Pools and Mountains (15 seconds)

More Photos:

A first person view of the first bridge...	Gorgeous mountain rivers near the West Coast.	View of the Hot Pools. Interestingly, the pools do not smell of sulfur like other natural hot springs. There are roughly 4 different pools of various temperatures to relax in.	Jeannine about to brave the first bridge crossing.
Jeannine moving quickly through the moss forest...	On the way to Haast, we took a small detour to check out one of the rivers barreling down the valley.	Jeannine and Mike	Jeannine crossing the first bridge.
Joanna crossing the bridge.	A view of the Southern Alps from the hot spa.	Another view of the Southern Alps. Notice the glacier near the bottom. We witnessed an avalanche pour down one of these mountains.	Another view of the beginning to the Copeland Track