Views from the Rees Saddle. Photo credit: Kate Ross
The Rees-Dart Track is a 4-day, point-to-point track located in Mount Aspiring National Park, near Glenorchy, on New Zealand’s South Island. It traverses the Rees Valley and Dart Valley, ending literally in a town called “Paradise”.
I completed this track in January 2025 over four days and three nights. In particular, the first and second day of this track were stunning.
Here is some beta for you to use while planning your hike on the Rees-Dart track.
Trail Stats
Distance: 63km
Elevation: 2,089m (from AllTrails)
Route Type: Point to Point
Difficulty: Moderate
Hiking Season: December – April
Planning Resources
The Department of Conservation website has lots of information and topographic maps to help plan your visit.
Preparing for the Trip
Itinerary
The Rees-Dart track is typically completed in 4-5 days, and can be done in a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction. I opted to start in the Rees Valley from the Muddy Creek trailhead, and end at the Chinaman Bluff trailhead in the Dart Valley. I took four days, but some groups I met spent an extra night at Dart Hut and did a side trip up to the Dart Glacier and / or Cascade Saddle.
Given that I did not get to complete Cascade Saddle on my most recent journey up the East Matukituki valley, I wish I had taken five days on this trail and checked this out on a side trip.
It is possible to start at the Raspberry Creek trailhead and traverse the Cascade Saddle to get to Dart Hut – several groups I met on the trail had done this. Please do your research and ensure you are prepared if you choose to tackle this route as it is difficult and can be unsafe in poor weather.
Transportation to Trailhead
You can drive to both the Muddy Creek or Chinaman Bluff trailheads. Should you, though? It is not feasible to walk between the two trailheads – it would be over 40km of road walking. There are a few options to consider here: car relocation services, shuttle bus services, or hitchhiking.
The car relocation service is expensive. I looked into it and at the time of writing it would only have been worth it if there were 2+ people in my vehicle.
The shuttle buses operate from Queenstown, with a stop in Glenorchy. There is one departure per day from Queenstown towards Muddy Creek, and one departure per day from Chinaman Bluff back to Queenstown. I opted to leave my vehicle in Glenorchy, and took the shuttle bus to the Muddy Creek trailhead.
If you wanted to hitchhike – there is very little vehicle traffic going towards Muddy Creek, especially in the mornings, so I would say there is a high chance you won’t find a ride and will end up walking 20+ km to the trailhead from Glenorchy. When I reached Chinaman Bluff, I was able to hitchhike back to Glenorchy. There are more day trippers accessing this trailhead due to its proximity to Paradise so you will have a better chance of finding a ride.
If you would like a bit more certainty, I would recommend booking the shuttle on both ends of the trail, to be safe.
Sleeping Options
There are three huts along the Rees-Dart Track: Shelter Rock hut, Dart hut, and Daley’s Flat hut. At the time of writing, all huts required bookings. You can camp outside of the huts and use the facilities but tickets should be purchased before you depart at the Glenorchy DoC or Queenstown DoC offices.
I opted to bring my tent and camp outside of the huts. This worked well at Shelter Rock and Daley’s Flat huts. Note that the campsite at Dart Hut is quite exposed, and about 5 minutes walk away from the hut. If the weather is stormy I would recommend booking at the hut instead of camping. I learned this the hard way … read on for more details!
On the Trail
Day 1: Muddy Creek to Shelter Rock Hut
I hopped off the shuttle bus at Muddy Creek at around 9:45am, ready to start walking. The track crosses a small creek and then descends into the Rees Valley. It provides classic Mount Aspiring views with rugged peaks and a pristine blue braided river winding through yellow tussocks and farmland.
The Rees Valley. Mount Earnslaw is peeking out through the clouds. Photo credit: Kate Ross
For the first few kilometers, you’ll follow a dirt access road hugging the riverbank. This is easy walking and a good way to start the hike. Soon after, the terrain becomes fairly marshy, and pole markers are few and far between. I lost the trail several times in this section, and ended up knee deep in pungent bog water multiple times. Yum.
After a point the trail starts to climb up the banks of the valley, likely to avoid some of this marshy territory. The trail then continues through the valley, hugging the fenceline of some privately owned farmland. After a few hours, a sign announces that you have entered the actual national park. The trail climbs more than expected through the forest, up into the sub-alpine, where a few creek beds are crossed. These were dry when I did the trail.
After about 6 hours of walking I arrived at Shelter Rock hut, a sight for sore eyes and feet.
Shelter Rock hut, located just below the treeline at the top of the Rees valley. Photo credit: Kate Ross
I spent the afternoon and evening resting on the deck at Shelter Rock, dipping my feet in the icy cold creek, and chatting with the other occupants of the hut.
Day 2: Shelter Rock Hut to Dart Hut
Saddle crossing day! I was keen to get up early to avoid climbing the Rees saddle in the rain. Based on the previous day’s forecast, this was scheduled to hit mid afternoon.
I packed up my tent, choked down my coffee and oatmeal, and was on the trail by 7:45am. From Shelter Rock hut, the trail gradually climbs up the Rees Valley. At the end of the valley, there is a short and steep climb to the saddle. I took a snack and water break at the saddle to enjoy the views of the valley behind, and the views of Snowy Creek and Mount Edward in the valley ahead.
Snowy Creek and Mount Edward in the distance. Photo credit: Kate Ross
The descent from the Rees saddle to Dart Hut was gradual at first, but became quite steep after the Snowy Creek bridge crossing. All in all, this leg of the track only took me 4 hours. I spent the afternoon stretching, reading, and setting up my tent before the rain and wind came in by early evening.
I burrowed into my sleeping bag as the rain poured around me and the wind began to blow fairly hard. As I went to sleep, I prayed my tent would hold through the weather.
Day 3: Dart Hut to Daley’s Flat Hut
Unfortunately, the wind and the rain picked up considerably through the night. My tent was flexing and bending so much in the wind that the tent fly pulled the pegs out of the ground and the tent was folding in on me. At the same time, the rain was blowing under the fly of the tent, running into the tent, and puddling at the bottom. Needless to say, I got exactly 0 minutes of sleep.
As the sky began to lighten, I cut my losses, packed up my tent in the howling wind and rain, and decided to seek shelter in the hut with a coffee (or two). I watched the Dart River thundering below the hut, gray with glacial till, until the rain subsided around 10am.
I packed up my sodden gear and started the hike to Daley’s Flat around 10:30am. The trail weaves through the forest, crossing a number of creeks, and then descends to an exposed plain. It continues to cross tussocky plains and lush rainforest before arriving at Daley’s Flat hut. This section took me just over 6 hours to complete.
I laid all my gear out in the sun for a few hours to dry before setting up my tent behind the hut. Needless to say, I retired quite soon after eating dinner to my tent, and fought until the late hour of 9pm to stay awake.
Note that the sandflies at Daley’s Flat hut are relentless and brutal. Insect repellant is highly recommended!
Day 4: Daley’s Flat Hut to Chinaman Bluff
I slept very well at Daley’s Flat hut, despite the 50+ sandfly roommates that managed to make it into my tent overnight. Again, I choked down some oatmeal and coffee before hitting the trail at 8am. The walking on this section was quite flat, and meanders through a calcified forest beside the river for a while.
Calcified forest in the early hours of the morning. Photo credit: Kate Ross
It continues to oscillate through the forest for some time, before the trail ends at Chinaman Bluff car park. I arrived by 12:30 at the parking lot, so this section only took 4.5 hours.
A few of us from Daley’s Flat hut were able to find a hitchhike back to Glenorchy with a kind man who was visiting from China. We celebrated getting off the trail at Mrs. Woolly’s cafe with meat pies and cold beverages before heading our separate ways.
Summary
The Rees-Dart track is another classic Mount Aspiring track that I was grateful to tick off my bucket list on my most recent trip to New Zealand.
Have you done this track before? What was your favourite section?
