Wakatipu Track:Te Araroa - New Zealand's Trail

Trail Notes

Northern Start

Junction of Villiers and Buckingham Sts, Arrowtown

Southern End

Marine Parade, Queenstown

Distance

28.5km

Time

6-7hr

Track Standard

Road margin Footpath Easy tramping track Tramping track Route Mixed grade

Description
(North to South)

This track crosses the Wakatipu Basin to join Arrowtown with Queenstown. In the process it links the Millbrook Track with Lake Hayes, the historic Shotover Bridge, and the Frankton Walkway. The treadway is mostly formed walking/cycle trail though some footpath sections are included. The track is complete and signposted, in part as a section of the Queenstown Cycle Trail.

The track starts at the intersection of Villiers and Buckingham Sts in Arrowtown. Turn right into Birkshire St, then right again into Wiltshire St and right again into Caernarvon St. This street continues into Manse Rd. Follow the roadside track past Butal Park to the Malaghans Rd intersection. Cross Malaghans Rd onto the Millbrook Track, this starts just before The Avenue, the main road entry into the Millbrook Resort.

The Millbrook Track is 3.1km long and marked. It runs alongside The Avenue to the resort centre then veers to the right. It follows Mill Stream and passes through Coronet Nine golf course. The Millbrook Track exits onto Speargrass Flat Road. Turn right here, left into Slope Hill Rd, and then left again onto Rutherford Rd, which leads down to a carpark at Lake Hayes.

From the carpark Te Araroa veers a little to the right on the track down the western side of the lake. It then exits towards the highway at the southern lakehead. There is a direction sign to a carpark here. Turn left and cross the highway prior to the carpark and descend on the formed track to Lake Hayes Estate, suburbia. Follow the Queenstown Cycle Trail signs along the track that skirts the estate and exits from the lower end of Widgeon Place.

Turn right and continue upstream along the track on the Kawarau River’s true left bank. This track bends around at the Shotover River confluence and leads up towards the historic Shotover footbridge, which was restored in 2005 as a Rotary Centennial Project.

Once across the footbridge take the track to the left that passes a covered picnic table before leading down towards the river. This track continues downstream and passes under the highway bridge.

Cross to the right hand side of the road and veer right past the dog pound and the gun club. Climb the hill beside the gate to the oxidation ponds and exit through an alleyway onto Glenda Drive. Turn right onto Glenda Drive, follow that around, past the Mitre 10 and continue south to the roundabout, then right onto Hawthorne Ave out towards the main road. Before reaching the main road, turn left onto the shared cycle/walking track which takes you south towards the Five Mile shopping centre (ideal resupply point). The track continues through the Queenstown events centre and crossing the golf course onto Kawarau Rd (SH6). Cross the road, turn right, then left into Ross St. At the bottom of Ross St turn right into Birse St, which exits onto Lake Ave.

The Frankton Domain is across Lake Ave. Walk down to the lakeshore and the Frankton Walkway starts at the western end of the Domain. From here the walkway provides an easy 1 to 1½ hours lakeside walking experience to Park St. Continue on Park St and then the track through the Queenstown Gardens to Marine Pde, on the lake front, in central Queenstown.

Potential Hazards

Vehicles on road or track
Few water sources
Take care on shared cycle/walkways