4WD road from Glenorchy to Milford Sound

Forums › Travel (planes, train, cruise) › 4WD road from Glenorchy to Milford Sound

1 | 2 | 3

1784 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2638

Trusted

Chorus

#2476731 5-May-2020 09:16

http://4wdsouth.co.nz/index.php has a great book authored by Mark Wilson, an experienced 4WDer based in the south island. His book contains 113 south island tracks and trails. The tracks are graded from easy through to very challenging so you can easily select routes that match your abilities and equipment.

I have a copy of his previous book co-authored by Ken Silby which also contains basic 4WDing tips and tricks to get you out of a bind. The current book is likely to also have this section but I can't be sure.

MikeAqua

8031 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3820

#2476733 5-May-2020 09:21

The OP might be thinking about the track into Doubtful Sound, which is accessed via car 'ferry' across lake Te Anau to a ramp near the power station intake and uses Wilmot Pass road. I've been in there a few times years and years ago towing a trailer boat. It was a reasonably passable road.

Mike

outdoorsnz

694 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 303

ID Verified

#2476824 5-May-2020 11:12

MikeAqua:

The OP might be thinking about the track into Doubtful Sound, which is accessed via car 'ferry' across lake Te Anau to a ramp near the power station intake and uses Wilmot Pass road. I've been in there a few times years and years ago towing a trailer boat. It was a reasonably passable road.

Side note. This also makes good access for mountain biking / tramping, from the lake Manapouri power station to borland road - lodge / lake Monawai road end. Mostly gravel road, but a brief very tricky bit where pylons descend steeply from saddle to road over no mans land!

mudguard

2327 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1250

#2476852 5-May-2020 12:01

mudguard:

I vaguely recall someone telling me they take jetboats across Lake Te Anau and then 4WD over from there... As far as I can tell the 4WDs stay on that side of the lake permanently. And I don't know if they go all the way to Milford.

I wonder if it was Doubtful Sound they were talking about then?

MikeAqua:

The OP might be thinking about the track into Doubtful Sound, which is accessed via car 'ferry' across lake Te Anau to a ramp near the power station intake and uses Wilmot Pass road. I've been in there a few times years and years ago towing a trailer boat. It was a reasonably passable road.

Senecio

2856 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3168

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2476858 5-May-2020 12:16

MikeAqua:

The OP might be thinking about the track into Doubtful Sound, which is accessed via car 'ferry' across lake Te Anau to a ramp near the power station intake and uses Wilmot Pass road. I've been in there a few times years and years ago towing a trailer boat. It was a reasonably passable road.

mudguard:

wonder if it was Doubtful Sound they were talking about then?

lake Manapouri leads to Doubtful Sound.

MikeAqua

8031 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3820

#2481063 11-May-2020 12:12

Senecio:

lake Manapouri leads to Doubtful Sound.

Sorry, you are right. Had my lakes confused. There was (and presumably still is) a vehicle barge that takes vehicles to the landing site near the water intake. At the time I went we were towing a university boat that was being used for monitoring research in Doubtful Sound. Perhaps we had special permission to use the barge service. I didn't organise, just there as a second driver.

I understand the road is used by tourist buses, so someone like real Journeys may be running the barge now.

Mike

Apple TV

Stream your favourite shows now on Apple TV (affiliate link).

Konev

20 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 7

#2489875 22-May-2020 23:23

To answer the question in full. there is no vehicle track of any form between Glenorchy and the Hollyford valley.

If confused with the route to Doubtful sound then yes there is however it is generally closed over winter. If traveling in summer it would be passable with a single vehicle. The road you are looking for is the borland road.

sud0

283 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 117

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2489879 23-May-2020 00:12

Konev:

To answer the question in full. there is no vehicle track of any form between Glenorchy and the Hollyford valley.

If confused with the route to Doubtful sound then yes there is however it is generally closed over winter. If traveling in summer it would be passable with a single vehicle. The road you are looking for is the borland road.

Nice.. thanks for that! BTW found this video on YT...

Lucas

lpossamai.me

MikeAqua

8031 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3820

#2491023 25-May-2020 13:19

Konev:

To answer the question in full. there is no vehicle track of any form between Glenorchy and the Hollyford valley.

If confused with the route to Doubtful sound then yes there is however it is generally closed over winter. If traveling in summer it would be passable with a single vehicle. The road you are looking for is the borland road.

Does Borland Road link up with Wilmot Pass Road into Doubtful? I've only been as far as South Manapouri. I didn't think the two roads were connected (happy to be corrected as I haven't been there for decades).

TopoMap suggests the roads aren't connected.

South Manapouri is stunning, but also the most Sandfly infested place I have ever camped. Fly camping with bivvy bags ... only lasted two nights.

Mike

Konev

20 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 7

#2492275 26-May-2020 21:08

Yes it does, the road was built to construct and then service the power lines from the manapouri hydro scheme.

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
9334 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6203

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2492317 26-May-2020 21:54

About twenty years ago I was in a group of 12-15 mates on our annual Boys’ Outdoor Week (which we did for over 30 years) - this time riding MTBs in Southland. As part of this we stayed a night in Te Anau (in the Southland Deerstalkers Assn lodge) and rode to Manapouri the next morning. A guy with a jet boat took us and our gear and bikes to South Arm on Lake Manapouri and dropped us off.

We then rode Borland Road and stayed that night at Borland Lodge before riding the next day to Tuatapere and on to Invercargill the following day.

I remember quite clearly that when we first set off south down Borland Road after being dropped at South Arm, the road was quite flat for a kilometre or so and crossed several small bridges - all of which had either been washed out or otherwise destroyed/damaged. We had to carry our bikes around them.

Of course this was likely recent storm damage which was probably fixed the next week - given that the road is used to service the power lines through there.

I guess my main point is that this discussion reminds me of a wonderful experience I had in an somewhat earlier, younger life. Not particularly relevant here.

[Reminiscing rant over]

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

outdoorsnz

694 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 303

ID Verified

#2492648 27-May-2020 11:02

Does Borland Road link up with Wilmot Pass Road into Doubtful? I've only been as far as South Manapouri. I didn't think the two roads were connected (happy to be corrected as I haven't been there for decades).

No they don't. Percy pass / road is the power station end. Popular with mountain biking. Percy pass submit is very steep country. Power lines take a very steep decent! But it is a very short distance to the borland road.

No way would you get a vehicle between the two. Bulldozer maybe!

Also from my memory, where the borland road branches off / crosses river at lower valley end, there is a locked gate.

MikeAqua

8031 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3820

#2492912 27-May-2020 15:43

If you are near Glenorchy, there is nice drive at the end of the Glenorchy-Paradise road. You can drive up some of the Dart Valley about as far as a place called Chinaman's Bluff (easy 4WDing, I used to do it in a 2WD ute).

Across the Dart from that Bluff is nice little track (walking) that does short climb up to the Beansburn Valley, which is quite pretty.

You do need to watch the weather. The river and its tributaries can come up fast if it rains.

Mike

sud0

283 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 117

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2494377 29-May-2020 14:49

MikeAqua:

If you are near Glenorchy, there is nice drive at the end of the Glenorchy-Paradise road. You can drive up some of the Dart Valley about as far as a place called Chinaman's Bluff (easy 4WDing, I used to do it in a 2WD ute).

Across the Dart from that Bluff is nice little track (walking) that does short climb up to the Beansburn Valley, which is quite pretty.

You do need to watch the weather. The river and its tributaries can come up fast if it rains.

Nice one. Thanks for that!

Lucas

lpossamai.me

frankv

5705 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3666

Lifetime subscriber

#2494434 29-May-2020 16:25

MikeAqua:

If you are near Glenorchy, there is nice drive at the end of the Glenorchy-Paradise road. You can drive up some of the Dart Valley about as far as a place called Chinaman's Bluff (easy 4WDing, I used to do it in a 2WD ute).

Waaayy back in the 80s, I did a tramp up the Rees and down the Dart, and I remember Chinaman's Bluff. But, back on topic, there was a 4WD track, more or less, that went a long way up the Rees. I imagine it would be a very pleasant drive, if it's still there, and accessible. Lots of crisscrossing of the Rees stream, which was about ankle deep.

1 | 2 | 3