Hump Ridge Track
A community-built loop that became the eleventh Great Walk in 2024, crossing old timber viaducts to a wild south coast.
Updated 21 October 2026
The Hump Ridge is unusual in origin: it was built and run by a community trust in Tuatapere from 2001, after the timber industry that had supported the town collapsed, as a deliberate attempt to create work - and in 2024 it became New Zealand's eleventh Great Walk. The loop runs about sixty kilometres over three days from Rarakau on the south coast, climbing to the Hump Ridge at around a thousand metres with views over Te Waewae Bay and, on a clear day, Stewart Island, then descending to follow the coast back. Along the coastal section are the Percy Burn and Edwin Burn viaducts, wooden trestle structures built in the 1920s for logging tramways - Percy Burn is among the largest surviving wooden viaducts in the world. Lodges rather than basic huts, with beds and meals available, which makes it more comfortable than most.
History
The coastal track was first cut by government workers in 1896 to reach the gold-mining settlements of Preservation Inlet, and in 1916 the Marlborough Timber Company built more than 14 km of tramway from Port Craig, whose sawmill in the 1920s was the largest and most modern in New Zealand. After a ban on logging native timber in the mid-1980s, the community built the track from 1994 to 2001, and it opened as a Great Walk on 25 October 2024 (Wikipedia, Hump Ridge Track).
The landscape
- The Percy Burn viaduct - among the largest wooden viaducts anywhere.
- The Hump Ridge tops - a thousand metres above Te Waewae Bay.
- The south coast - the return leg along a wild shoreline.
- The lodges - beds and meals rather than basic huts.
When to go
November to April. Book lodges well ahead - capacity is limited and it has become busier since the Great Walk designation. Shuttles run from Tuatapere.
Things to know
The first day is a long steady climb and people underestimate it. The tops are exposed and the weather is Southland weather. Lodges cost considerably more than DOC huts. Sandflies on the coastal section.
Nearby
Tuatapere is the base; Te Waewae Bay and Riverton are along the coast.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q5941215, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Hump Ridge Track
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Broken-in walking shoes or boots - Grip and ankle support matter more than looks; never hike in brand-new boots. Find on Amazon
- Shelter suited to the place - Tent, tarp or hut booking - match it to the terrain and rules. Find on Amazon
- Layers + a waterproof shell - Mountain weather turns fast; a packable rain jacket saves the day. Find on Amazon
- A warm sleeping bag + mat - Rated a little colder than you expect the nights to be. Find on Amazon
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links - if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
All packing kitsPlan your trip
Where to start if Hump Ridge Track is going on the list.
Booking links on this page are affiliate links - if you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we write about a place.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.