Rees-Dart alternative transport/foot options

[wildwanderer]

I'm doing the rees-dart soon and it's seems that all the bus companies have no other pickups so it a very hefty $360 return trip from Queenstown. (It's a 1 hour 15 min drive)

What about a Bus to Glenorchy and then taxi (if there is a taxi??) to the end of the tarmac?

Still have to be cheaper than 180 per way

[Lamont]

You could hire a car and afford to leave it for a few days, couldn't you?
Would have to be cheaper than that at about $35NZ a day.
Glenorchy to Kinloch, last I went, was on dirt roads tho' but I'm pretty sure it's not on the forbidden roads list.
Kinloch -sandfly city-it's Picaridan time! YOOWW.

[Aardvark]

Are you going after April 30?
Info & track operates to that time i think.
Have you checked when the bridge is flown out from Snowy Ck?

[wildwanderer]

You could hire a car and afford to leave it for a few days, couldn't you?
.

Unfortunatly,the trip is not quite a circuit and I would need to leave the car at Rees track head, (I finish at Dart Trackhead) The almighty Dart river will be between me and the car. Ive been told its a very very bad idea to attempt to ford the Dart, so I wont.

Are you going after April 30?
Info & track operates to that time i think.
Have you checked when the bridge is flown out from Snowy Ck?

I'l be finished before April 30. Ive checked with Info and track and Glenorchy Journeys and they currently only have routebourn bookings.

I wonder if a jet would be an option from Glenorchy...

[Aardvark]

If you're doing the Rees-Dart as it is designed, you do not have to cross the Dart at Chinamans Bluff. It is the Rees you would need to cross to get back to muddy ck (Rees trailhead). I would imagine you would stick to the road. It is a few k's though.
We've taken a jet boat on the Dart to land at the Beans Burn. That is across from Chinamans Bluff. There is no way to get a jet boat to the Rees. I have heard since that they can be touchy if you have tools on your pack. It can damage the boat.

[Aardvark]

It it were me and i was alone or with one other, i would hitch from the roundabout at the end of the Esplanade in QT. It's only a few hundred metres from the YHA .
There are always tourists driving out to Glenorchy. I would offer a few bucks for them to drive me the 15k or so to Muddy Ck from Glenorchy. 2wd cars can negotiate the fords on the way to muddy ck. The difficulty would arise in getting back from Chinamans bluff.
I once crossed the Dart on foot and at Chinamans at 8pm the sandflies were horrendous. We had started the day at Fohn saddle. We chose to walk and got several k's before a DOC car came up behind us and gave us a lift. We just got to the pub at Glenorchy before closing time.

[andrewa]

Sandflies only get you if you’re stationary for more than 5 minutes! And they go to sleep when it’s dark.

Re car hire, if that’s the way you decide to go, my fishing mate organised a cheap hire car from Qtown last year (?$35/day) , and I could ask him where he got it. We were off to Fiordland fishing for 10 days, and it was cheaper and easier to hire a car for 10 days and just leave it in Te Anau, than it would have been to get from Qtown to Te Anau and back by other means.

What about adding a pack raft to your stuff - great way to get downstream in a fun way....

A

[wildwanderer]

If you're doing the Rees-Dart as it is designed, you do not have to cross the Dart at Chinamans Bluff. It is the Rees you would need to cross to get back to muddy ck (Rees trailhead).

Yep, oopps.. I had the routebourn shelter and thinking of some way to cross the dart to get to the shelter (where I can get a bus from cheaply) on my mind when I wrote that.

I like the idea of hitching from QT but I think its a bit risky. If no one picks me up or is going the right way then my trip is kinda screwed (as I would have missed the bus).

Appreciate the info/advice everyone.

[andrewa]

Go wild. Use helicopter.

[Aardvark]

I've used a few heli's and light aircraft to fly in and out of places. If you got to Glenorchy on your own, and found someone with a heli stationed there, there's a chance you'd get to Muddy Ck for the same money ie 360. A heli will be about 1500 an hour.
Not real practical for something like the Rees -Dart. I wouldn't rule out just stashing the pack and running back to Muddy Ck. Just allow an extra day.

[Aardvark]

Even if you tried to hitch and were delayed some hours or a day, or if you hired a car and left it at Muddy Ck, a contingency plan could be to simply go to Dart hut via the Rees. If time permits, take off up to Dart glacier and back. Come back via the Rees. What does the Dart offer anyway? Just a valley walk on the true left all the way and a hut to bag. The Rees has more to offer. Kea basin on Earnslaw is worth a visit for the rock bivvy. Clarke slip and Twenty Five Mile Ck are good side trips.

[bernieq]

Yeah, I reckon aardvark's nailed it. Hire a cheap car and leave it at Muddy Creek and do an out-and-back. Up the Rees and around to Dart Hut, up to Cascade Saddle - then return. If time/weather permits, detour up to Kea Basin.