5 Reasons Rees-Dart is My Favorite Trek in New Zealand

I don’t usually play favorites. To me, every place and experience is unique and cannot truly be compared to others. Even when it comes to trekking, it is hard to compare the scenery of one place to another, or the feeling you get along the trail. That being said, after spending the better part of three months hiking around the South Island of New Zealand, one trek really stands out in my mind above the rest: Rees-Dart. It is a 5-day trek that starts near Glenorchy. The trail passes through three different valleys, with a mandatory pass over the Rees Saddle and an optional side trip to the Cascade Saddle. I can’t say it is the best hike in New Zealand (that entirely varies from person to person), but I can say it is my favorite. Here are my top 5 reasons why:

#5 No Bookings Required

Anyone who has struggled to find an open spot on one of the Great Walks, only to have no choice but to walk in the pouring rain whenever their reservation time comes, will appreciate the fact that the huts on Rees-Dart are still first come first serve. This is great for a trek like this where you really want to have good weather, especially on the day you plan to do Cascade Saddle. Yes, the huts can get overcrowded but as long as you carry a mat and are all right with sleeping on the floor rather than one of the bunks if you arrive too late, you can pick and choose your start/end dates based on the weather forecast.

#4 Challenge

Great Walks are awesome (I’ve done several of them so far, including Kepler, Routeburn, Heaphy, and Abel Tasman) but there’s not a lot of challenge to the trails themselves. There can be steep sections, but the trail is usually wide enough, waterways have bridges, and there’s not a lot of technical challenge. Rees-Dart is a nice in-between. The trail is still well-maintained, but there’s a lot more steep up and down/big steps in some parts (especially near the Rees Saddle and Cascade Saddle) as well as several creek crossings without bridges and some boggy wetlands to cross on the first day (expect to have to take your boots off and wade). I appreciated having a little more challenge to the trail, even if it was exhausting sometimes.

#3 Wildlife

There are so many varieties of adorable and impressive birds in New Zealand. I never tire of seeing them and Rees-Dart had plenty. The kea in particular are a lot of fun. They like to visit when you’re at the top of a mountain or pass and will land right next to you, just sharing the view. The sound they make is extremely distinctive and their bright green and red feathers and sharp beaks are impressive. As the only alpine parrot in the world, it is worth trekking just to see them. There are also wild chamois near the Dart Hut. Although not a native specie and technically a pest in New Zealand, they are fun to see.

#2 Variety

One of the best parts about Rees-Dart is that every day is different. You don’t see the same scenery from multiple angles or have entire days under the forest as on some other treks. The first day you see the Rees Valley, with the mountains ahead of you, a constant goal. You finally arrive to these mountains on the first night at Shelter Rock Hut. The second day, you cross the Rees Saddle, which gives impressive views of the valley behind you and all the mountains on the other side. You descend along the river with mountain ridges on either side to reach the Dart Hut. From there, the day trip to Cascade Saddle brings you through the valley past the Dart Glacier and up to the view from the saddle. The fourth day, you’ll hike through yet another beautiful valley, following the Dart River to reach Daley’s Flat Hut. The final day you’re rewarded with views of more snow-capped mountains as you hike out to the end of the track. I appreciated that every day I saw something new and beautiful. It made me look forward to hiking each day, rather than just getting to the next hut.

#1 Scenery

Everyone has their favorite type of scenery, but for me it is the mountains. I am always amazed by steep mountains with exposed rock and snow-capped peaks. Glaciers are always a bonus, and I love to see rivers cutting through the valleys between the mountains. Rees-Dart offers all of this every day of the trek. The view from Cascade Saddle is particularly impressive. On one side, you have a fantastic view of the Dart Glacier flowing down from the mountain. On the other side, you get a bird’s eye perspective of the Matukituki Valley and the towering Mount Aspiring. It is one of the best scenic views I’ve seen in New Zealand and would be worth trekking the other days to see it alone. The overall grandeur of the scenery on the Rees-Dart trek is definitely my number one reason it is my favorite. If you’re headed to New Zealand and are ready for a challenging but rewarding hike, this one should be on your list!