Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track - Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track 31 Orawia Road

Did not do the Hump Ridge track as it is a private thing and you don't have choice but to spend the night in really expensive lodges. Such a shame! Did the south coast track instead to Port Craig Hut. It is a return via the same track but still really nice and their Doc Hut is only 15 dollars.

Challenging tramp, and not in a nice way either. Going up isn't half as bad as getting down in the mud. Mud mud, glorious mud. Knees got damaged in the descent. Average scenery, the only thing with seeing were the rocks above Oakaka Lodge.

The welcome by yhe Hump Ridge team at the base and at both Lodges is fantastic. If I have given an average score it is more for the track. Day 1 is comparable to a Kaimai/Pirongia track. Lots of roots, muddy. I would not liken this track to a DOC Great Walk. Nevertheless, some fantastic views, beautiful NZ forest and lovely coastal walk at the beginning and end.

We did the self-guided walk. Really enjoyed this experience but it is tough. If you enjoy a challenge, then this is a great one to add to the list. The previous review and tips by Hannah Zhang were true for me too. It's essential to have a good level of fitness and prepare your knees well before tackling this walk. Poles are a must and it's important to pack as light as possible while still being responsible. The lodges sell plenty of food and drinks as well as essentials like plasters and blister packs. The kitchens are fully stocked with anything you might need. Pillows and pillow cases are provided, even on the self-guided walk and you can arrange to hire sleeping bags if you'd like your pack to be even lighter. Do take jandals or slip-ons as the lodges are connected by a network of boardwalks covered with chicken wire. We were lucky to have good weather for the whole tramp. I don't think I would have enjoyed the first day in bad weather as it's already really tough. The summit walk was awesome, I thought it was the best part of the whole walk. Other than being quite long, I didn't find the descent nearly as hard as the ascent as it was mostly boardwalks and we had great views. The sandflies at Port Craig were really bad when outside and were not repelled by DEET. The only remedy was to cover up completely. This is especially true if you'd like to spend time at the beach watching the dolphins as the sandflies were particularly bad at beaches. The staff at lodges looked after us really well, taking the time to get to know us and cooking great porridge in the mornings. It was also great to chat to fellow trampers along the way and over a drink in the evenings.

The Guided Walk is a must! A friend and I did the 3 day Guided Walk last season. What a fantastic experience. I have done a lot of multi day walks in NZ and this one exceeded the other ones by far. Uncrowded, stunning scenery and very diverse, great guides, beautiful food, comfy beds & hot showers. Highly recommend!!

The Humpridge Track organisation in Tuatapere is the only way to book into the lodges necessary to walk the Hump Ridge Track. I booked their Prime package, which includes taking my belongings to Okaka Lodge, allowing me to walk with just a day pack on the first day. They simply left my belongings in the office! When the error was identified, at 2:30pm, they did not immediately bring the belongings up. Nor did they deliver them to Port Craig Lodge on the second day. They simply left them in the office for three days. I assumed that they would refund me the cost of Heli Packing option, but no. They took no responsibility, made no apology, and offered no refund. Indeed they tried telling me that it was my fault that they had not put my belongings on their helicopter. This is a strange and untrustworthy operation. You have been warned.

Had a wonderful experience completing the humpridge track! We booked sleeping bags to lighten our bags and purchased dinner from the lodges each evening. The bangers, mash, gravy and peas are excellent, and the porridge is the best I have had! We also booked showers for both evenings which was an amazing treat at the end of long days! We were very pleased with the tracks, hardly any mud, and well maintained. The hut wardens were kind and very helpful. We completed the first day in just over 8hours, we were told that the hills would be awful, but found it much better than expected as it’s over such a long distance! Would recommend this trip to everyone!

Instead of sharing how much I like this track, I think the information below can be useful: If you travel solo, staying at Last Light Lodge before and after will make things easy. It also provides great food and coffee. Smartly packed and essentials carried. The map (the last picture) having time and distance of each section from the track office seemed a very good guidance; Train very hard on steep climb beforehand and it will make you enjoy hiking; (I am fit so the steep climb was easy for me, the time I actually took: the first day 6 hours, the second day 5 hours and the last day 6 hours, including plenty photos and videos stops) 4 minutes shower time rather than 3, hot water was great, shampoo provided; Pack clean base layers for each day as you could be completely toasty. Waterproof socks (Brand: sealskinz) kept my feet always dry; Make sure test the waterproof socks ahead, the warm weather and soft touch socks were as comfy as merino socks. Gaiters were useful for muddy terrain; Sandflies net was plenty used; Around Okaka lodge and the summit can be very cold and windy, down jacket/warm hat recommended. Drinking water at least 1.5 L per day. USB cable charging option is available at Port Craig Hut, so bring cables with you.