The Hollyford Track Turned Into Hell | We Weren't Prepared for This
Bushbaby NZ
8,472 views
Planning a New Zealand Great Walk or a multi-day hike this Great Walk season? Watch this before assuming every well-known New Zealand track is maintained like a Great Walk.
This is the Hollyford Track in Fiordland, New Zealand — and what began as one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever done turned into something none of us expected.
The first two days were magnificent. Then we hit the section known as the Demon Trail.
Massive treefall. Route finding. Relentless obstacles. Sandflies. Exhaustion. Twelve-hour days. At times we were climbing over and around enormous fallen trees simply trying to follow the route.
By the time I reached Demon Trail Hut after 12 hours, I was absolutely shattered.
The Hollyford Track is not one of New Zealand's official Great Walks, and this experience showed me just how important that distinction can be.
If you're coming to New Zealand for the Great Walk season and considering venturing beyond the Great Walk network onto more remote tracks, please research the current track conditions, DOC information, weather and your own experience level carefully.
This was only Part 1 of an extraordinary West Coast expedition.
We didn't turn around at Martins Bay when the Hollyford Track ended.
In Part 2, three women continued south with no formed track, travelling along the remote West Coast toward Gorge River — eventually completing an approximately 100 km wilderness journey and meeting one of New Zealand's most isolated families.
PART 2 — The journey to Gorge River:
100KM With No Track to New Zealand’s Most ...
If you love New Zealand hiking, Great Walks, backcountry huts, remote wilderness and real outdoor adventures, welcome to Bush Baby NZ. I take you along for the adventure exactly as it happened — the spectacular bits and the bloody hard bits. 😂
#NewZealandGreatWalks #HollyfordTrack #Fiordland #NewZealandHiking #GreatWalks #BushBabyNZ #BackcountryNZ #HikingNewZealand
⚠️ REALITY CHECK
Hollyford is often sold as a "step up from a Great Walk." In our conditions it was advanced backcountry — navigation skills, trekking poles, heavy boots, PLB/InReach, and serious fitness required. This is New Zealand hiking at its wildest.
📍 ROUTE (PART 1)
Day 1 — Road end → Hidden Falls Hut
Day 2 — Hidden Falls → Alabaster Hut (Lake Alabaster)
Day 3 — Alabaster → Demon Trail Hut via McKerrow Island (the day that nearly broke us)
Day 4 — Demon Trail Hut → Hokuri Hut
Day 5 — Hokuri → Martins Bay Hut (ocean!)
🎒 GEAR THAT MATTERED
12 days of food · full pack · tent · cooking system · Garmin InReach · 100% DEET · gaiters · heavy waterproof leather boots · trekking poles (essential on Demon Trail)
⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 Falling in love with the South Island
1:44 Hidden Falls Hut after a 14-hour day
2:50 Sandfly survival (DEET 100%)
4:50 Walking to Alabaster Hut
6:02 Washed-out bridge + waterfall swim
7:44 Alabaster Hut beside the lake
9:12 Morning — heading for Demon Trail
11:15 Insane Fiordland scenery
12:30 Rocky, tight, windfall track
14:43 Wire bridge technique
16:29 White-sand lunch + McKerrow Island
22:33 McKerrow Island Hut
24:37 Ladder + wire crossing
26:49 Demon Trail Hut — 11.5 hours later
28:30 The truth about forest giants
32:04 What to wear on Hollyford
35:56 Hokuri Hut
37:39 Why this track should have been closed
40:21 Day 5 plan — Martins Bay
43:38 Jamestown history
45:07 Soft grass at Martins Bay Lodge
46:12 We hit the ocean
47:22 Hollyford complete — emotion hits
▶️ WATCH PART 2 NEXT (must-watch)
Part 2 continues from Martins Bay along the wild West Coast to Gorge River — 100km to New Zealand's most isolated family:
100KM With No Track to New Zealand’s Most ...
More Hollyford clips from this trip:
• Hollyford Track is HELL: Hollyford Track is HELL: Do NOT Hike This!
• I'm DONE after Demon Trail: Night fell and I was still hiking #hiking ...
🔔 Subscribe for remote NZ wilderness with Bushbaby NZ:
@bushbabynz
💬 Planning Hollyford or a Great Walk this season? Drop your questions below — I read every comment. Want the untracked West Coast continuation? Hit Part 2.
#newzealandhiking #hollyfordtrack #hikingnewzealand #fiordland #greatwalksnewzealand #southisland #newzealandtravel #demontrail #westcoastnz #backpackingnewzealand #nzhiking #adventuretravel #fiordlandhiking, #newzealand, #touristdestination
DISCLAIMER: Track conditions change fast in Fiordland. Check DOC alerts, carry a PLB/InReach, and do not underestimate windfall, rivers, or weather. This is our experience on the dates we walked — not a substitute for official track advice.
12 Comments
PART 2 (must-watch): we keep going the hard way to Gorge River and meet NZ’s most isolated family 👉 https://youtu.be/grOnm0C_rUI
Planning a Great Walk or a Fiordland adventure this season? Ask me anything below — track conditions, gear, sandflies, or whether you should skip the Demon Trail 👇
Many are pack rafting McKerrow to avoid the demon trail and you can packraft right down to Martin's Bay
Beautiful part of the World!!!
The Hollyford Track Turned Into Hell | We Weren't Prepared for This
Bushbaby NZ
8,472 views
Planning a New Zealand Great Walk or a multi-day hike this Great Walk season? Watch this before assuming every well-known New Zealand track is maintained like a Great Walk.
This is the Hollyford Track in Fiordland, New Zealand — and what began as one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever done turned into something none of us expected.
The first two days were magnificent. Then we hit the section known as the Demon Trail.
Massive treefall. Route finding. Relentless obstacles. Sandflies. Exhaustion. Twelve-hour days. At times we were climbing over and around enormous fallen trees simply trying to follow the route.
By the time I reached Demon Trail Hut after 12 hours, I was absolutely shattered.
The Hollyford Track is not one of New Zealand's official Great Walks, and this experience showed me just how important that distinction can be.
If you're coming to New Zealand for the Great Walk season and considering venturing beyond the Great Walk network onto more remote tracks, please research the current track conditions, DOC information, weather and your own experience level carefully.
This was only Part 1 of an extraordinary West Coast expedition.
We didn't turn around at Martins Bay when the Hollyford Track ended.
In Part 2, three women continued south with no formed track, travelling along the remote West Coast toward Gorge River — eventually completing an approximately 100 km wilderness journey and meeting one of New Zealand's most isolated families.
PART 2 — The journey to Gorge River:
100KM With No Track to New Zealand’s Most ...
If you love New Zealand hiking, Great Walks, backcountry huts, remote wilderness and real outdoor adventures, welcome to Bush Baby NZ. I take you along for the adventure exactly as it happened — the spectacular bits and the bloody hard bits. 😂
#NewZealandGreatWalks #HollyfordTrack #Fiordland #NewZealandHiking #GreatWalks #BushBabyNZ #BackcountryNZ #HikingNewZealand
⚠️ REALITY CHECK
Hollyford is often sold as a "step up from a Great Walk." In our conditions it was advanced backcountry — navigation skills, trekking poles, heavy boots, PLB/InReach, and serious fitness required. This is New Zealand hiking at its wildest.
📍 ROUTE (PART 1)
Day 1 — Road end → Hidden Falls Hut
Day 2 — Hidden Falls → Alabaster Hut (Lake Alabaster)
Day 3 — Alabaster → Demon Trail Hut via McKerrow Island (the day that nearly broke us)
Day 4 — Demon Trail Hut → Hokuri Hut
Day 5 — Hokuri → Martins Bay Hut (ocean!)
🎒 GEAR THAT MATTERED
12 days of food · full pack · tent · cooking system · Garmin InReach · 100% DEET · gaiters · heavy waterproof leather boots · trekking poles (essential on Demon Trail)
⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 Falling in love with the South Island
1:44 Hidden Falls Hut after a 14-hour day
2:50 Sandfly survival (DEET 100%)
4:50 Walking to Alabaster Hut
6:02 Washed-out bridge + waterfall swim
7:44 Alabaster Hut beside the lake
9:12 Morning — heading for Demon Trail
11:15 Insane Fiordland scenery
12:30 Rocky, tight, windfall track
14:43 Wire bridge technique
16:29 White-sand lunch + McKerrow Island
22:33 McKerrow Island Hut
24:37 Ladder + wire crossing
26:49 Demon Trail Hut — 11.5 hours later
28:30 The truth about forest giants
32:04 What to wear on Hollyford
35:56 Hokuri Hut
37:39 Why this track should have been closed
40:21 Day 5 plan — Martins Bay
43:38 Jamestown history
45:07 Soft grass at Martins Bay Lodge
46:12 We hit the ocean
47:22 Hollyford complete — emotion hits
▶️ WATCH PART 2 NEXT (must-watch)
Part 2 continues from Martins Bay along the wild West Coast to Gorge River — 100km to New Zealand's most isolated family:
100KM With No Track to New Zealand’s Most ...
More Hollyford clips from this trip:
• Hollyford Track is HELL: Hollyford Track is HELL: Do NOT Hike This!
• I'm DONE after Demon Trail: Night fell and I was still hiking #hiking ...
🔔 Subscribe for remote NZ wilderness with Bushbaby NZ:
@bushbabynz
💬 Planning Hollyford or a Great Walk this season? Drop your questions below — I read every comment. Want the untracked West Coast continuation? Hit Part 2.
#newzealandhiking #hollyfordtrack #hikingnewzealand #fiordland #greatwalksnewzealand #southisland #newzealandtravel #demontrail #westcoastnz #backpackingnewzealand #nzhiking #adventuretravel #fiordlandhiking, #newzealand, #touristdestination
DISCLAIMER: Track conditions change fast in Fiordland. Check DOC alerts, carry a PLB/InReach, and do not underestimate windfall, rivers, or weather. This is our experience on the dates we walked — not a substitute for official track advice.