Roy’s Peak is truly one of the most scenic and astonishing hikes in the South Island of New Zealand, giving a panoramic view of Lake Wanaka, Glendhu Bay along with the backdrop of mountain range including Mountain Aspring/Tititea.
The classic zigzag trail with steep climbs through the alpine meadows and tussock grassland will definitely make you feel tired and uncomfortable; specially if you are doing a longer hike for the first time. Nevertheless, it’s truly worth reaching the summit to perceive the picturesque combination of nature that divulges the true beauty of Wanaka.
Trek at a Glance
Location : Wanaka Area, Otago Region, South Island – New Zealand
Distance : 16 km (round-trip via same track)
Time : 5 -7 hours (round-trip hike including breaks)
Difficulty Level : Easy to Moderate (strenuous walk)
Elevation. : 1578 metres (from mean sea level)
Best time to Hike Roy’s Peak
Depending on your seasonal preference you can plan your hike. As we were more comfortable with the summer, we did the hike during February 2019, which was the summertime in New Zealand.
Regardless of the time of year it is better to start the hike in early morning, so that it will provide you the chance of parking your vehicle easily in the small parking area and give you all day to complete the hike. Especially during winter as the days are shorter, you might not be able to complete the hike before it becomes dark, unless you start the hike in morning hours.
If you prefer to view the sunset, you can hike in the afternoon, observe the sunset and head back. Or else spend your time at the summit overnight, observe the sunrise and then head back down the following morning. The daylight length can be differ depending on the season, so while planning your hike it is better to check the dawn and dusk patterns in order to decide the starting time.
Roy’s Peak is closed for lambing for a one-month period from 1st October to 10th November every year. So, if you desire to hike Roy’s Peak during your South Island trip, it is always better to avoid this time of the year. For updated details on the time period, you can visit Department of Conservation.
Direction to Roy’s Peak
The nearest town to Roy’s Peak is Wanaka which is 5 km (5 min.) away from Roy’s Peak car park when you drive via Wanaka - Mount Aspring Road.
We stayed the previous night near Lake Hawea and from there to Roy’s Peak the distance is 22.8 km (25 min.).
If you are coming directly from other towns, you can consider the following routes;
Queenstown to Roy’s Peak: 72.2 km (1 hr. 8 min., via Crown Range Road and Cardrona Valley Road)
Haast to Roy’s Peak: 146 km (2 hrs., via Haast Pass-Makarora Road and State Highway 6)
Things to Consider
This path crosses private farmlands and you will encounter flock of sheep. Hence, it is always advisable to keep discipline and stay on the formed track to prevent any disturbances to these animals or lands. Also, dogs and bikes are not allowed on the track.
Do not park your vehicles along the side of the roads as you will be fined by the police. Try to come early and find a parking slot inside the car park.
No Camping at Roy’s Peak
Camping at Roy’s Peak is prohibited. While you cannot legally set up a campsite, the Roy’s Peak Track is open 24 hours and there is nothing preventing you from staying overnight to enjoy the stars and the following sunrise. The key here is to be respectful and leave absolutely no trace. This means no litter, no toilet paper, no campfires and nothing to be left at Roy’s Peak.
Suitable Outfits
Even though it was summertime, the climate was little colder to us. Since we planned to start our hike early morning, we were ready with thermal wears along with wind and waterproof jackets.
If you are comfortable with cold climate you can have light clothes to make it easier to move along the long trail. During the daytime on a clear sunny day in summer, it will start sweating after you walk a few miles. But once you reach the summit and stay there for a while, you might feel shivering with the cold breeze and it might cause hypothermia. Hence, it is always acclaimed to keep a wind/waterproof jacket and gloves in your backpack, in case if need as the climate can be changed instantly.
If you plan to hike during daytime, make sure to apply sunscreen and wear a hat/cap, as you need to walk a long way under the direct sunlight through the grassland with minimum cover.
We went with our running shoes, but it is recommended to wear hiking/trail running shoes to make your hike more comfortable and safer when going through some of the slippery and gravely sections of the trail.
Additionally, if you feel difficult to trek a long distance, it is always good to have trekking poles. It will give much support to your knees and legs.
During winter, the top section of the track has challenging avalanche terrain above the 1000 m mark. So if you prefer to hike Roy’s Peak during that time, make sure you are getting ready with winter clothes and required accessories. For more and updated information on avalanche, visit New Zealand Avalanche Advisory.
Plenty of Water and Nutrient-dense Food for the Day Hike
Definitely you will need more water during this hike, so get ready with plenty of water. There is no any filling point along the trail so before starting the hike make sure you have adequate water. Also, you can bring some energy drinks as well. We brought water and some fruit drinks.
As food items we had chocolates, granola bars, sandwiches and biscuits. Definitely you will feel exhausted by the time you reach the summit. Since there are no much diverse views in most parts of the trail, it seems a long way to go until you reach the first viewpoint. So, it is advisable to be prepared with considerable amount of nutrient-dense food to keep you motivated and going.
Availability of Amenities
Toilets are available at the beginning of the track; 70 metres away from the parking area and once you reach the viewpoint before reaching the summit. Signboards will make you easier to find these. You might feel difficult to use the toilet near the famous viewpoint, but other than that you will have no option once you reach the end of the track.
Day Before the Hike
We planned to start the hike at earliest possible, so that we could reach the summit before heavy sunlight, can spend a relaxing time at the summit area and also to avoid the crowd. So, the day before the hike we went for paragliding in Queenstown, after that drove towards Wanaka and stayed in a house near Lake Hawea.
If you are looking to stay in a house during your visit to Roy’s Peak, you can find plenty of houses around this area which can be
booked through airbnb in advance depending on your budget and preference. We selected this house after checking the reviews and due to the fact that the location was nice and easy to access. If you are looking to stay near Lake Hawea, we highly recommend this place, as the owner was very friendly and the hospitality was truly great.
LET’S DIG INTO OUR HIKE
Starting the Hike
We arrived at the car park around 6.00 a.m. Luckily there were few parking slots remaining, so we parked there and got ready for the hike. There was no any charge for the parking and pre booking was not available. At the starting point of the track there was a notice board mentioning to pay $2 as track fee, before starting the hike. This is basically taken for the maintenance of the tack and we put the money into the box which was placed there.
It was little dark and cold, so we put on the thermal wears, jackets and gloves to keep the body warm. We crossed the first stile and entered to the hiking track.
At the starting we were full of energy and we walked faster for few miles. Weather was friendly, and the sky was clear accommodating the morning sun rays.
After getting up to some elevation, car park and the surrounding area of the Lake Wanaka were visible very nicely.
Trudging through the Tussock Grassland
The trail was clear, well maintained, wide enough and formed in a classic zigzag manner almost all the way up to the summit.
After walking halfway, the steep inclines in some parts of the track made our journey little slower with frequents stops. Maybe we did not go for lengthy hikes or engage in exercises lately. Anyway, chocolates kept us motivated.
We passed several stiles along the track and then came to the “Stack Conservation Area” which is managed by the Department of Conservation.
Roy’s Peak Summit and the Viewpoints
When we got closer to the top of Roy’s Peak it was around 8.30 in the morning. There was a sign board mentioning the distance to the viewpoint as 80 m (5 min) and to the summit as 1.5 km (30 min). So, we have almost reached the first and renowned viewpoint and we only had to walk along the path to the right-side, towards the mountain edge to capture the extensive view.
The famous Roy’s Peak instagram photo is taken from this viewpoint. At that time there were few people at the viewpoint. We stayed there for some time, took few photos and headed towards the summit.
While we were going up to the summit, we met a lady who was returning back and she indicated us a foot path aside from the main trail, to another attractive viewpoint. There was no signboard to this point, but the panoramic view of Lake Wanaka, Mount Aspring and the surrounding valley area of Wanaka was really amazing. Therefore, we decided to take some photos from here and those came really well as you can see below. The foremost viewpoint was also clearly visible to here.
It was around 9.30 a.m. and we left from here to reach the summit. We walked slowly watching the surrounding and by 10.00 a.m. we were able to get to the summit point where the mast is located. There were few hikers resting at this point. The sky was clear, and the cool breeze was really soothing. We rested there for some time, had some snacks and got ready to hike back.
Way Back
The downhill walk was quite hard on our knees and upper leg muscles, but we tried to keep a continuous walk without stopping much. Anyway, we enjoyed the downhill hike than the uphill as it was not exhausting. At some points we were walking so fast and once we came little closer to the car park, we almost ran all the way. It took us around 2 hours to get down.
Additional Information
For our New Zealand road trip including this Roy’s Peak hike, we did an advance booking and rented a car from GO rentals. Check out our article “Ultimate South Island Road Trip” for further details on the rental car booking process.
Final Verdict
The Roy’s Peak hike is quite long and strenuous, but the panoramic view at the summit is truly amazing and worth all the walking. We hope you all enjoyed reading our experiences at Roy’s Peak and we would love to hear your experiences as well. Also, if you need further information, we are happy to help you. Please leave your comments below.
References
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