rees dart track in oct?

possibly not.... it was snowed in up the top of the track around the pass, with some avalanchce danger until november this year, it all depends on how much and when it snowed, there was a lot of late snowfall last year. and it even snowed in january. DOC update track information here if you want to check closer to the time. Would pay to have a plan B in place... http://doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/plan-and-prepare/alerts/otago/mount-aspiring-national-park/#ReesDart

I was led to believe once that the bridge over Snowy Ck was flown out for the winter months. Maybe not any more.

Quote from the DOC website : NOTE: The Upper Snowy Creek swingbridge is removed each winter and is replaced only when the snow clears, which might be as late as December. This river can be hazardous so extreme care must be taken if crossing it. There aren’t many (any?) places to cross without the bridge between Rees Saddle and Dart Hut (and certainly not where the bridge is located) – assuming flow would be low enough to allow crossing. As waynowski advises, for Oct, you do need a plan B. I was a bit surprised to see this DOC alert on the Intro page for the Rees-Dart Track – considering it’s February now ! Alert/Important notice The swing bridge over Upper Snowy Creek has been removed for winter. It will be replaced in the spring, once the avalanche risk has subsided.

i think that is an old message that hasnt been updated, they won't remove that bridge in hte middle of summer... it was from last winter

HA! Someone at DOC is fast-acting :) I see that the alert has been removed from the Into page of the Rees-Dart Track – very impressive response ! (considering no request was actually made)

ok so it sounds like it will most likely be a no go :( got any suggestions on a suitable track for oct?

yeah i emailed doc about the notice and they confirmed it was left there in error, they put notices up on multiple pages and missed that one. depends what you're looking for, if you want to go high, look at the other end of the south island it should be more snow free, down that end of the south island you're limited. the greenstone and hollyford should be ok. but not much else. you can wander up some valley's for day walks but you're eventually going to hit high passes and if on'es snowed in, pretty much all of them are likely to be snowed in. you might have to go look around Kahurangi, north west nelson or nelson lakes or the north island. st james will be doable, welcome flat, thers another low walk on the west coast around haast that escapes me, begins with P..... Pohara or something like that.... eaaiest thing is to grab a book on nz tramps. lonely planet list 50 tramps to do in their tramping in nz edition.....takes the guesswork out of organising the travel....

thanks for the tips. i have the lonely travel nz tramp book it's about the only guide book i could find in adelaide. i was also looking at the northern Stewart island loop. what do you think that would be like in oct? the book dosn't suggest a time of year for this one

the north west circuit? won't be overloaded, it's a rough and extremely muddy track..... as for the weather. probably very cold windy and wet