Track Transport

Hey There! Backpacker express has changed hands and is being run by the friendly crew at Info & Track Queenstown, you can contact them on 03 442 9708

Also, they don't run in the low season but Buckley Transport does.

Thanks guys, I assume March will be ok?

Yeah March will be fine. They take you over from Glenorchy in a small boat (as long as it's not rough), it's a great way to start the tramp. In the past I've sometimes hitched (with the usual have-to-mention-them risks) to Glenorchy after buying tramping food in QTN. Then I can enjoy the scenery and quiet, stay in a cheap bunk at the campground and have the added bonus of a comparitive lie-in the next morning. Worth considering if you prefer chilling out to the city vibe.

Thanks wet boots. If it is rough, can you still be driven around to the carpark? I read in this forum that someone, a long time ago, caught the mailboat from Queenstown. Is this still an option? I've tried to find out online but nothing. Cheers.

Call me old if you like but I remember on one of my first ever tramping trips the Earnslaw was still run by the NZ Railways and used to service all the communities along the lake. We caught the Earnslaw at Kinlock and sailed back to Queenstown at the end of the trip. All the trampers would be out on the top deck huddled around the funnel. That was traditional according to my Dad who was with me then. On another trip on the Earnslaw they loaded the outer decks with sheep for delivery to Mt Nicholas. All the passengers had to remain inside. Wehen we got to Mt Nicholas they simply hearded all the sheep overboard when they were about 50m off shore. The shepherds and their dogs just waited for all the sheep to swim in. In those days there was no bridge over the Dart river and the 12 mile section of road between Kinlock and the Routeburn was completely isolated. There was no road to Elfin Bay. A chap by the name of Harry Bryant used to run a transport service over there with a number of convertable busses and some old 1940s vintage American Cars. I remember his petrol pumps were the old style with two 1 gallon glass jars that alternatively filled to measure the quantity. Harry had a little boat and would come over and pick you up from Glenorchy when you called him. Unfortunately, I recall his wife had a very deep voice and Harry had a high pitched one. More than once I got them mixed up on the phone which was embarrassing. There has been a book written about the history of this road called "Road to Routeburn" Those were the days when a boat trip was a compulserary part of a trip into that area and it certainly added some flavour to the trip.

I just googled "Harry Bryant" and see that someone is running tours in one of his restored buses http://www.remarkableexperience.com/

I know that Buckleys will drive you round if it's too choppy so I presume Info & track would too, but double check with them. It's 1hr 30m in a car from QTN, longer in a bus I suppose, plus break in GCY. I don't know anything about the mailboat but it sounds nice.

Thanks wet boots, all now resolved with Info & Track. Cheers.