The Rob Roy Glacier Guided Walk

The Rob Roy Glacier, one of the Jewels of Mt Aspiring National Park, is a 10km trek in the beautiful Matukituki Valley, which leads back from Mt Aspiring to Lake Wanaka.

The guided hike begins with a scenic drive around Lake Wanaka, and into the Matukituki Valley, passing through a series of vast high country farms. After a 30-minute walk along the banks of the Matukituki River you cross a swing bridge and then climb steadily through New Zealand beech and native forest. Often the glacier can be glimpsed through the bush.

As the forest drops away you enter an alpine valley of herbs and flowers, and the magnificent Rob Roy Glacier comes into full view.  Here you can take time to relax and enjoy one of the best views of the mountain panorama   while eating a picnic lunch.

Nearly always, large chunks of ice and snow (sometimes the size of a car) can be seen from a distance dropping 150-300 metres – An incredible sight and sound. A 261 metre waterfall falls cleanly down creating an amazing wind blast.

Following lunch, the return walk is all downhill back to the carpark.

This walk is led by Chris Riley, our favourite walking guide for this area; his knowledge and enthusiasm  is unbounded and you’ll absorb his passion for the Southern Lakes and Mountains ,its history and geography, flora and fauna.

What our travellers enjoyed about The Rob Roy Glacier Guided Walk…

  • Easy walking through a beautiful valley away from it all!
  • Sharing in Chris’ stories and knowledge of the area
  • Close up views of the Glacier
  • Chatting to fellow travellers about their New Zealand experiences