Demand for Ngāi Tahu’s Hollyford Valley Guided Walk has been strong since bookings opened at the beginning of July for the upcoming summer season.

Operator Ngāi Tahu plans to reopen the Hollyford Valley Walk in the new year and operate from January through March 2021. 

Ngāi Tahu’s business manager, Adam Dooney, said Kiwis were taking this time to get out into the remote locations often overlooked by locals.

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"It is a great opportunity and I feel people will look back on in time with mixed emotions, disbelief of the situation but amazed and grateful for what they experienced in their own backyard.”

During the first week of February 2020, Fiordland experienced a serious weather event that unleashed more than one metre of rain in a 48-hour period. 

This had a significant impact on the whole region and closed the Hollyford Valley Walk operation for the remainder of the year. The high waters created track damage and flooding that reached through parts of the guest accommodation at both Martins Bay Lodge and Pyke Lodge. 

Now seven months on from the flooding, Mr Dooney said you would not be aware anything had happened. 

The lodges are currently undergoing a beautiful internal refit and track damage is being repaired.

Mr Dooney said they were excited to be reopening with freshly renovated lodges and a beautifully restored track.

"It is going to be a brilliant hiking season.” 

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He said the true wild nature, like this area, had a real knack of dealing with big weather like this.

However, there is still the challenge of the Hollyford Road which provides access to the track. 

The road was damaged in the flood and is yet to be repaired but, Mr Dooney said, they were fully committed to this season and had plans in place that will allow them to operate regardless of the progress on the road.