Princhester Saddle Route
Alerts
Check the DOC website for current alerts and conditions before you go. This site gets current alert info from DOC, but is not an official source of information.
Part of the Te Araroa Trail, this challenging track starts at Princhester Road end and skirts the Waterloo Station to the Aparima Huts.
Elevation
Cover mapped summer 2023/24.
Description
This track is part of Te Araroa Trail.
The track from Lower Princhester Hut is through beech forest and climbs to a saddle between the Bog Burn and Waterloo Burn catchments. It then descends to the northern boundary of Waterloo Station, a Crown pastoral lease comprising 3,500 ha. It is about 4.5 km to this point.
Waterloo Station is private property but the lessees allow tramper access down their western boundary to Aparima Hut (12 bunks). The route is poled through tussock land on the bush fringe and marked through the bush-clad headlands. Care is required to stay on the permitted track line.
Getting there
Lower Princhester Hut is sited at the end of Princhester Road (gravel), which branches off SH94 just over Princhester Creek. You need permission to access this area. Phone +64 27 437 7297 (ring first) or +64 27 488 5377.
Access the southern end of the track from the Aparima River Track.
Nearby
Weather
Forecast at the start of the track