Glacier Burn Carpark

Absolutely idyllic New Zealand alpine bush. The bird life is excellent, many riroriro/grey warbler, tītīpounamu/riflemen, pīwakawaka/fantail, korimako/bellbird, toutouwai/robin. Worth it just for the birds I reckon! I built some cairns past the bush line as the trail stops. Enjoy!

Favourite walk in the Glenorchy area. Essentially uphill for a couple of hours (don’t try it if it is too hot). But beautiful glacial valley at the top, amazing views and a lovely cool stream, so worth it.

Great walk! About a hour and a half going up, but wasn't too fussed with looking at views. Is uphill alot, but trip down is easier (still troublesome footplacement). View at the top is amazing

We loved this walk! The views from the top are absolutely stunning.. but you have to work for it. First you go through lush forrest while gently climbing and then you’re out in the open and things steepen a little. There’s some boulder hopping so wear the right shoes and take warm clothing/weather changes really quickly here.

Love scenery to enjoy

This is a challenging day hike which offers you opportunities to view native birdlife.After approximately hiking two hours walking through gorgeous forest you will arrive in Glacier Basin.  If you follow the creek further up you’ll be treated to views of the Humboldt Mountains and the Glenorchy area. It is a very steep track.In 1964, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously tried to explain “hard-core” pornography, or what is obscene, by saying, “I know it when I see it.”That analogy is similar to wind-chill and describing the sensation of hypothermia which is responsible for more deaths than avalanches in New Zealand.Your skin will become cold, numb and white, and you may start feel a tingling sensation. This stage of frostbite is known as frostnip. Characterized by tingling of extremities (fingers) and changes in your skin's color and texture.Red skin - initial stageWhite skin - middle stageDepending on your physical make up (age, height, weight, health and fitness), your metabolism is affected by those circumstances. As you age,you are more prone to poorer blood circulation. Generally, the reason why older people experience the sensation of feeling the colder first.The greater the windchill, the greater heat loss. Once the air temperature gets below 10 Celsius your metabolism has to do more to cope.  For any given temperature (below blood heat) an increase in wind speed helps to drain heat from our body faster (the faster the air arrives and departs the more heat it takes away).  Wind chill is the term given to this factor.It was here at the glacial basin that the wind chill was most extreme, being Autumn and a beautiful blue-sky day which was surprising and shocking to say the least.I advise to get into a warmer area immediately, heading toward the treeline.It doesn’t have to be the middle of winter to make cold weather a concern on your hiking trip. Getting wet on a cold day (rain) can possibly lead to hypothermia. Wearing cotton when it gets wet, it takes a very long time to dry. Plus you lose a lot of your heat through the top of your head, so a woollen winter hat and gloves wouldn't go amiss if you’re feeling chilly.I cringe when I see what what overseas tourists wear, when they go hiking in NZ. Cotten T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Totally unsuitable for the environment.Hypothermia is when your body loses more heat than it produces and your core body temperature drops.Stay safe.