In Makarora, the options range from short walks in the village to excursions that combine a flight, a walk and a jet boat ride. Times range from 15 minutes for a local loop to several-hour walks as part of longer tours. If you’re looking for a hotel, you can decide whether walks, forest and local history, or a multi-part nature experience should define your stay.
Forest Walks and Local History
The Charteris Track is 1.1 km long and forms part of a loop through Makarora. It connects to the Nature Walk and continues to Rata Road. The Makarora Bush Walk is a 1 km loop, with a stated walking time of 15 minutes. It starts at the car park north of the Makarora DOC base.
The Bush Walk passes through podocarp and silver beech forest with mataī, miro, kahikatea and rimu. A pit saw illustrates early timber processing: the same loop therefore brings together the forest and an aspect of local history. For getting your bearings in the village, note that Makarora has toilets but no visitor centre.
The Blue Pools Track in the Surrounding Area
Close to Makarora, the Blue Pools Track passes through native silver beech forest to a suspension bridge over the Makarora River and a second suspension bridge above the Blue Pools. No booking is required for the track. The Blue Pools car park has toilets, including an accessible toilet.
Flight, Walking and Water Experiences
The Tiel Discovery Trail tour flies from Makarora to the head of the Tiel hanging valley and back. The tour also includes a guided walk with conservation specialists from the Aspiring Biodiversity Trust. The marked walk is rated easy to moderate and takes two to three hours.
The Siberia Experience starts in Makarora with a 25-minute flight. The experience also includes a three-hour walk through Mount Aspiring National Park and a jet boat ride. This distinguishes it from the Tiel tour: both include a flight and a walk, while the Siberia Experience also includes a jet boat ride.
If you’d like to focus on a trip on the water, Wilkin River Jets offers shallow-water jet boat rides in Makarora. The same operator also runs the “Siberia Wilderness Adventure” in Mount Aspiring National Park. Backcountry Helicopters offers Heli Siberia, a day trip with a helicopter flight, a walk and a jet boat ride.
Location and Accommodation Choices
Makarora lies on the Haast Pass Highway between Wānaka and the West Coast and provides easy access to Mount Aspiring National Park. The Makarora Country Cafe serves coffee, desserts and savoury food. Both help put the village in context for your itinerary: Makarora combines local walks with nature experiences that include flight or boat segments.
For comparing time commitments, the walking times are key: 15 minutes for the Makarora Bush Walk, two to three hours for the Tiel walk and three hours for the Siberia walk. The Tiel and Siberia experiences include other components, such as flights; the Siberia Experience also includes a jet boat ride. Keep these differences in mind when deciding whether short walks or multi-part experiences should shape your stay.
Discover more destinations: Mount Nicholas, Cardrona, Gibbston, Hawea Flat, Speargrass Flat, Moonlight, Wanaka, Glenorchy.
For the broader travel overview: Queenstown Lakes District.
