Makarora Between Forest Trails and Jet Boat Rides

Makarora lies on the Haast Pass Highway between Wānaka and the West Coast, offering easy access to Mount Aspiring National Park. When looking for a hotel in Makarora, your planned activities can be a helpful guide: short walking loops in town, forest walks, or guided experiences combining a flight, hike, and jet boat ride each offer a different focus.

Forest Trails and Short Walks

The Charteris Track is 1.1 km long and forms part of a loop through town. It connects to the Nature Walk and continues to Rata Road. No walking time is specified for this track, but its length and route still provide a concrete guide for a walk in Makarora.

The Makarora Bush Walk is a 1 km loop that takes 15 minutes. It starts at the car park north of the Makarora DOC base and passes through podocarp and silver beech forest. Mataī, Miro, Kahikatea, and Rimu trees grow along the track. The walk also features a pit saw, illustrating early timber processing. This short loop combines forest scenery with an insight into local history.

Blue Pools and Practical Information

Nearby, the Blue Pools Track passes through native silver beech forest to a suspension bridge over the Makarora River and continues to a second suspension bridge above the Blue Pools. No booking is required for the track. There are toilets at the car park, including an accessible toilet. There are also toilets in Makarora itself, but no visitor centre.

Makarora Country Cafe is another place to stop in town, serving coffee, desserts, and savoury food. This makes it easy to distinguish what you can do in Makarora itself from the walks in the surrounding area.

Guided Tours with a Flight, Hike, and Jet Boat Ride

The Tiel Discovery Trail tour flies from Makarora to the head of the Tiel hanging valley and back. The experience includes a guided hike with conservation specialists from the Aspiring Biodiversity Trust. The trail is marked, easy to moderate, and takes two to three hours.

The Siberia Experience combines a 25-minute flight, a three-hour hike through Mount Aspiring National Park, and a jet boat ride. The tour starts in Makarora with the flight. The stated three hours refers to the hike; it should not be understood as the total duration of the experience.

Wilkin River Jets offers shallow-water jet boat rides in Makarora and also runs the “Siberia Wilderness Adventure” in Mount Aspiring National Park. Backcountry Helicopters offers a day trip called Heli Siberia, combining a helicopter flight, hike, and jet boat ride. You can compare the experiences based on the activities listed: the Tiel tour focuses on the guided hike and conservation, while the Siberia Experience combines a flight, a longer hike, and a jet boat ride.

If you’re looking for a hotel for a stay in Makarora, this comparison can help you choose excursions based on the activities that matter to you. The walks in town and the tours departing from Makarora offer different ways to experience the area.

Discover more destinations: Mount Nicholas, Kingston, Lower Shotover, Queenstown, Glenorchy, Arrowtown, Hawea Flat, Speargrass Flat.

Back to the main travel overview: Queenstown Lakes District.