Two of the best short walks in Fiordland, both breaks in the drive to Milford Sound: alpine tarns and a view across three great valleys from Key Summit, and a turquoise lake cradled in a hanging valley beneath the Darran Mountains.
The Milford Road crosses the Divide, the lowest east–west pass in the Southern Alps. Within a few kilometres of it are two short walks that give you alpine Fiordland without a multi-day trek.
Key Summit starts at the Divide shelter and follows the end of the Routeburn Track up through silver beech forest, then branches up zigzags to a plateau of bog, tarns and alpine plants at 919 metres. A short nature loop with boardwalks circles the top, and the view takes in three valleys: the Hollyford, the Eglinton and the Greenstone, with Mount Christina and the Darrans across the way.
Lake Marian starts a few minutes down the Hollyford Road. A swing bridge and a boardwalk lead to a series of waterfalls in about 20 minutes; beyond, a steep, rough, rooty track climbs through forest to a lake held in a hanging valley beneath sheer walls of rock and ice. Three hours each.
Do one on the way to Milford and the other on the way back.
Start at the shelter and car park and climb gently on the Routeburn Track through beech forest.
Branch off at the signposted junction and climb switchbacks above the bushline.
Walk the nature loop past tarns and cushion plants to the viewpoints over three valleys.
Cross Marian Creek on a swing bridge and follow the boardwalk to a chain of powerful cascades.
A steep, muddy climb through forest ends at the lake shore, ringed by cliffs and snowfields.
The Divide is about 85 km from Te Anau on the Milford Road, around four hours' drive from Queenstown. Fill up with fuel in Te Anau.
Check NZTA for Milford Road closures and chain requirements in winter; avalanche closures are common.
Key Summit is the last stretch of the Routeburn: walking it gives you a taste of the Great Walk.
Queenstown practical notes →Wikimedia Commons photographs are used under their licences.
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