Above the Clouds : The Okaka Loop Track
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Perched high on the ridge above the south coast, the Okaka Loop Track is a short detour that delivers some of the most expansive views on the entire Hump Ridge Track.
It may only take 20 to 45 minutes to complete, but this is not a side trip to rush—or to skip.
If anything, it’s one of the defining moments of the track.
When to Go
Weather moves quickly along this exposed ridge. Clear skies can vanish in minutes, and cloud can roll in without warning. If you arrive at Okaka Lodge in good conditions, take the opportunity straight away.
Drop your pack at the hut and head back up.
Sunset here sinks behind Lake Hauroko, casting long shadows across the ranges, while sunrise lifts slowly from the direction of Stewart Island / Rakiura. If the weather holds, it’s worth walking this loop more than once—each time offering a completely different mood.
A quick note: avoid leaving packs unattended at the junction. Curious kea are known to investigate anything left behind. Either carry your pack or drop it safely at the lodge before heading up.
The Climb to the Ridge
From the lodge, follow the boardwalk back toward the junction, then begin the gradual climb. Steps and boardwalk guide you upward, easing you onto the ridge without too much effort.
Before long, you’ll reach a viewing platform—your first real sense of the scale of this place. Interpretive panels help orient you, pointing out distant landmarks in every direction:
To the east:
Tuatapere, Bluecliffs Beach, Rarakau, the Longwood Range, the Waiau River mouth, Invercargill, and Stewart Island
To the south:
Mutton Bird Islands, Luncheon Rock, Waitutu Lodge, and Lake Poteriteri
To the west:
The Waitutu River mouth, the Cameron Mountains, and Lake Hauroko
It’s a moment to pause—but not the highlight.
Into the Tors
From the platform, take the left-hand direction around the loop. Almost immediately, the landscape opens further, revealing a dramatic drop-off and uninterrupted views toward Lake Hauroko.
Then the tors appear.
These weathered rock formations rise from the ridge like scattered sentinels, surrounded by alpine vegetation and pockets of still water. Shallow tarns reflect the sky, shifting from deep blue to grey depending on the light. The terrain feels exposed, elemental—shaped by wind, rain, and time.
The track continues gently upward over boardwalk and steps, weaving through this surreal landscape. At the high point, you’re completely immersed in it—rock, sky, and silence stretching in every direction.
Willet’s Lookout
Rounding a bend, the view shifts again.
Ahead lies Te Waewae Bay, vast and open, its coastline curving away into the distance. A short descent leads to Willet’s Lookout, one of the most iconic viewpoints on the track.
This is where the sunrise shots are taken.
Standing here in the early light, watching the day arrive over the ocean, it’s easy to understand why.
But even outside those golden hours, it’s a place that invites stillness. The kind where you sit a little longer than planned, letting the scale of it all settle in.
The Return
From the lookout, rejoin the loop track and follow it back toward the viewing platform. From there, it’s a gentle descent down the boardwalk to the lodge.
Short. Simple. Completely unforgettable.
The Okaka Loop Track might be optional on paper, but in reality, it feels essential.
It’s where the Humpridge Track opens up—where the forest falls away, and the full sweep of the south coast reveals itself.
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