Rob Roy Glacier Track | Wanaka, New Zealand 

Yay, that's so exciting! We hope you have an amazing time on your holiday, there are so many great hikes in this area. Rob Roy is definitely a gem. The walk is easy besides some incline and the views are absolutely gorgeous Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Thank you for the continued support Brian! ❤️🙏 It is sad to see. We're going to make sure to do some visits to Fox + Franz Joseph glaciers on our trip up the West Coast

Sometimes that eerie/dream like atmosphere on rainy/misty days is so cool. It can make the NZ bush look amazing! We hiked the Paparora Track a few weeks ago and the first 1.5 days was rainy and very moody, making the forest look amazing with low hanging fog. Then the rest of the trip was sunny and blue skies. Was a great combination This is such a great short hike, definitely worth a second trip!

Completely agree, nothing beats seeing it in person! We were very surprised when we visited as well. Wasn't expecting it to be so magnificent!

@@ChrisandDanya I just watched your Earnslaw Burn video. Fantastic! I might try that with another person... It might be a challenge for me to do solo. Thanks for your videos.

Thanks for watching 🙏❤️ That was our first multi day trip in NZ, so might not be as difficult as we make it out to be in the video. We weren't seasoned to the NZ terrain quite yet

Thanks for watching Bruce! The Matukituki is a real NZ gem

You won't be disappointed 😁

Thank you! 🙏 Such a peaceful hike

Hiking is such a rewarding activity and so good for you! If you get the chance to do this one, definitely give it a go. It's not very challenging 😊

Thanks Carlos 🙏

Oh man, yeah those fords can get pretty deep in winter. Solid effort leaving the car and walking in though! 🥳 I think Danya and I would have just turned around 😂

Thanks for watching as always Elizabeth! It's sad knowing they'll probably be gone in 10-20 years, so it's great getting the chance to see them now

Thank you Molly 🙏❤️ Would have loved to go back in winter, but I don't think you can hike all the way to the end

Thanks for the continued support Kerrilee! Really happy with our move to NZ and can't wait to do more traveling around the country after the ski season

The "must-do" list starts getting pretty long, pretty fast eh! It's amazing how some of the simple day hikes in NZ are just as breathtaking as the multi-day hikes

Thank you John! We wanted to go back in winter, but a good weather window never lined up. Definitely worth it if you're in the area

@Chris and Danya I'm going to have to make time for it. With every one of these videos I watch, I find myself catching several spots that stand out amongst all the other beautiful ones and thinking I need to see them personally and see if they're really that incredible. If I limit myself to 45 minutes sleep per day, I might just get to see half of them. :-) Since that won't work, I guess I'm going to have to plan a part 2 vacation.

This is precisely why we moved to NZ temporarily haha. We didn't want to have to pick and choose what to do even during a 6 month trip, so thought 2 years should be good enough to make a dent on the South Island! Little did we know just HOW MUCH New Zealand has to offer. Their trail network really is astonishing. Definitely a country raised as tramper

@Chris and Danya Hahahaha.....Now that's one way to do it. Yeah, my 2 1/2 weeks isn't going to get close. I thought I'd done a decent job looking for trails to hike until I began watching your videos. It soon became clear I had no clue. I appreciate you two sharing these excursions. I'd have never even known about some of these trails if you hadn't. I will certainly allot more time for the next visit.

Thanks John, that means a lot ❤️. We struggle deciding what to do every weekend because there is so much choice. Kind of seems like you can't make a wrong choice in NZ though!

NZ is absolutely breathtaking. It's especially astounding how much beauty is packed into such a small country. However, I'm quite surprised to here that coming from a Japanese resident though! Japan is equally as beautiful, but more in a developed way I suppose. They don't have too much untouched wild beauty anymore. We've been spent almost 2 months in Japan over 2 different trips, once in winter and another in autumn. It was so beautiful both times and we can't wait to go back in Spring one day Home for Danya is Perth, Western Australia (where we are now) and home for myself is a small town outside Vancouver, Canada (where we'll be starting in June!) 😊

You were quite correct - it was the wildness of the place which struck her, plus, I think the large chunk of ice which calved off the front the glacier and creashed down into the valley below while we were there. Not huge, but impressive! Vancouver is a lovely area. I have friends in Perth who somehow think that it is pretty much paradise on Earth. My experience of Oz is confined to the east coast, mostly Brisbane and Adelaide.. Do you intend to go back to NZ and do more or is it "been there, done that!"?

Perth has beautiful weather especially in winter which is hiking season. But there's no mountains which I prefer 😅 Our intention while we were in NZ was to do the Te Ararora, but with the new jobs we acquired when we went over, that wasn't going to work. Could be a long time from now, but we'll return again and complete some more tracks that we didn't have time for; we've already got a list 😄.

Pretty good views for an easy 10 km return hike! Gotta love NZ ☺️

They do believe all the glaciers will be done in the next 10-20 years 😭 We've recorded our trip to Mueller Hut, which has some good glacier views, but will be a while till we get around to editing that one unfortunately. We also attempted the Cascade Saddle last weekend, but didn't make it all the way. Still got some good views of Dart glacier though!

Enjoy, I'm sure you'll have an awesome time!

We went in January 2022. The glacier is there year round and would be even more impressive in October!

@@ChrisandDanya Thank you😆😆😆

Thanks Mr Hamburglar! We use the below music from Musicbed: - Ocean Wild by Jordan Critz - Safe by Adrian Disch

September should be a good time to visit! The mountains should still be covered in snow, but hopefully the ground is clear. I'm not sure what time they allow walkers to go up to the base of the glacier like we did in the video. Sometimes you can only go as far as the first view point In regards to camera gear, for this video we were still using the Panasonic G9 I believe. I can't remember exactly what lens combination, but most likely Leica 12-60 f/2.8-4, Laowa 10mm f2 and possibly Leica 25mm f1.4 (although I rarely take that lens out). We have since upgraded to the Panasonic GH6 and have used that in all our videos since the Milford Track video. Are you looking at capturing video, mainly photos or both? There are so many choices for camera systems it can be overwhelming. I think you first have to make a list of your priorities regarding cost, weight, size, image quality (subjective), dynamic range, low light, etc. For example, if cost, weight and size are important factors, then you might want to steer away form Full Frame systems, but then you'd be giving up image quality (again subjective), dynamic range (kind of) and low light capabilities. If you've got a budget in mind I can make some suggestions based on your wants

​@@ChrisandDanya Wow thanks so much for your nice message! :) That's sounds so good, definitely the weather we were hoping for! I just looked up the trail and it looks like it's closed at the moment 😭 Thanks so much for sharing, looks like a really great camera! Yeah for sure, the options are endless haha Thanks so much for offering to give suggestions, that's so kind of you! :) I'm leaning towards getting a hybrid camera for travel (but if I had to pick, I'd prioritise photo over video)! My budget (for both lens and camera) was initially quite low but after some research it's been bumped up haha and I think I'm leaning towards the new Sony A6700 APS-C with the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 (my main hesitation is that if I'm spending that much - should I consider opting for a full frame at that price range? ~3000 aud) But would really appreciate any suggestions you guys have for the same price range or lower :)

There are definitely a lot of Full Frame options available with $3000 AUD, but I think it depends if you care about the size and weight of a full frame system? FF lenses can get very expensive and are generally a lot bulkier and heavier. The Sony A6700 looks like a great option and it's often said that APS-C systems are the perfect balance of size, weight and image quality. If you go onto Ozbargain.com.au or Digidirect, I just saw the A6700 body only for less than $1900 AUD

​@@ChrisandDanyaupdate: decided to go for the a6700 + sigma 18-50 f2.8! You're right, I think the cheaper and lighter lens options will really make a difference. Just waiting on my lens to arrive but I can't wait to test it out :) Thank you again for your help!! You guys are so kind :)

Such a great choice, you won't regret it! Happy shooting! 📸📸📸

January

I'm not sure if you're allowed to camp in that area at all tbh, you'd have to call the DOC Visitor Centre in Wanaka. I feel the only suitable spots to camp would be done by the river, beneath the glacier, which would not be safe. I may be incorrect though, it's been a while since we were there

You don't get the sweeping views like you do from the upper lookout. 2:22 is the views from the lower lookout

🙏❤️ It tasted like flour as well! 😂

Thanks for watching Simon! It's about 1.5hrs drive to Raspberry Creek Carpark from Wanaka. It's a nice drive with lots to look at though. 2/3 is on firm unsealed gravel road which is what takes a bit longer and there are some ford crossings too. Every time we have been out there have been 7 fords with water about a foot deep and 3 dry. At the beginning of the video it shows one. If you aren't sure just call or pop into the Tititea/ Mt Aspiring Visitors Center when you're here and they are pretty across current conditions. Rob Roy is a great day and you can stop at wishbone falls on the way out too. In terms of other day hikes near Wanaka, Rocky Mountain is one of our favorites where you get great views and an interesting hike. Roys peak is the local favourite but very steep and the hike itself doesn't have interesting terrain. Isthmus is similar to Roys Peak but nicer terrain in our opinion and with views of Lake Hawea. Be aware that both of these get closed for lambing season which is right now. We have videos on both if you wanted to check them out. Closer to town you can wander up Mt Iron or along any of the waterfronts/rivers. Lupins will be out in the next month too and these cluster around the water. Let us know if you have any other questions, otherwise have a great trip! 🙂

Thank you Adam! An AWD would probably be preferred, but it really depends the time if year/how much rain fall has occured in the last few days. There are several fords that have to be crossed, but later in Summer, a lot of these dry out and can be crossed even in a 2WD. I would say if you have a 2WD, go later in Summer

@@ChrisandDanya Cool, thanks a lot. I have just hired a AWD for January 2023. Will be in the Mt Apsiring area for 6 days. Really looking forward to it. Thanks again for the help!

Should have no issues in January, have an awesome time!!

@@ChrisandDanya Sorry for the 50 questions haha just wondering as well what camera you are using?? Looks great. Cheers

We've been using a Panasonic G9 for the last few years and a GoPro Hero 10 as a secondary camera. Recently upgraded to a Panasonic GH6, but haven't edited any of those videos yet

Thank you Farhan! In this video we would have been using the Panasonic G9 + Leica 12-60mm f2.8-4 lens + GoPro 10. We've since upgraded to Panasonic GH6

@@ChrisandDanya thanks so much

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@@ChrisandDanya 😂

Hooker Valley definitely has the better views, but if you're not already in the area, I'm not sure if it's worth driving the 4 hours one way to do it. If you're already going to be in the Wanaka area, it's definitely worth doing Rob Roy Glacier and Rocky Mountain. If you find a spare few days, then it's 100% worth going to Mount Cook. Just the drive there is stunning. But you don't want to rush it