 thumb|300px|routeburn track emergency shelters at harris saddle thumb|300px|view of the humboldt mountains from the track the routeburn track is a world-renowned tramping (hiking) 32km track found in the south island of new zealand. the track is usually completed by starting on the queenstown side of the southern alps, at the northern end of lake wakatipu, and finishing on the te anau side, at the divide, several kilometres from the homer tunnel to milford sound. the new zealand department of conservation classifies this track as a great walk and maintains four huts along the track: routeburn flats hut, routeburn falls hut, mackenzie hut, and howden hut; in addition there is an emergency shelter at harris saddle. the track overlaps two national parks; the mount aspiring national park and fiordland national parks with the border and highest point being the harris saddle. this area gets much less rain than the milford sound, and the forests are very different, especially on the eastern side of the saddle, which due to less rainfall is predominantly made up of new zealand red beech and mountain beech, with relatively few ferns. the track spends a long time on the high ridges around harris saddle, with great long-distance views in many directions. the track has a long history of use dating back to the 1880s. ==tramping== access to the routeburn track is not as tightly controlled as the milford track. camping is allowed, though both huts and camping spaces must be booked in advance during peak season. there is a surcharge for non-ticket holders. there is a choice of which direction to go, and which huts to stay in. on the w
Fiordland Hiking_and_tramping_tracks_in_New_Zealand Mount_Aspiring_National_Park Protected_areas_of_Southland,_New_Zealand