Hi nate
Have you experienced NZ huts before ? They can be pretty darn good. Especially when it's feral weather. I know there's always the exception but I find ear plugs solves all hut issues over there. NZ, especially down south of Queenstown can be pretty savage for sand flies if your camped up in beech forest.
It might be worth an email to DOC NZ regarding the Rees Dart track. It's an amazing walk and would fit your bill nicely. If you camped you could do the Cascade saddle route from the matukituki valley (Wanaka side) to Dart Hut then come out via the Rees Track / Valley. (Probably don't camp on Cascade saddle though as the resident Kea's are real tent rippers).
Spend a night in Glenorchy then straight over to the Routeburn. Then transfer back to Queenstown.
Routeburn is pretty hard to go past, easily looped with the Caples Track. I'm a big pusher of the Routeburn as bang for buck/distance it's a real jem. Kepler would be good too. Logistics in NZ is great for getting around. The companies that run you around on the tracks are great.
You could transfer from Queenstown to Te Anau, Kepler. Walk that then transfer to the Routeburn ?? Would mean a 3hr trip to Te Anau at the start but you would finish on the right side of the range only a 45min trip back to Queenstown.
So many options over there, like I said the logistics of walks is just so much easier with the transfer companies. In the scheme of a big trip the cost is well worth it IMO.
Great options on cheaper flights straight to Queenstown in late March. I have a trip booked myself to be over there for a stint.
I wrote up about my last trip here.
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