This track, previously known as Grandview Creek Track, gains almost 1’000m in altitude to the 1’398m summit of Grandview Mountain and offers some literally grand views of Lake Hawea, Wanaka, and the Southern Alps.

The trail, mostly 4WD and sometimes single track, initially passes through kanuka shrubland and clumps of beech forest and crosses Grandview Creek a couple of times, before it climbs higher up into the valley towards steep bluffs.

The track runs adjacent to Grandview Conservation Area but keeps on Hawea Station land as it ambles east then swings back through golden tussock and speargrass towards the lake. You continue in zigzags up the ridge as you come up to yet another gate, climb over yet another stile until you reach the station boundary at 1’260m.

Near the top, the trail passes below and around the summit and approaches the trig point on a poled route up the eastern side of the peak. Standing on the mountaintop, you’ll have 360-degree views of the Hawea Flat stretching between the Clutha River and Lake Hawea and the Pisa Range and Dunstan Mountains rising to the south.

To the northwest ‘The Neck’ and Isthmus Peak can be clearly seen, and on a fine day, the iconic outline of 3’000m Mt Aspiring on the horizon. You’ll want to linger here as long as you can to soak up the views, but don’t be surprised, if the gentle breeze you felt on the ascent turns into ferocious gusts on the summit that race across the little rock outcrop and shake the trig point. I, at one point, almost lost my footing and turned back earlier than I wanted to, just to escape the wind.

Other than the stunning views, we loved the fact that this trail was so quiet. We met five hikers and three people on mountain bikes that day, a Sunday. If I was given the choice of hiking either Roys Peak or Grandview Mountain again in high season, I’d probably choose the latter for that reason. The return via the same track is almost all downhill and perfect for trail running.