Borland Road is a stunning, scenic, lesser-known remote access road into Fiordland National Park. The gravel road surface is adequate for a standard car up to the Grebe Valley Lookout, although the road is windy and narrow in sections.
From the Southern Scenic Highway, at Brunel Peaks, take Lake Monowai Road, then head west at the intersection with Borland Road. You can continue on Lake Monowai Road to Lake Monowai and enjoy the short, easy Monowai Lookout Track. Another option is a brief detour to the hamlet of Monowai and its power station.
From the intersection, Borland Road crosses an open area with views of various peaks to the north, including Mount Titiroa in the Hunter Mountains and Mount Eldrig. The road then passes Borland Lodge and the entrance to the attractive and easy Borland Nature Walk. This walk is near the entrance to Fiordland National Park and connects to the South Borland Track, which follows the Borland Burn. The road then climbs gradually through a beech forest, where you will see the turn-off to the start of the Eldrig Peak Track and then the west end of the South Borland track a few hundred metres further along the road. After this, the road enters a valley carved out by the Borland Burn South Branch between the Hunter Mountains to the north and Eldrig Peak to the south.
Although the power pylons connected to the Lake Manapouri Power Station follow the road, there are many stunning views of the surrounding peaks and forests. After 19.5 km, you will reach Borland Saddle, with views and the short but fabulous Mount Burns Tops Track. It is a short drive from the saddle to the Gebe Valley Lookout. Along the way, you will see the short access road for the Green Lake Track, a two-day hike to Lake Monowai. To go further than the Grebe Valley Lookout, you need a 4WD.
The road was built to support the Manapouri Hydroelectric Scheme, which sits between the west side of Lake Manapouri and Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound / Patea. It provided road access for the scheme’s power pylons deep into Fiordland National Park. Before Europeans, the valley was a route for Māori into the Grebe Valley, a food source, including moa and other birds and eels. Today, there are 45 species of bird in the area.
The power station development began with the construction of a workers' camp in 1963, which is now the Borland Lodge, an education and accommodation complex. The power supply company maintains the road to support the pylons, so be aware it is sometimes closed, especially near the turnoff to the Eldrig Track and the access from the Grebe Valley Lookout to the Grebe Valley. Check for alerts on the day you plan to visit.
