Walking & Hiking

The choice in walking experiences is vast, from a gentle stroll along the coastlines of Abel Tasman National Park to a night time Kiwi-spotting expedition on Stewart Island, or being showered with spray from the world’s fifth-highest waterfall on Milford Track.

Whether it’s hooking a fat trout in the Greenstone Valley, photographing alpine flora frozen in ice on the Hollyford Track or in Tongariro World Heritage Park, standing in awe at the alpine memorial for lost trampers on the Hooker Valley Track at Mount Cook, or learning first-hand about the food and medicine used by the ancient tribes of the Whirinaki rainforest, New Zealand can offer a natural or cultural experience like no other. New options are added regularly. Diversity, it’s been said, is the spice of life and New Zealand offers outdoors people plenty of that! There are great opportunities for getting back to nature within minutes of any New Zealand town or city. A huge variety of short scenic walks are accessible by road, and many are located close to cities and towns or in popular tourist areas. Some short trails even provide access for disabled visitors.

With more than thirty percent of the country preserved in the National Park system – that’s more than eight million hectares – your clients will need to don a pair of hiking boots to explore the most pristine corners of New Zealand. They’ll be spoilt for choice with 12,000 kilometres of walking tracks and 1,000 huts for overnight stays. Even outside the National Parks, there are many opportunities for walking in regional parks and preserves, and along coastlines, lakes and rivers. From the top of the North to the bottom of the South Island and beyond, to several offshore islands, there are a multitude of trails ranging from fifteen-minute scenic walks to demanding multi-day hikes, ice or mountain climbs. Whatever their skill level, your clients will find the perfect way to walk New Zealand. And walking in some of the most unspoilt parts of the world is an unforgettable experience.

Your clients can arrange an excursion independently, using a rental car or selecting a walk close to public transport, or they may prefer to join a guided tour and allow an expert to introduce them to New Zealand’s natural features. Many longer, multi-day walks also offer the option of going independently or with a guide. A guided walk is a good option for visitors less experienced in the outdoors and those wanting to get involved in a more intense trekking experience. Guided walks take the hassle out of organising suitable food, as well as transport to and from the track. They also offer the advantage of an experienced escort who will explain local features, history, culture and wildlife. Levels of service vary, with some operators offering transport of gear so participants won’t even have to carry a pack.

If they are going independently, advise your clients to take care in their planning and seek advice before setting out. Main tracks, such as Whirinaki in the north, and Abel Tasman, Queen Charlotte, Routeburn, Milford and Hollyford in the south, are equipped with comfortable accommodation. Less well-known walks may also have basic backcountry huts for overnight stays. Visitors should always seek advice before attempting an overnight walk. It is important to be well equipped with suitable clothing, appropriate food and emergency gear, and to confirm that the chosen walk is suitable for fitness levels. Food, water and warm clothing should always be carried – the weather can change quickly in this part of the world and even short walks are less enjoyable if you’re cold and hungry! Your clients can visit a Department of Conservation Visitor and Information Centre for assistance.

Whether your clients take an epic trek through mountainous terrain, or a scenic stroll through a forest or along a beach, walking in New Zealand is a wonderful way to experience the landscape close at hand.

Hiking, Arthur’s Pass – Arthur’s Pass National Park has a challenging landscape for experienced hikers

Image: Tourism New Zealand, photo by Rob Suisted

New Zealand’s Great Walks

The most widely known hiking trails in New Zealand are known as the Great Walks. Administered and protected by the Department of Conservation, these trails are maintained to a high standard, with a higher standard of facilities than other trails, and can be relied upon to introduce your client to some of New Zealand’s most spectacular scenery. It is therefore no surprise that these are some of New Zealand’s most popular hikes and many require bookings.

Abel Tasman Coast Track
Perhaps the most gentle (and one of the most famous) of the Great Walks is the Abel Tasman Coast Track. This 51 km coastal track introduces the walker to an intriguing blend of forest and sandy beaches. Most people can walk this track in 3 to 5 days.

Heaphy Track
This popular track passes through a range of landscapes in Kahurangi National Park, from tussock land to West Coast rainforest.

Kepler Track
Located in Fiordland National Park, this 60 km track offers an ever-changing landscape of beech forest, alpine regions and a glacial valley. Most people can walk this track in 3 to 4 days.

Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk
Discover the varied beauty of Te Urewera National Park on a 3 to 4 day walk through dense rainforest along the lake edge.

Milford Track
Probably New Zealand’s most widely know walk, this unforgettable track is located in Fiordland National Park where forested valleys and waterfalls abound.

Rakiura Track
Located on Stewart Island, in New Zealand’s newest National Park, this coastal track can be walked in 3 days.

Routeburn Track
This popular track links Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks, introducing walkers to waterfalls, forest and lakes along the way. The track can be completed in 2 to 3 days.

Tongariro Northern Circuit
Passing through strange volcanic landscapes in the Central North Island, this track is an unforgettable experience.

Whanganui Journey
Though it is traversed by canoe rather than by foot, the Whanganui Journey is grouped with the Great Walks due to its significance as a New Zealand national treasure.

Tips for Walking

Bookings
Bookings are required during peak season for Abel Tasman Coast Track, Heaphy, Milford, Routeburn and Kepler Tracks, and year-round for the Lake Waikaremoana Track. Bookings open on the first of July each year. Bookings are not required for Whanganui Journey, Tongariro Northern Circuit or Rakiura Track. Email [email protected] for bookings.

Facilities
During peak season, huts offer mattresses, cold water, hand washing, sinks, toilets and heating with fuel available. Cooking utensils are not provided. At other times of the year, heating, fuel and a hut warden may not be provided. Campsites offer cold water, sinks and toilets. It is advisable for your clients to check the latest information on weather, facilities and conditions at the nearest DOC visitor centre before starting. Walkers should ensure they are equipped with warm clothing, food and emergency equipment. Contact www.mountainsafety.org.nz for advice.

Fees
All walkers must purchase a Great Walk Pass to use hut and campsite facilities. Fees are charged per person per night. A penalty fee of up to 100% applies to passes purchased from hut wardens. Maximum stay periods of two nights at huts or campsites during peak season, and three nights at huts and five at campsites during off-peak season apply.

Seasons
The summer peak season is generally 1 October to 30 April. Off-peak season is 1 May to 30 September (winter).

Other Renowned Hiking Tracks

• Banks Peninsula Walk
Two- or four-day hike in Canterbury.

• Hollyford track
37 km, three-day hike in Fiordland.

• Hump Ridge Track
53 km, three-day hike in Southland.

• Kaikoura Coast Track
Three-day hike near Kaikoura in Canterbury.

• Queen Charlotte Track Three- or four-day hike in Marlborough.

• Tongariro Crossing
17 km, one-day hike in the Ruapehu region.