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 Some
call it hiking, others call it walking - New Zealanders call it 'tramping'.
Tramping is pretty much a national pastime in New Zealand and there
are plenty of places for a good old tramp. There are eight Great Walks,
which are featured in detail here along with other guided walks, but
there are around fifty rewarding tracks around the country. There are
walks for every level of fitness and experience and there really is
no better way to experience the country's magnificent scenery and unspoiled
natural beauty. Two thirds of New Zealand is covered in National Park
and there are two World Heritage Areas.
Whether you go it
alone as an independent walker or take a guided walk there is nothing
to worry about. There are no snakes and no chance of getting lost as
all tracks are well-marked. On some tracks however it's recommended
that boiled or bottled drinking water be taken.
 There
are many advantages to guided walking - you won't have to carry a heavy
pack; all meals are provided; warm, comfortable beds await each night;
there are hot showers; and a knowledgeable guide will definitely enrich
the experience. You walk the same tracks as independent walkers but
you get to stay in comfortable huts with resident cooks. Guided walks
cost between NZ$500 and NZ$1600 for 4 to 5 days and we can arrange them
for you as part of an itinerary. The tracks that have guided walks are
marked ***. A cost guide for independent walkers - allow around NZ$12
to NZ$15 per adult a night for hut accommodation and campsites around
half that.
 North
Island
| Lake
Waikaremoana Track |
| Closest
Town: |
Rotorua |
| Best Time: |
All year
round |
| Length
of Walk: |
3-4 days |
51km
of moderate, easy walking, suggest 3 - 4 days. For independent
walkers only.
This walk offers magnificent scenery and plenty of opportunity
for swimming and fishing (you will need a licence to fish for
rainbow trout). The track can be walked all year round and reaches
a high point of 100m giving excellent views of the lake and across
to the Pacific Ocean. There's a variety of terrain and vegetation
from beech forest to dense rainforest.
The track can be walked in either direction (most people start
at Onepoto). Car parking is available and buses run to and from
Rotorua.
There are five huts equipped with heating, mattresses, water supplies
and toilets as well as many camping areas. In summer, independent
walkers should carry a tent in case the huts are full as well
as drinking water, food, portable stoves and fuel. |
| Tongariro
Northern Circuit |
| Closest
Town: |
Whakapapa
Village |
| Best Time: |
Nov - Apr |
| Length
of Walk: |
3-5 days |
A
challenging walk but suitable for all ages with a reasonable level
of fitness. Both guided and independent, allow 3 to 4 days.
This is a spectacular alpine walk through a volcanic World Heritage
Area. The most popular time of year to walk is November to April
when the track is normally clear of snow. In winter the track
becomes a full alpine experience requiring ice axes and crampons
(these can be hired in Whakapapa). Strong footwear and waterproof
clothing should be taken year round.
The track winds its way between three still active volcanoes,
past steaming vents, hot springs, old explosion craters and lava
flows and through beech forests and across alpine tussock lands.
There are also many beautiful lakes to rest beside and hot springs
to soak in.
There are four huts and camping is only permitted near each of
the huts (facilities at the huts may be used).
There are three access points to the circuit but the logical starting
point is from the visitor centre in Whakapapa village.
The guided trek (summer only) is a five-day package involving
three separate day walks where trampers return each night to the
comfort of the Grand Chateau Hotel. One of the walks is the Tongariro
Crossing which is touted as NZ's best day walk. The package includes
4 nights accommodation at the Chateau, all meals and backpacks. |
|
Whirinaki Track |
| Closest
Town: |
Murpara |
| Best Time: |
Oct - Apr |
| Length
of Walk: |
2 days |
An
easy 2 day walk through one of the largest tracts of untouched
native reserves in the North Island. It combines lush rainforest
with authentic Maori experience.
Special features include a helicopter flight to the start of the
track, a visit to a marae (tribal meeting place) for a Maori welcome
and hangi and accommodation is upmarket camping style with hot
showers and flush toilets. |
South
Island
| Abel
Tasman Coast Track |
| Closest
Town: |
Picton |
| Best Time: |
All year
round |
| Length
of Walk: |
3-5 days |
This
is a popular tramp because it has beaches, forest, waterfalls,
lagoons and the sea. Anyone can hike through the park on their
own but there are guided three or five day walks. You don't have
to be fit - there's a maximum of five hours tramping a day and
there's no camping. The accommodation is in comfy lodges.
You cover the same distance on the three or five day trips, the
only difference is a couple of days rest in the middle. There's
plenty of local flora, birdlife and marine life (dolphins, penguins,
seals and fish) but the main attraction is the views because large
sections of the track hug the coast.
Independent
walkers usually start at the southern end, from Marahau. There
are five huts with heating, bunks, mattresses, water supply and
toilets. There are no cooking facilities so you'll need to carry
a stove and tents should be taken in summer months in case the
huts are full. Guided walkers start at the northern end after
being transported by boat. The historic lodge accommodation has
twin bedrooms right on the beachfront, hot showers, flush toilets
and drying rooms. |
| Heaphy
Track |
| Closest
Town: |
Nelson/Westport |
| Best Time: |
All year
round |
| Length
of Walk: |
4-6 days |
Average
physical fitness is needed for this 4 to 6 day track through Nelson's
Kahurangi National park, home to more than half of New Zealand's
plant species. Beautiful red and silver beech trees accentuate
the forest before it opens up to the wild seashore of the West
Coast. In summer, tiny orchids flower on the forest floor. Native
birds include the weka, tui, bellbird and robin and you may be
lucky enough to see (or hear) the great spotted kiwi.
Most
of the seven huts on the track have cooking facilities and all
have bunks, heating, water and toilets. Camping is permitted in
ten designated areas. Bus and taxi services are available from
local towns to both ends of the track and regular bus services
link the major centres of Nelson and Westport. |
| Kepler
Track |
| Closest
Town: |
Te Anau |
| Best Time: |
Oct - Apr |
| Length
of Walk: |
4 days |
Above
average fitness and experience is needed for this diverse 4-day
tramp. On this one you'll stroll beside lakes, climb mountain
ridge tracks and gaze across u-shaped glacial valleys. Beech is
the main forest tree and there are many ferns, mosses and perching
plants. Birds include NZ's alpine parrot, the Kea and the brown
kiwi.
Between late October and April huts are serviced, equipped with
heating, gas cooking, gas lighting, mattresses, running water
and flush toilets. Camping is only permitted in certain areas. |
| Milford
Track |
| Closest
Town: |
Te Anau |
| Best Time: |
Oct - Apr |
| Length
of Walk: |
1-4 days |
This
is a spectacular walk through World Heritage Area from the northern
end of Lake Te Anau to Milford Sound. It has been described as
the finest walk in the world but it's no gentle stroll - you will
need reasonable fitness. There's up to six hours walking each
day, sometimes over rocky, uneven parts and rainfall is high all
year round.
The area features dramatic glacier-cut fjords, deep u-shaped valleys,
spectacular waterfalls and areas of rainforest with rare endangered
species of plants animals and birds.
This walk has to be booked and operates from late October to mid
April. Only 40 independent passes are issued each day, the track
must be walked in one direction and one night must be spent in
each hut. The walk begins and ends by boat and buses connect from
Te Anau.
The guided walk uses comfortable accommodation with hot showers,
flush toilets, bunkrooms with duvets and drying rooms. Soap, shampoo,
towels and hairdryers and all meals are provided. You need only
carry a sleeping sheet, personal essentials and clothes. There's
pre-track accommodation in Te Anau and post-track at Mitre Peak
Lodge. |
| Rakiura
Track |
| Closest
Town: |
Stewart Island |
| Best Time: |
All year
round |
| Length
of Walk: |
2-3 days |
| This
tramp is on the southern Stewart Island, a 2 to 3 day forest and
coastal circuit for walkers with reasonable fitness. It's a place
of great natural beauty from the sea to cloudy, windswept summits
and the coastal and forest birdlife is unusually prolific. The
huts have places for 30 people but it's advisable to take a tent
in case the huts are full. Rainfall is high and it's quite cold
so warm, waterproof clothing should be taken. |
| Routeburn
Track |
| Closest
Town: |
Queenstown |
| Best Time: |
Oct - Apr |
| Length
of Walk: |
3 days |
This
one is a challenging 39km through Fiordland and is very popular
in summer. In winter it is extremely hazardous for all but the
most experienced alpine travellers. Independent trampers can travel
in either direction and features include waterfalls, forested
valleys, rich bird life, lakes and spectacular mountain scenery,
ferns, mosses, lichens and perching plants.
To prevent overcrowding in the huts and campsites between October
and April bookings are essential.
The four huts are equipped with cooking and heating facilities,
bunks, water supply and toilets. A maximum of two nights stay
in any one hut applies. Camping is only permitted in three designated
areas to protect the sub-alpine ecosystem. Bus companies service
both ends of the track from Queenstown, Te Anau and Milford.
On guided
walks, trampers are encouraged to walk at their own pace for maximum
enjoyment and accommodation is in private lodges with all meals,
linen and towels provided (packs and rain jackets can also be
supplied). |
| Queen
Charlotte Track |
| Closest
Town: |
Picton |
| Best Time: |
All year |
| Length
of Walk: |
3-4 days |
This
is a 4-day walk around the bays and ridges between Queen Charlotte
and Kenepuru Sounds in the Marlborough Sounds at the top of the
South Island. There are stunning coastal views and a range of
local flora including beech forest, rimu and nikau palms. Dolphins
frequent the Sounds and several species of forest bird have their
home on the track
There are camp sites and guided walkers stay in a variety of independently
run bed and breakfast and lodge accommodation. The guided walk
cost includes water transport to and from the track, boat transfer
of luggage each day, all meals, a light daypack and a dolphin
watching trip. Group sizes are kept to around 12 and there are
3-day, 4-day walks and a 4-day walk that includes 2 days sea kayaking. |
| Hollyford
Track |
| Closest
Town: |
Te Anau |
| Best Time: |
All year
round |
| Length
of Walk: |
4-6 days |
A
very rewarding, medium-level tramp. Take some snow-covered peaks,
sprinkle them with waterfalls, add a couple of lakes and a good
helping of rainforest and the result is a pristine part of the
South Island's west coast.
Because the trail is from the mountains to the sea, it's pretty
much downhill all the way. It's not all footslog - jetboats cover
some of the distance and at the track end, Martins Bay, there's
the opportunity to get up close with seals, penguins and dolphins.
And the NZ way of roughing it is staying at St Martins Bay Lodge
with comfy twin-share accommodation, showers and gourmet meals.
The four and five day tours end with a scenic flight out of Milford
Sound, a cruise and a coach trip back to Te Anau - the six day
trampers choose to walk out.
Guided walks begin with a pre-tour briefing and dinner in Te Anau,
group size is limited to 16 and walkers need only carry a day
pack for clothing and personal items. |
| Waitutu
Track |
| Closest
Town: |
Invercargill |
| Best Time: |
Nov-Apr |
| Length
of Walk: |
4 days |
This
is a 4-day guided walk along the wild south-west coast of the
South island, past historical sites and local wildlife such as
penguins, dolphins and seals. Walkers cross a number of wooden
viaducts (including the Percy Burn, thought to be the oldest remaining
wooden viaduct in the world). The trip includes a jetboat ride
up one of the country's steepest rivers to Lake Hauroko.
The guided package includes all meals, transfers, hut fees and
accommodation at the Riverton Rock historic hotel pre and post
walk with camp style sleeping on the track (all equipment is provided). |
For
other soft adventure options in New Zealand, click
here.
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Contact
Information
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Phone:
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+61
7 3876 4644 |
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Fax:
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+61
7 3876 4645 |
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Email:
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[email protected] |
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