New Zealand
Description
New Zealand is paradise for hikers. Tramping, as hiking or walking is called here, is very popular and well organised. Most tramps are inside one of New Zealand’s 14 NPs and 19 National Forests.
From the northern tip to Stewart Island in the south, New Zealand stretches out for 1.600 km, and the country has a 10% larger area than Great Britain. Thanks to high rainfall, its elongated north-south position, geology, mountains and winds, the country offers an enormous variety in landscapes. You will find countless rivers and lakes filled with fish, lush rainforests, alpine ridges and active volcanoes. The coastline is seemingly endless and varied, and dotted with small beaches. In all these landscapes hiking trails have been laid out. Ideal if you are looking for wilderness and isolation.
Trails, or tracks as they are called locally, and so-called backcountry huts are mostly maintained by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Tramping is possible on all levels of difficulty. The DOC distinguishes 6 Track Categories:
- Easy Access Tracks (very short)
- Short Walks
- Walking track (2429 km): day hikes
- Great walks (380 km) and Easy tramping tracks (895 km): track is generally well formed, may be steep, rough or muddy
- Tramping tracks (7803 km): track is mostly unformed with steep, rough or muddy sections
- Routes (1458 km): challenging; Track is mostly unformed with steep, rough or muddy sections
A special category are the so-called 9 Great Walks. In fact there are only 8, because the Whanganui Journey is a paddling route. These Great Walks are very scenic, not too difficult, and consequently most popular. During high season – from mid December until late January – these are best avoided. The Great Walks are:
- Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk, 42 km, 4 days
- Tongariro Northern Circuit, 50 km, 4 days
- Whanganui Journey - paddle, 144 km, 5 days
- Abel Tasman Coast Track, 51 km, 5 days
- Heaphy Track, 78 km, 5 days
- Routeburn Track, 32 km, 3 days
- Milford Track, 54, 4 days
- Kepler Track, 60 km, 4 days
- Rakiura Track, Stewart Island, 36 km, 3 days
All tramps have huts and camp sites. You will need to bring your own food. Also bring your own stove for cooking, except on the Great Walks where the huts have a kitchen with stove. Most huts are basic and cheap, The better and popular ones may be staffed by a warden. There are three categories of huts:
- 1000 huts in the NPs. Payment with tickets purchased in advance at for instance DOC visitor information centres. You can also buy a Backcountry Hut Pass, valid for one year, and a good deal if used for 10 nights or more.
- There are a few Alpine Service Huts, high up in the mountains, which are a lot more expensive
- Great Walk Huts: these have their own separate ticket system and require a special Great Walks Pass. In addition these Great Walks, because of their popularity, are bookable online (DOC) and consequently frequently booked-out during high season.
Summer holidays in New Zealand run from mid December until late January. In this period walking trails are very busy. The Great Walks will be fully booked if you haven’t booked early. If you can avoid the high season, from mid November and until mid April is also a good time for hiking, although you may encounter snow high up in the mountains. Weather is changeable at all times.
Map
Trails
- Abel Tasman Coast TrackGPX
- Angelus and Robert Ridge
- Arahura and Styx Valleys tracks
- Avalanche Peak – Crow River route
- Ball Pass Crossing
- Cape Reinga Coastal Walkway
- Carrington Hut – Waimakariri Col – Otira Route
- Carrington Hut route
- Cascade Saddle Route
- Casey Saddle – Binser Saddle route
- Cass – Lagoon Saddle tramping track
- Devilskin Saddle route
- Dusky TrackGPX
- Edwards – Hawdon Route
- Edwards – Otehake route
- George Sound Track
- Gillespie Pass circuit
- Great Walks New Zealand
- Greenstone and Caples tracks
- Hapuakohe Walkway
- Harman Pass Route
- Harper Pass route
- Heaphy TrackGPX
- Historic Haast to Paringa Cattle Track
- Holdsworth – Kaitoke Tramp
- Hollyford TrackGPX
- Hump Ridge Track
- Inland Track
- Kaimai Mamaku North-South Track
- Kawhatau Base to Crow Hut Loop Track
- Kepler TrackGPX
- Kirwans Reward Track
- Knights Track to Pohangina Valley East Road Track
- Lake Man tramping track and route
- Lake Sumner and Lewis Pass routes
- Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk
- Leslie-Karamea Track
- Lewis Pass – Waiau Pass – Blue Lake route
- Manganuku Wahaatua Pakihi Heads Track
- Mangapurua Kaiwhakauka Track
- Manuoha to Waikareiti Track
- Matemateaonga Track
- Mavora – Greenstone Walkway
- Milford TrackGPX
- Minchin Pass route
- Mingha – Deception route
- Motatapu track
- Mount Arthur Tableland Circuit
- Mount Holdsworth – Jumbo Circuit
- North West Circuit Stewart Island
- Nydia Track, Marlborough Sounds
- Otago Central Rail Trail
- Papatahi Crossing
- Pelorus TrackGPX
- Pouakai CircuitGPX
- Purity - Kelly Knight Hut Loop Track
- Purity to Kawhatau Base Track
- Pyke – Big Bay Route
- Queen Charlotte TrackGPX
- Rakiura TrackGPX
- Rangiwahia Hut - Deadmans TrackGPX
- Rees-Dart Track
- Renfrew Roadend to Table Flat Roadend
- Round the Mountain TrackGPX
- Routeburn TrackGPX
- Ruahine Corner to Kawhatau Base Track
- Southern Circuit Stewart Island
- St James Walkway
- Table Flat - Kashmir Roadend West-East crossing
- Tararua Northern CrossingGPX
- Tararua Southern CrossingGPX
- Te AraroaGPX
- Three Passes route
- Timaru River Track
- Tongariro Northern CircuitGPX
- Travers-Sabine Circuit
- Waipapa River TrackGPX
- Wangapeka TrackGPX
- Warawara Track
- Whirinaki Track
Regions
- Abel Tasman NP
- Ahuriri CP
- Aoraki or Mount Cook NP
- Arthur's Pass NP
- Bay of Plenty
- Canterbury
- Craigieburn FP
- East Coast
- Egmont NP
- Eyre Mountains CP
- Fiordland NP
- Hanmer FP
- Kahurangi NP
- Kaimai Mamaku FP
- Lake Sumner FP
- Marlborough
- Mavora Lakes Park
- Mount Aspiring NP
- Mount Richmond FP
- Nelson
- Nelson Lakes NP
- North Island
- Northland
- Northland FP
- Otago
- Pirongia FP
- Pureora FP
- Pyke Forest
- Rakiura NP
- Raukumara FP
- Rimutaka FP
- South Island
- Southland
- St James CP
- Tararua FP
- Te Urewera NP
- Tongariro
- Tongariro NP
- Waikato
- Wanganui
- Wellington
- West Coast NZ
- Western Ruahine FP
- Whanganui NP
- Whirinaki FP
Mountains
Links
Facts
Reports
Guides and maps
Lodging
Organisations
Tour operators
GPS
Other
Books

United Kingdom
- Wanderful New Zealand
- Hiking the 3,000 kilometre Te Araroa Trail Read more
- Also available from:
- De Zwerver, Netherlands
- Also available from:
- De Zwerver, Netherlands

United Kingdom
- Walking with the Anzacs
- The authoritative guide to the Australian battlefields of the Western Front Read more
- Also available from:
- Stanfords, United Kingdom
- De Zwerver, Netherlands

United Kingdom
2021
- Lonely Planet Best Day Walks New Zealand
- Lonely Planet`s Best Day Walks New Zealand is your passport to 60 easy escapes into nature. Stretch your legs outside the city by picking a hike that works for you, from a few hours to a full day, from easy to hard. Climb ancient volcanoes, view amazing vistas, and scale tall mountains. Get to the heart of New Zealand and begin your journey... Read more

United Kingdom
2022
- Epic Hikes of Australia & New Zealand
- Lace up your hiking boots for the next in Lonely Planet`s highly successful Epic Hikes series, this time exploring 50 of Australia and New Zealand`s most rewarding treks and trails. From the Routeburn Track in New Zealand`s South Island to the Cape to Cape walk in Western Australia`s Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, we cover a huge variety of... Read more
- Also available from:
- Stanfords, United Kingdom
- De Zwerver, Netherlands

United Kingdom
2022
- Epic Hikes of Australia & New Zealand
- Lace up your hiking boots for the next in Lonely Planet`s highly successful Epic Hikes series, this time exploring 50 of Australia and New Zealand`s most rewarding treks and trails. From the Routeburn Track in New Zealand`s South Island to the Cape to Cape walk in Western Australia`s Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, we cover a huge variety of... Read more

Netherlands
2022
- Wandelgids Hikes of Australia and New Zealand | Lonely Planet
- Lace up your hiking boots for the next in Lonely Planet`s highly successful Epic Hikes series, this time exploring 50 of Australia and New Zealand`s most rewarding treks and trails. From the Routeburn Track in New Zealand`s South Island to the Cape to Cape walk in Western Australia`s Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, we cover a huge variety of... Read more
- Also available from:
- De Zwerver, Netherlands
- Also available from:
- De Zwerver, Netherlands
Maps

Netherlands
- Wegenkaart - landkaart Nieuw Zeeland - New Zealand - Aotearoa | Hema Maps
- New Zealand Aotearoa 1 : 1 600 000 ab 12.49 EURO City maps, National parks, Distance grid, Road Detail, Tourist Information, Index Hema Maps. 6th Edition Read more

Netherlands
- Wegenkaart - landkaart Planning Map New Zealand - Nieuw Zeeland | Lonely Planet
- New Zealand Planning Map ab 5.99 EURO Must-See Highlights, Travel Tips, Transport Planner. Easy-fold, waterproof Lonely Planet Planning Map. 1st edition Read more

Netherlands
- Wegenkaart - landkaart New Zealand - South Island | ITMB
- New Zealand 1 : 600 000 ab 10.49 EURO International Travel Map ITM. 1st edition Read more