Get your hiking shoes on - there are just too many fantastic walks in New Zealand to pass up! Luckily for us, the Department of Conservation has made it easy to know where to start by compiling a list of Great Walks. There are nine of them throughout the country, and you can have little doubt that they'll cross some of our most amazing scenery. Mountains, forests, volcanoes, lakes, rivers, beaches and glaciers - you name it; you can walk to it! Now is the perfect weather for tramping, so get out there and make the most of it.
Photo: Routeburn Track © Nick Corlett
Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk
This 46km track can be found in Te Urewera National Park, which boasts one of the largest untouched tracts of native forest in the North Island. This unspoiled forest features a myriad of clean, sparkling lakes; dramatic rock bluffs and tumbling waterfalls, all of which can be explored on this Great Walk. Allow four days.Tongariro Northern Circuit
This 41km walk encompasses the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, one of the most popular one-day walks in New Zealand, and circles Mt Ngauruhoe before finishing in Whakapapa Village. The scenery is nothing short of amazing, with volcanic craters, glacial valleys and magical lakes included in this diverse landscape. Allow three to four days.Whanganui Journey
This is a Great Walk with a difference. It is, in fact, a 145km river journey, completed by kayak or canoe. Follow the Whanganui River from high on the Central Plateau before descending through the Whanganui National Park, flowing through deeply carved gorges before opening out to rolling farmland and continuing on to the coastal dunes fringing the Tasman Sea. Allow five days.
Stay and discover these Great Walks with accommodation options close by:
Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk
Tongariro Northern Circuit
Whanganui Journey
Lake Waikaremoana © Shanon Lee
Abel Tasman Coast Track
This 51km coastal track winds around the Abel Tasman National Park, taking you past secluded sandy beaches, rocky headlands, beech forest and magnificent marine and bird life. There is also a 47m-long suspension bridge over the Falls River, and numerous stream and estuary crossings. Allow three to five days.Heaphy Track
The Heaphy Track is an 82km journey traversing the Kahurangi National Park amidst lush native forest and bird life. Highlights include the viewpoint at Flanagans Corner, which at 915m is the highest part of the track. As you can imagine, magnificent views await. This is the longest Great Walk, so allow four to six days.Routeburn Track
Part of the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area, the Routeburn Track meanders through Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks. This 32km track has stunning alpine scenery as it winds through beech forest, tussock and herb fields, past waterfalls, rivers and lakes before crossing the Harris Saddle. Allow three days.
Stay and discover these Great Walks with accommodation options close by:
Abel Tasman Coast Track
Heaphy Track
Routeburn Track
Abel Tasman National Park
© Ingrid Richter
Milford Track
Described by famed poet Rudyard Kipling as 'the finest walk in the world', this track is arguably one of our best-known tracks. Starting at the head of Lake Te Anau and ending at the breathtaking Milford Sound, this 53.5km journey takes you through temperate rainforest and past waterfalls and spectacular viewpoints. Allow four days.Kepler Track
This 60km walk follows the shores of picturesque Lake Te Anau before climbing through beech forest to the tip of the Kepler Mountains. Breathtaking views are a given! It then descends to the shores of Lake Manapouri, before following the Waiau River back to Lake Te Anau. Allow three to four days.Rakiura Track
This 36km track on serene Stewart Island provides a cross-section of the captivating scenery that this island paradise has to offer. You'll discover picturesque inlets and bays, dense forests and Stewart Island's famed bird life - keep an eye (and ear) out for rare native species including kokako, saddlebacks and robins. Allow three days.
Stay and discover these Great Walks with accommodation options close by:
Milford Track
Kepler Track
Raikura Track
Milford Track © Rachael Phillips
For more information on the above walks, visit the Department Of Conservation website.
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