Nau mai, haere mai

Hiking or backpacking: here in Aotearoa / New Zealand, we call it tramping. Tramping is heading off into the backcountry with everything you need on your back, and doing it safely so you can get home again. Experienced tramper, visitor to the country, or simply thinking about getting into tramping, find the information you need here to plan your adventure.

Classic walks

Abel Tasman Coast Track • 3 – 5 days. Easy. One way.

Easy, sunny coastal track with golden sands and excellent swimming. The busiest track in the country, following the length of ...

Dusky Track • 8 – 10 days. Medium. One way.

This journey explores the glacial valleys and mountains of Fiordland from Lake Hauroko to Lake Manapouri, visiting Dusky Sound along ...

Heaphy Track • 4 – 6 days. Easy. One way.

A classic crossing of the geologically and biologically diverse northwest corner of the South Island. The track is also open to ...

Hillary Trail • 4 – 6 days. Medium. One way.

A spectacular coastal walk in the Waitakere Ranges west of Auckland. ALOT OF THIS TRAIL IS CLOSED FOR KAURI DIE BACK ...

Hollyford Track • 4 days. Medium. One way.

The Hollyford Track is a classic lowland Fiordland route from the Hollyford Road out to the coast at Martins Bay.

Hump Ridge Track • 3 days. Easy/medium. Loop track.

The Hump Ridge Track links the Waitutu coastline west of Invercargill with the subalpine landscape of the Hump Ridge. Historic ...

Kauaeranga Kauri Trail (Pinnacles Walk) • 1 – 2 days. Easy/medium. Return by the same track.

An overnight trip past old kauri dams to The Pinnacles, on Coromandel Peninsula.

Kepler Track • 3 – 4 days. Easy/medium. Loop track.

Popular loop track providing access to the mountains around Lake Te Anau.

Lake Waikaremoana Track • 3 – 4 days. Easy/medium. One way.

"The Lake Track." Busy track in summer with swimming and fishing along the lake-side.

Milford Track • 4 days. Easy/medium. One way.

The Milford Track is an alpine journey through Fiordland National Park, and New Zealand's most renowned walking track, visited by ...

North West Circuit • 10 – 12 days. Medium. Loop track.

The classic Stewart Island coastal journey known widely for its mud. Links with the Rakiura Track.

Paparoa Track • 3 days. Easy/medium. One way.

New track located in Paparoa National Park, and still under construction. The track is scheduled to open late 2018. This track ...

Queen Charlotte Track • 3 – 5 days. Easy. One way.

A long but easy walk along Queen Charlotte Sound. This track offers hostel and resort accommodation as well as basic ...

Rakiura Track • 3 days. Easy/medium. Loop track.

An historic walk through almost deserted, pure podocarp forest.

Rees-Dart Track • 3 – 4 days. Medium/hard. Loop track.

Alpine circuit along two river valleys at the head of Lake Wakatipu.

Routeburn Track • 2 – 4 days. Easy/medium. One way.

An internationally renowned and popular alpine crossing between Fiordland and Lake Wakatipu.

St James Walkway • 5 days. Easy/medium. One way.

A long and easy walk on St James Station near Lewis Pass. Beech forest, mountain scenery, farmland, wild horses, mud.

Te Araroa Trail • 95 days. Medium. One way.

Te Araroa is a walking trail running the entire length of the North and South Islands. The trail opened 3 ...

Te Paki Coastal Track • 3 – 4 days. Easy/medium. One way.

Explore the Far North coastline around Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua.

Tongariro Northern Circuit • 3 – 4 days. Easy/medium. Loop track.

This circuit on the Volcanic Plateau passes close to the summit of Tongariro in a spectacular, active volcanic landscape of ...

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In the forums

Dusky track • Honora 15 Nov 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

I've done the NW and southern circuits in sandals which is probably as bad as the Dusky. But these days ...

Kayaking and tramping together • Honora 15 Nov 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

I did 5 pack float crossings up the Waiohine Gorge about 12 years ago. It was great fun doing it ...

Tent Options • Jacob11 15 Nov 2018 in Gear talk

Now it is possible to find a New Zealand tour packages, in fact, a number of them, that allows you ...

Patagonia gear • roysta1 15 Nov 2018 in Gear talk

I absolutely agree about Westcomb. A Canadian company that makes excellent gear at good prices.

Advice for 3,000m summit (Cook National Park) • Ruahine 15 Nov 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

@JETNZ >All summits over 2,900 m are within a 10-mile radius of Aoraki / Mount Cook. Except Mt Aspiring :smile:

Late-Spring snow - Fiordland • waynowski 14 Nov 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

mackinnon pass is a wind tunnel, he weather can be vicious... was blowing around 80k when i was there, the ...

Avalanches - what to do if you get caught in one • giuseppe23 12 Nov 2018 in The campfire

@si-dog sounds very sad... Can I ask you what happened ?

'Goblin forest' - Kamahi / Patea or Dawson Falls • si-dog 12 Nov 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

This term "goblin forest" as pointed out above is more attributable to the type of stunted mossy trees that grow ...

Found - large Hunting & Fishing top (Welly region) • si-dog 12 Nov 2018 in Gear talk

If you can tell me where you think you lost it, I can tell you where it is. Sorry it ...

Packing food for 7 days tramping+emergency food. • Honora 8 Nov 2018 in Food

I've gone dairy-free so that's a challenge but found a feta made from coconut oil among other things. Thinking of ...

Sidebar "Start a new thread" button in Safari? • Moh_Oz 6 Nov 2018 in This website

Hi @Matthew Make sense when you think about it. Cheers, Moh

In general, do I need to treat water in NZ? • Gregor 5 Nov 2018 in The campfire

"The ash has nothing to do with the smoke taste. It's the filtration method." @Berend, please elaborate.

Tramping infrastructure • Gregor 5 Nov 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

Yes, I'm casting a spell now to turn agentben into a pile of dog poos... I've had a bit of ongaonga ...

NZMSC Alpine Tramping Series Videos • Syncop8r 5 Nov 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

I have seen the new NZ Mountain Safety Council Alpine Tramping Series videos that are on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHy_76uW0tFx2RWtHXpuotQ) mentioned in ...

Crossing Dart River above Chinamans Bluff? • glennj 5 Nov 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

I was up the Dart looking at Slip Lake last week. For what its worth I saw one place only ...

1080 • bernieq 5 Nov 2018 in The campfire

... and because Australian native animals have co-evolved with naturally occurring 1080, they have a resistance to the poison (at ...

SH73 into Cass Saddle Hut and back again • Honora 4 Nov 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

That area has a lot less rain than closer to the main divide. The next valley east, Castle Hill basin ...

DOC recording incidents following spike in violent • waynowski 4 Nov 2018 in The campfire

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/doc-recording-incidents-following-spike-in-violent-threats-staff-ive-been-told-need-eliminated The Department of Conservation (DOC) is so concerned about threats of violence against staff that it has started taking a ...

Cascade Hut to Boyd Lodge • bushtrekker 2 Nov 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

Thanks for the info.

Confusing "freedom camping" definition • izogi 1 Nov 2018 in Beginners and newbies

I haven't checked what gets publicised, but the various bylaws have said 500 metres for ages. eg. Heaphy (in Kahurangi): http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2009/0014/latest/whole.html#DLM1679822 Abel ...

mail formatting • Pro-active 1 Nov 2018 in This website

Sure is !. The World's a better place. Thanks.

Tonight only • Matthew 31 Oct 2018 in This website

Happy halloween!

Clubs based near Rangiora • si-dog 31 Oct 2018 in The campfire

Good luck with this Geeves - I am thinking of doing something very similar. I'm kinda over wellington. Thank god ...

Mt Ruapehu guided walk • bushtrekker 30 Oct 2018 in Tramping partners

Hi If you are wishing to make use of the chairlift for some of the ascent, it might pay to ...

Using New Zealand Hosts for Spots and inReach Unit • trackMe 29 Oct 2018 in Gear talk

Anyone using Spots or inReach in New Zealand should consider using the New Zealand based company TrackMe for hosting as ...

What's new?

Tunnel Beach • Track, updated 7 Nov 2018

A popular coastal walk in Dunedin that explores coastal cliffs and a hand-dug tunnel.

Mt Barrosa • Track, updated 23 Oct 2018

A volcanic summit (1364m) in the Clent Hills with sweeping views across the Ashburton Lakes basin.

Hillary Trail • Track, updated 13 Oct 2018

A spectacular coastal walk in the Waitakere Ranges west of Auckland. ALOT OF THIS TRAIL IS CLOSED FOR KAURI DIE BACK ...

Silver Peaks Route • Track, updated 9 Oct 2018

Route in the Silver Peaks range from Jubliee Hut to Mountain Road via ABC Cave and Philip J Cox Memorial ...

Kepler Track • Track, updated 11 Sep 2018

Popular loop track providing access to the mountains around Lake Te Anau.

Waimairi Walkway • Track, updated 20 Aug 2018

Farm walking, birdlife, picnicking, swimming, and hydrological ponderings.

Hawea Solitude • Article, updated 28 Jun 2018

Who would have thought you could have huts to yourself on a long weekend within an hour’s drive of one ...

Ball Pass • Track, updated 14 Jun 2018

A challenging crossing of the Kirikirikatata / Mount Cook Range between the Hooker and Tasman Glaciers just 5km south of ...

Waitākere and Hunua Ranges closure • Article, updated 19 May 2018

All Waitākere Ranges forested areas are closed to public access from 1 May. 10 high risk tracks in the Hunua ...

Kowhai - Hapuku Track • Track, updated 7 May 2018

This track follows two river valleys between Mount Fyffe and the Seaward Kaikoura Ranges. Since the Nov 2016 earthquakes, times ...

Banks Track • Track, updated 19 Apr 2018

NZ's original private walking track. It begins and ends in Akaroa.

Kirwans Track • Track, updated 5 Mar 2018

This classic circuit explore Reefton's gold history, starting from the site of the Capleston gold town and leading up to ...

Lake Wilson and the Valley of the Trolls • Track, updated 28 Feb 2018

An overnight or multiday scenic diversion from the Routeburn Great Walk. The Valley of the Trolls is easily accessed from ...

Walking the length of NZ's main divide • Track, updated 26 Feb 2018

A guide to / summary of my progress on one possible route from East Cape to West Cape, the length ...

Toilet at Heather Jock Hut

Out in the hills

glennj visited Top Leatham Hut 12 November 20183 days ago

monkeysh1ne visited South Ohau Hut 11 November 20184 days ago "A welcome site after a fair bit of ..."

iangeorge visited Thor Hut 6 November 20186 November

john dutchie visited Speargrass Hut 29 October 201829 October

Matthew walked Mt Barrosa 21 October 201821 October "Beautiful day up there today. The view into ..."

Laurette visited Kauritatahi Hut 13 October 201813 October "Walked up from the BOP side of Thompsons ..."

Fantastic walked Waipapa River Track 15 September 201815 September

M400-1 walked Pirongia summit loop via Tirohanga / Mahaukura tracks 15 September 201815 September "Not very wet track, mud above the ankle ..."

TealTakahe visited Powell Hut [Replaced] 1 September 20181 September "Pretty awesome hut with a deceiving track! Every ..."

Yarmoss visited Leaning Lodge 12 August 201812 August

Harrison walked Trig M 4 August 20184 August "Very Cool Walk, would recommend it to anyone ..."

Honora visited Mansion Hut 21 July 201821 July "Stopped in for lunch. Needs toilet. Dark little ..."

zigzig walked Glentui Loop Track 21 July 201821 July

Berend de Boer walked Round the Mountain: Ruapehu 2 July 20182 July "Did this as a winter tramp. Takes quite ..."

madpom visited Upper Oreti Hut 30 June 201830 June

Briar visited Junction Hut (Timaru Creek) 3 June 20183 June

diggn visited Washpool Hut 2 June 20182 June "Hut a bit filthy, very smokey. Suspect that ..."

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