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

Macpac Torlesse 65: How to shorten the back length • Cabbage 22 Oct 2018 in Gear talk

From memory to adjust the back length you need to open the main compartment and loosen the two buckles off ...

Late-Spring snow - Fiordland • Pro-active 21 Oct 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

Better reading ;) - The Hunters account: ""Ben Collins was lying in his tent after a long day trapping stoats in ...

Wanaka helicopter crash • waynowski 21 Oct 2018 in The campfire

"I don't know the actual age but the initial registration seems to be 1981, so at least 37 years old. ...

Rain pants • FrankB 21 Oct 2018 in Gear talk

I had never given this subject much thought. I have always just used shorts and gaiters where necessary and carried ...

Tramping in Gumboots • PhilipW 21 Oct 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

Hard-core NZFS bushmen and cullers used them almost exclusively and after seeing how fast these guys could move, I decided ...

Three Passes Route • glennj 20 Oct 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

Yes. 11hrs 50 mins. We'd grown up knowing about Bert Cropp having done it so had a go ourselves. I ...

Late Nov. rain conditions in Wangapeka/Karamea? • Forest328 20 Oct 2018 in Visiting New Zealand

It’s like a life jacket on a boat, you never need it until you do need it. I got one ...

MSR pocket rocket 2 • Forest328 20 Oct 2018 in Gear talk

I have an MSR pocket rocket version 1. Great little stove. Never used it after buying the jet boil flash, ...

Broke his neck and legs while hunting • Honora 18 Oct 2018 in The campfire

Those Garmin Rhino GPS's sound like a game changer.

Free Oct 2014 - Jul 2016 Wilderness Magazines • Honora 18 Oct 2018 in Buy / sell / exchange

I drop mine off in the hospital outpatients waiting room and they are popular.

Being prepared • Honora 18 Oct 2018 in The campfire

I've been doing first aid courses regularly since I was a teenager but not for a while though. During my ...

An overnighter to con my girlfriend • M400-1 18 Oct 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

Ah 'course, Whirinaki as a there and back again. Good plan. Thanks everyone for your suggestions and tips. Planning on late ...

Multi-day tramping advice wanted • Pageix 18 Oct 2018 in Visiting New Zealand

Hi Kylan, Waynowski is right, most of those may well be booked out. You might get lucky so it would be ...

Trouble uploading profile pic • Matthew 16 Oct 2018 in This website

Sorry guys. Should be a fix for this tomorrow evening. Also, I am looking at problems with images being mis-oriented ...

Routeburn this Weekend! • rambler_rob 16 Oct 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

Thanks waynowski. As per my post I have assessed this. I was also looking for information from someone on the ...

Help me choose my next tramp • Moh_Oz 15 Oct 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

Just a follow up to say thanks to all those who made suggestions. Flights and accommodation are now booked. Kahurangi ...

Tourist hiker lost his life in Tongariro Crossing • Moh_Oz 15 Oct 2018 in The campfire

@izogi As a slightly enlightened tourist, I found that other tourists tend to ignore my words as much as they ...

Recommendations for somewhere to go this weekend • aardvark 13 Oct 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

Mt.Herbert must be the 'go to' for many. We often arrive in ChCh at midnight. We go to Mt.Herbert straight ...

Anybody tried "Radix Nutrition" freeze-dry ?. • Honora 12 Oct 2018 in Food

Endorse the Radix. Our meal was like real food! Juicy chicken but it would have benefited with the addition of ...

Multiple Dry Sacks v Pack Liner • Honora 12 Oct 2018 in Gear talk

A big advantage of a single pack liner is that it traps air for river crossings - can be used ...

Packing food for 7 days tramping+emergency food. • Honora 12 Oct 2018 in Food

As others have mentioned, adding fats and oils gives you twice as much energy per gram of weight. Oil-rich items ...

Are DD Hammocks Tarps good for tramping? • Honora 12 Oct 2018 in Gear talk

A nice thing about tarps is there is no condensation and you get to feel closer to nature. I incorporated ...

1080 • Gaiters 12 Oct 2018 in The campfire

Cheers t.hunter that's the kind of info I'm after.

RSS feed links broken • izogi 11 Oct 2018 in This website

Hi @Matthew. This is a minor thing but I've noticed the forum thread links from the forum RSS feed are ...

John Muir Trail Yosemite National Park Califorina • nparminter 10 Oct 2018 in Tracks, routes, and huts

Hi, many thanks for info

What's new?

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 ...

Milford Track • Track, updated 9 Feb 2018

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

Not The Routeburn • Article, updated 4 Feb 2018

A six-passes trip through the Humboldt Mountains from Glenorchy to the Milford Road. Six untracked rocky passes. Seven little-visited catchments. The ...