Suggestions for November tramp?

Hi, I'm looking for pointers to suitable longer tramps in November. By the looks of it I will be walking solo this time and have 3 weeks available from early Nov. I have done Routeburn, Milford, Kepler, Rees/Dart, Rockburn during similar dates before and loved them. Would like to explore Matukituki Valley area or Stewart Island this time but I'm not really sure if they are suitable at that time of year. Hollyford? North Island? What are your suggestions?

depends what the snow is like then, it cant be predicted although theres a good chance the higher passes around the south island esp towards the south will still be snowed in with some avalanche danger around... november the weather can still be pretty rough, esp right down south including snow dumps, hollyford is doable assuming theres not too much bad winter storm damage on the track... stewart island is doable, all of the north island will be doable in Nov.

Couple of suggestions in the Canterbury/Westland area: St James Walkway: Best time of year to walk it, not to many bugs, still lots of snow on the mountains for the views, not too many TAT walkers yet. 3-5 Days. The classic Lake Rotoiti-Travers-Bluelake-Sabine route in Nelson Lakes, same reasons as above. 5-8 days depending on your speed and options. You might strike snow on Travers Pass, depends on the previous Winter weather. Or anywhere in Nelson Lakes, because it is all good. Harpers Pass Route: Classic! lowish altitude pass, fairly long and rugged, 3-5 day trip, part of the TAT, good huts, good time of year for it. All Canterbury classics!

Just browsed the St James Walkway/Travers–Sabine/Harpers Pass brochures. At first glance they all look great to me! They seem to fit my profile of an old style tramper. Enjoying long challenging walks but not risk/thrill seeking. Good to have the huts available which seem more sensible than a tent on a solo walk. Are these walks as busy as the Routeburn/Milford? The huts are ok with the yearly backcountry huts pass, correct?

We did the Travers-Sabine circuit in Nov 2 years ago and it was brilliant! It has everything...valleys,high mountain lakes,stunning views and a decent pass. I'd recommend up the Robert ridge to Lake Angelus,maybe a day climb up Angelus Peak,then down to Travers Valley.That'll take you over Travers Pass and into the Sabine.Give yourself a treat and a day trip to Blue Lake too. If you can then either hump over Moss Pass and out via D'urville Valley or back down the Sabine and out via Speargrass. Lots of huts and probably settled weather.We struck a bit of snow on Travers Pass but nothing to worry about. Its SI tramping at its best. (well maybe Mt Aspiring NP beats it,but a close second!)

If you're going to choose one of the aforementioned options then I'd go with the Travers-Sabine. There's so many different options as outlined by @geoffnet above, which can be useful if the weather turns on you. You may need to check if you need to book Angelus Hut or campsite, booking has probably started by Nov. St James is rather uninspiring through the middle section - trudging through farmland for long parts. The Spenser Mountains are the most scenic part, experienced usually on the first day (as most people walk it) after you get through Cannibal Gorge - but in my opinion they're best viewed from the tops such as the Zampa Tops, which can see seen here on my blog: http://backcountry-bibles.blogspot.co.nz/2013/11/zampa-tops-lewis-pass-national-reserve.html Wherever you choose - enjoy!!!

I would mostly agree with that: the most interesting bits of the St James are the start and end sections. The Spencer Mountains are the highlight of the whole trip. It is, though a true kiwi classic. High vistas are great but so is the view of a long golden tussock field. I personally find a lot of stark beauty in those wide open valley floors. It speaks to me of long hard winters and roasting summers. Ive got the Zampa Tops on my to do list for this Summer.

Thanks for the suggestions and comments guys! I'm homing in on the Travers-Sabine circuit. The area really has many options and vistas. Travel time will be 03-24 NOV so Angelus Hut booking should not be required. The leaflet says: 'Peak season (from late November to 30 April - bookings required)' Public transport from Christchurch to St Arnaud for singles is limited. Bus to Nelson and shuttle to St Arnaud. Maybe a walk in via Lewis Pass (direct daily bus) is an option.

If you plan on going in via Lewis Pass then you're likely to end up crossing Waiau Pass, which at that time of year could still be an alpine crossing so be prepared for that - dangerous for the ill-prepared or equipped.

Hey Foxpro, I wouldn't bother going in from the south either ie: from Lewis Pass end.Get yourself to Nelson from Chch,then shuttle to St Arnaud to do the T/S circuit from there. The spare time you have from your 3 weeks before or after that,head into Kahurangi NP.Its on the Nelson Lakes doorstep and there heaps of good tramps in there.Enjoy!