camping on great walks

Hi ray78. I've only visited one great walk, and opinions on this may vary. As much as I enjoy getting off-track, bush-bashing and camping, my general theory with great walks is that if I wanted to visit one (which I will surely get around to again one day) I'd just bite it and book the space to stay the night and pay for it, whether it be huts or campsites as appropriate and available. If you're intending to risk spending an hour fighting through 500 metres of dense New Zealand bush up hills and around bluffs to who knows where every evening, then finding your way back in the rain and sleet next morning simply to get that far from the track, it'll probably detract from the experience you'd want from going on a great walk anyway. Great walks in season are primarily designed as conveyor belts for tourists, and if you're trying to get away from this ideal without accepting it, you might be disappointed. There are heaps of other tramping opportunities in New Zealand that aren't great walks, however, where there are far fewer people around and camping on the track is (usually) fine, as long as you're not there all day or getting in others' way.