Searching idea of trek

and also with some very basocs (and very cheap) huts if it possible. But i dont understand at all, you must pay a annual pass, and after you need to pay more even you go in hut? thanks edit : it is not a problem to have a wood stove here? and what kind of weather you have in november december? fresh, quite hot? big rain every day 5min? little rain, some rain? you see :)

Annual hut pass covers all huts except great walks. You can either buy a pass for a year and thats all you pay, or buy tickets to cover each night in each hut Great walks and some other huts are not included in this. Wood stove Do you mean a portable wood cooker? They are not common and I think not allowed in National Parks or if there is a fire danger Weather in NZ in summer is mostly warm and sunny but Fiordland does still get a lot of rain and a strong southerly might still make it very cold with possible snow. You have to allow for it

Hi Loic, Here's an answer to some of your questions. Public DOC huts are in three groups. The ones on major tracks need to be booked (can do online). The others are handled using hut tickets or an annual pass (basic ones are free). Alpine ones often are not covered by the annual pass. For you, an annual pass might be a good way to go. Most huts below the treeline will have a wood stove (old ones have an open fireplace). Weather in November/December is likely very variable, and there can even be avalanche risk in some areas. In general, NZ weather is unstable and you need to plan for poor conditions. So, probably about 25 degrees is as hot as it will get. Rain: it really depends where you are. The west coast of the SI gets a lot of rain for example. Yes yes we certainly have sandflies. If you are walking you will be fine, but when you stop, they will get you. 40 days continuous walking might be a challenge, as our parks aren't that big. However you could probably do it. I'd say look at Kahurangi NP as a starting point. It has a number of long tracks that connect. You might want to split your journey into say 3 10-12 day walks and then really see more diversity...e.g. you could do the Dusky Track in Fiordland, spend time in Kahurangi, and on the West Coast or Arthur's Pass.

You could easily spend a week doing a loop circuit in any of the Park areas. Kahurangi, Nelson Lakes, St James Walkway for example. November-Dec is early summer. Lots of tourists & NZers taking holidays or long weekends. :) NZ is a longish country & divided into West & East coasts. Doesn't frost in the Far North, but might snow in the Far South in mid-summer. Could get flooding on the West Coast (Sth Island) while drought on the East. El Nino weather pattern could make the differences more extreme this year ?. Once you start hiking a track, the only food will be what you brought with you. Water is pretty much not a problem. MacPac & Kathmandu are nationwide chain stores & regularly have sales (fortnightly ?). Mainstream sort of gear, but you can pick & choose for lightness ?. Both have good websites. Lots of other more local tramping shops are good too. 'Hunting & Fishing' can be cheaper to buy from and have practical gear (tho not fashionable).

geeves : wood stove is very usual in Europe for roots tramper. Mine is a Fire profi 105 for example. Matthew : thanks for explanation. Do you think it will be much better to do something in march or april than november? For rain ? In summer i cant, lot of work in farm. Without great walk, what is for you some best track to do? Or great walk are totally awesome (hard risk to do without booking, i love sleeping in my tent, hut is just in case of big rain, and not a really a tent, it is tarp) I am thinking about te araroa trek also, a part of course. I downloading kmz file to see where the treck pass (to find food) I saw Dusky Track, It looks goods than mildford track? I see for some tracks strating in Kahurangi NP : but same problem, impossible to find food. (basics huts doest have that?). Best tracks for you in the south : Kahurangi Arthur's Pass. fordland (dusky) thanks. Still looking for a cheap and light stuff for hiking :) In france, my backback for trek is around 6.5kg. But i cant take in plane :(

Pro-active : so, november is not a good idea? I will think about all your post. Any website? i dont care about fashionable, but some gear must to be ultralight.

ultralite gear won't last long on a lot of NZ tracks, overgrown tracks, and rocky slopes can destroy lightweight gear faster.

Huts do not provide food in New Zealand, all meals need to be carried in. So for longer trip it means you have to resupply every week or so. Although, sometimes people leave excess supplies in the huts in case of emergency. November is the last month of Spring, so the weather can be quite unstable and wet. The weather is much more settled in March.

Skiing is usually finished around end of October. Farmers have pasture surplus for harvest in November due to accelerated grass growth. November is warm (depending on where you are), but can still get a number of rainy days. People are definitely thinking 'holiday weather' by then. Agree, March is considered more settled. University students & workers have finished holidays, so huts not so busy mid-week. Be aware, we got snowed off Mt Arthur in the first week of March, and crossed the Travers Saddle in knee deep overnight snow, and got stuck at George Lyon Hut for 2 nights because of rain swollen rivers we couldn't cross. All in the Nelson area, 3 different years, in the first week of March. If you don't have the weight of gear to handle very changeable weather, then you need to be able to change your plans or wait for better conditions. Qui est la vie dans les montagnes. Google is your friend ;) 'MacPac' ... 'Kathmandu' ...'Bivouac' is a top Christchurch store. Shouldn't be hard to pack for a week under 20kg ?. I take a few luxuries & still start at 15kg. But that's a whole new argument. Nearly all huts have a wood burner & some wood. A gas cooker, pot & spoon would guarantee you have hot water & warm food. Water is usually stored from roof rain or taken from a river. Every hut is built slightly differently & have different standards, but expect something like this - http://www.tramping.net.nz/images/104.jpg http://www.doc.govt.nz/pagefiles/149914/roaring-stag-inside-1200.JPG