Off-trail routes; hidden alpine valleys.

Greg, As you probably suspect, there are countless off track routes. Some that i have done include : 'The five passes'- refer to Moirs Guide North which provides notes on the Mt Aspiring NP or Classic Tramping.As the name suggests, there are 5 high passes to cover in a circuit. A bus will drop you off to start at Sugarloaf Pass and you can arrange a jet boat out for the return across the Dart river. There are rock bivvy sites along the way but a tent is recommended. The Albert burn near Lake Wanaka can provide an out of the way place which you could enter and leave a couple of ways. Mt Brewster near Haast pass has a new 12 bunk hut having just replaced the little 4 bunk bivvy. Brewster has a glacier on it. Easy to reach. Can camp away from the hut. Recommend you cross the range to Makarora valley to make it a round trip. 1:50K maps cover all new zealand. It's the best you'll get. Gear shops etc will all have the maps you want.They should cost you about $10 -12 each. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any more Q's. Aardvark ( check out the photos )

I go with Aardvark here. Moirs Guide North is the book you want. It describes all sorts of places, many of them rarely visited.