National Parks

New Zealand has 13 national parks, each offering its own unique landscape. Two North Island parks, Tongariro and Egmont, centre on volcanoes while the third, Whanganui, has a river at its heart. The South Island offers the coastal karst of Paparoa and Abel Tasman, the mountaineering challenges of Mount Aspiring and Aoraki / Mount Cook, the classic tramping of Nelson Lakes, Arthur's Pass, and Kahurangi, the remote wilderness of Westland and Fiordland. Further south, Rakiura incorporates the majority of Stewart Island.

Entry into New Zealand national parks is unrestricted although motor vehicles and bicycles are prohibited. Services within parks are very limited. Visitors should be self-sufficient. Free camping is allowed. A large number of public huts are available in the parks, generally on a first-come-first served basis for a small fee.