New Zealand is a country of outstanding natural beauty, friendly people and activities galore. You could be there for years (not necessarily a bad thing) trying to do everything.
Hiking, or tramping as it’s called in New Zealand is popular and accessible almost everywhere. The 9 great hikes get a lot of attention from books, blogs and guides, but there are hundreds of other excellent hikes all over the north and south island.
I-sites as well as DOC (Department of Conservation) information centres are usually good places to pick up information on local walking routes. Naturally New Zealand’s National Parks are full of excellent trails that range from short and easy to challenging multi day treks. Particular favourites of ours were the Tongiriro, Abel Tasman, Aoraki and Arthurs Pass National Park.
Below are a few of our favourite hikes from our 5 1/2 week trip.
Bay of Islands:
There are a number of lovely coastal walks around Paihia including Opua to Paihia, which we couldn’t do as the tide was too high, but it looked beautiful!
Russel: Quaint little town across the bay from Paihia. Here there is a nice hike up to a lookout point giving fantastic panoramic views for miles around. A slightly less stunning walk takes you across the other side of the town to long beach which makes a nice place to relax and enjoy the view.
Tutukaka Coast: For us the absolute highlight of the bay of islands area. Barely anyone has discovered this little piece of heaven situated 20 minutes from the small town of Ngunguru. The drive itself is spectacular, but head up to whale bay and take the whale bay track or the ridge track for stunning views of the surrounding coastline.
Mt Manganui:
Very popular with local tourists, this little town has a great beach and plenty of cafes. A lovely place to come and relax for a couple of days.
Mt Manganui Track: A wonderful hike up to the top will give you amazing views across the bay of plenty. Stunning.
Tongiriro National Park:
A stunning National Park in the centre of the north island. This stunning expanse of land is home to the world famous Tongiriro Crossing. I would heartily recommend this grueling 20km walk, but as I had already done it 9 years ago we fancied doing something a little different this time around.
All of the hikes below are from Whakapapa, stay at the campsite here to make things easier on yourself.
Ridge Walk: This easy 40 minute hike offers incredible views of Mt Ngarahoe and Mt Rhuapeue. Simply incredible, best done first thing in the morning.
Taranaki Falls: This is a nice 5km hike that rewards you with wonderful views of Taranaki falls (funnily enough), Mt Ngarahoe and Mt Rhuapaeue
Silica Rapids: Great views of everything above, but a much quieter track. A nice hike to do first thing in the morning.
Abel Tasman:
Home to the famous Coastal Track, this national park is one of New Zealands most impressive. There are a myriad of combinations ranging from single day hiking and kayaking to multi day versions of the former. You will have to take a boat at least one way. These can be easily arranged in advance over the phone or from Kaiteriteri. If you are doing a day hike the chances are you will follow a similar itinerary to what we did.
Medlands Bay to Ancorage Bay: We did this hike through Wilsons. We were dropped of at Medlands Bay and then hiked 11.5km back down to Ancorage Bay. Stunning scenery throughout and we had over and hour to relax on the beach before we were picked up by our water taxi. Check out Cleoptras pools as well, a 10 minute walk off the main path. Check out the water taxi timetables and put together a plan that works for you.
Arthurs Pass National Park
Not only a stunning drive across the South Island, this little piece of paradise has plenty of fantastic walks hidden away.
Devils Punchbowl: Found just after the main “town” aka a couple of cafes. This walk is well signposted and offers fantastic views of the falls and the surrounding area.
The next two hikes can be found a the Jackson Family Retreat. A fantastic holiday park located approximately 30km west of Arthurs Pass itself.
Ngarimu Waterfall: An fantastic 45-1hour return walk through the forrest to a gorgeous waterfall.
Glow Worms: When the sun sets get over to the glow worm walk, but remember to bring a head torch otherwise you will get lost coming back. When you get to the glow worms, switch your torches off and enjoy.
Hokitika:
A quaint little seaside town with a decent beach and a selection of cafes. This is a very popular stopover on the west coast.
Hokitika Gorge: A 45 minute drive from Hokitika itself the walk takes you right down to the bright blue waters of the gorge. When heading out, don’t try and pull a 3-point turn on the road. The chances of getting stuck in a ditch are pretty high, as our friends found out. Head up around the loop at the top
Franz Josef:
Franz Josef Glacier Hike: Don’t get your hopes up, this walk doesn’t take you on to the glacier, only up to the front of it. A nice 1.5 hour return. This one is best done at early in the morning or late in the afternoon close to sunset to avoid the crowds.
Jacksons Bay:
Little explored Jacksons bay is a tiny fishing village on the edge of the Fiordland National Park on New Zealand west coast. The combination of mountains and coastline make this a lovely place for a coastal walk.
Forrest Walk: Follow the DOC signs to the car park and then follow the path through the forrest to a beautiful deserted beach.
Lake Wanaka:
Possibly our favourite place in New Zealand. We ended up spending 4 nights in this little piece of heaven. You could be here for a week just hiking, so you have a wonderful selection of walks to choose from.
Roys Peak: Probably my favourite walk in New Zealand. This walk is not for the faint hearted. It is 8km of solid uphill with no shade and then 8km back down. The views are incredible and make the sore legs and sweat soaked clothes worth while. Do this walk early in the morning so you are not heading up hill in the heat of the day. We left around 8:15 and made it to the top around 3 hours later. Walking down took around the same amount of time as we were constantly stopping to take photos. If you do one big hike in New Zealand, do this.
Lake Manapouri:
Gateway to Doubtful Sound, this gorgeous lake in the heart of the Fiordland National Park is more than just a place to sleep.
Fraser Beach Track: A lovely 45 minute return walk along the beach that is great to do first thing in the morning.
Old Coach Track: A track that runs through the forrest, hugging the coastline and emerging at the wharf where the cruises depart.
Mount Cook/Aoraki National Park:
Where to start with this absolute piece of paradise? This is justifiably one of New Zealand most popular destinations.
Hooker Valley Track: The premier walk in the national park. On a clear sunny day expect this track to be pretty busy. Its a lovely 3-4 hour hike taking in some amazing views of Mount Cook. It is possible to swim in the hooker lake so bring your gear and a towel, but be warned it is incredibly cold. If you only have time for 1 walk in the park, this is the best one. Stay at the White Horse Hill campground for breathtaking views.
Tasman Glacier and Blue Pools Track: These two tracks can be combined for great views of the tasman glacier and Mount Cook.
These are just the walks we did, there are plenty more that we didn’t do. However hopefully this shows you don’t have to be a hardcore trekker to both enjoy and experience the stunning natural scenery that New Zealand has to offer.
