Planning

When to Go

Mid-December–late January Tramping high season is during the school summer holidays, starting a couple of weeks before Christmas − avoid it if you can.

January–March The summer weather lingers into March: wait until February if you can, when tracks are (marginally) less crowded. Most non-alpine tracks can be walked enjoyably at any time from about October through to April.

June–August Winter is not the time to be out in the wild, especially at altitude − some paths close in winter because of avalanche danger and reduced facilities and services.

What to Bring

Primary considerations: your feet and your shoulders. Make sure your footwear is tough and well worn-in, and your pack isn’t too heavy. Wet-weather gear is essential, especially on the South Island’s waterlogged West Coast. If you’re camping or staying in huts without stoves, bring a camping stove. Also bring insect repellent to keep sandflies away, and don’t forget your scroggin − a mixture of dried fruit and nuts (and sometimes chocolate) for munching en route.

Books & Resources

Before plodding off into the forest, get up-to-date information from the appropriate authority − usually the DOC (Department of Conservation; www.doc.govt.nz) or regional i-SITE visitor information centres. As well as current track condition and weather info, DOC supplies detailed books on the flora, fauna, geology and history of NZ’s national parks, plus leaflets (mostly $2 or less) detailing hundreds of NZ walking tracks.

» Lonely Planet’s Hiking & Tramping in New Zealand describes around 50 walks of various lengths and degrees of difficulty.

» 101 Great Tramps by Mark Pickering and Rodney Smith has suggestions for two- to six-day tramps around the country. The companion guide, 202 Great Walks: The Best Day Walks in New Zealand, by Mark Pickering, is handy for shorter, family-friendly excursions.

» Accessible Walks, by Anna and Andrew Jameson, is an excellent guide for elderly, disabled and family trampers, with detailed access information on more than 100 South Island walks.

» New Zealand Tramper’s Handbook by Sarah Bennett and Lee Slater is all about being safe and happy on the track, perfect for new trampers.

» Shelter from the Storm by Shaun Barnett, Rob Brown and Geoff Spearpoint is a meticulously researched history of NZ’s backcountry huts (you’ll no doubt stay in a few if you’re planning on doing any serious hiking).

» Bird’s Eye Tramping Guides from Craig Potton Publishing have fab topographical maps, and there are countless books covering tramps and short urban walks around NZ − scan the bookshops.

Maps

The topographical maps produced by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ; www.linz.govt.nz) are a safe bet. Bookshops don’t often have a good selection of these, but LINZ has map-sales offices in major cities and towns, and DOC offices often sell LINZ maps for local tracks. Outdoor stores also stock them. LINZ map series includes 1:250,000 ‘Topo250’ regional maps and more detailed ‘Topo50’ maps (you may need two or three of these per track).

Websites

www.trampingtracks.co.nz Descriptions, maps and photos of long and short tramps all over NZ.

www.tramper.co.nz Articles, photos, forums and excellent track and hut information.

www.trampingnz.com Region-by-region track info with readable trip reports.

www.topomap.co.nz Online topographic map of the whole country.

www.mountainsafety.org.nz Safety tips, gear advice and courses.

www.peakbagging.org.nz Find a summit and get up on top of it.

Track Classifications

Tracks in NZ are classified according to various features, including level of difficulty. We loosely refer to the level of difficulty as easy, medium, hard or difficult. The widely used track classification system is as follows:

Short Walk Well formed; possibly allows for wheelchair access or is constructed to ‘shoe’ standard (ie walking boots not required). Suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels.

Walking Track Easy and well-formed longer walks; constructed to ‘shoe’ standard. Suitable for people of most ages and fitness levels.

Easy Tramping Track or Great Walk Well formed; major water crossings have bridges and track junctions have signs. Light walking boots required.

Tramping Track Requires skill and experience; constructed to ‘boot’ standard. Suitable for people of average physical fitness. Water crossings may not have bridges.

Route Requires a high degree of skill, experience and navigation skills. Well-equipped trampers only.

Great Walks

NZ’s nine official ‘Great Walks’ (one of which is actually a canoe trip down a river!) are the country’s most popular tracks. Natural beauty abounds, but prepare yourself for crowds, especially over summer.

All nine Great Walks are described in Lonely Planet’s Hiking & Tramping in New Zealand, and are detailed in pamphlets provided by DOC visitor centres and online at www.greatwalks.co.nz.

Tickets & Bookings

To tramp these tracks you’ll need to buy Great Walk Tickets before setting out. These track-specific tickets cover you for hut accommodation (from $22 to $54 per adult per night, depending on the track) and/or camping ($6 to $18 per adult per night). You can camp only at designated camping grounds; note there’s no camping on the Milford Track. In the off-peak season (May to September) you can use Backcountry Hut Passes or pay-as-you-go Hut Tickets instead of Great Walk Tickets on all Great Walks except for the Lake Waikaremoana Track, Heaphy Track, Abel Tasman Coast Track and Rakiura Track (Great Walk Tickets required year-round). Kids under 17 stay in huts and camp for free on all Great Walks. (Note: we hear whispers of hut tickets being phased out over coming years: Backcounty Hut Passes are the way of the future).

For bookings see www.greatwalks.co.nz, email greatwalksbookings@doc.govt.nz, phone 0800 694 732, or visit DOC offices close to the tracks. Trampers must book and pay for their chosen accommodation in advance and specify dates. Book as far in advance as possible, especially if you’re planning on walking during summer.

Other Tracks

Of course, there are a lot more walks in NZ than just the Great ones!

North Island

Aotea Track This 25km, two- to three-day track follows routes laid down by loggers who came to Great Barrier Island in a quest for kauri trees, leaving historic relics in their wake.

Cape Reinga Coastal Walkway A 53km, three- to four-day, easy beach tramp (camping only) in Northland. A 132km six- to eight-day route is also possible.

Mt Holdsworth–Jumbo Circuit A 25km, medium-to-hard, two- to three-day tramp in Holdsworth Forest Park, out of Masterton, scaling alpine Mt Holdsworth.

Pouakai Circuit A 25km, two- to three-day loop passing lowland rainforest, cliffs and subalpine forest at the foot of Mt Taranaki in Egmont National Park.

Rangitoto Island Summit It’s an easy day trip from Auckland to the volcanic island of Rangitoto, blanketed in 600-year-old black lava, best seen from its crater summit (two hours return, plus time to ogle the view).

Tongariro Alpine Crossing A brilliant 18km, one-day, medium tramp through Tongariro National Park.

South Island

Banks Peninsula Track A 35km, two-day (medium) or four-day (easy) walk over the hills and along the coast of Banks Peninsula.

Hollyford Track A typically hair-brained scheme of the era, the settlement of Jamestown was always a long shot. Cue: colourful characters and a dash of drama. A four- to five-day tramping track over 56km in Fiordland.

Kaikoura Coast Track An easy three-day, 40km walk over private and public land along the spectacular coastline 43km south of Kaikoura.

Mueller Hut Route Yes, it’s a hardcore 1040m, eight-hour return climb on the Sealy Range near Aoraki/Mount Cook, but this is a quintessential alpine experience: geological wonders, fascinating plant life and an amazing hut.

Pelorus Track So scenic it starred in The Hobbit, the gorgeous Pelorus Valley – a boulder-lined gorge with deep green pools – is followed for two days on this three-day, 28km tramp.

Queen Charlotte Track A 71km, three- to five-day medium walk in the Marlborough Sounds, affording great water views. Top-notch accommodation and water transport available.

Rees-Dart Track A 70km, four- to five-day hard tramping track in Mt Aspiring National Park, through river valleys and traversing an alpine pass.

St James Walkway This tramping track passes through a significant conservation area, home to some 430 species of flora from lowland grasses to mountain beech and alpine herbs. Five days over 66km around Lewis Pass.

Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track An excellent three-day, 53km circuit beginning and ending at Bluecliffs Beach on Te Waewae Bay, 20km from Tuatapere.

Backcountry Huts & Conservation Campsites

Backcounty Huts

In addition to Great Walk huts, DOC maintains more than 950 Backcountry Huts in NZ’s national and forest parks. Hut categories are as follows:

Basic Huts Just a shed; free.

Standard Huts No cooking equipment and sometimes no heating, but mattresses, water supply and toilets. Fees are $5 per adult per night.

Serviced Huts Mattress-equipped bunks or sleeping platforms, water supply, heating, toilets and sometimes cooking facilities. Fees are $15 per adult per night.

Note that bookings are required for some huts (see the website for listings): book online at https://booking.doc.govt.nz or at DOC visitor centres. Prices for kids aged 11 to 17 are half those listed here; kids 10 and under stay free. For comprehensive hut details see www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-stay.

If you do a lot of tramping, a six-month Backcountry Hut Pass ($92 per adult) might be a good idea; otherwise use pay-as-you-go Hut Tickets ($5: you’ll need to use three of these for a Serviced Hut). Date your tickets and put them in the boxes provided at huts. Accommodation is on a first-come, first-served basis. In the low season (May to September), Backcountry Hut Tickets and Passes can also be used to procure a bunk or campsite on some Great Walks.

Backcountry Campsites are often nearby the huts, and usually have toilets and fresh water; possibly picnic tables, fire places and/or cooking shelters. Prices vary from free to $8 per person per night.

Conservation Campsites

Aside from Great Walk campsites, DOC also manages 250-plus ‘Conservation Campsites’ (often vehicle-accessible) with categories as follows:

Aoraki/Mt Cook(Click here)
MATT MUNRO/LONELY PLANET ©

Basic Campsites Basic toilets and fresh water; free on a first-come, first-served basis.

Standard Campsites Toilets and water supply, and perhaps barbecues and picnic tables; $6 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Milford Track(Click here)
COLIN MONTEATH/GETTY IMAGES ©

Scenic Campsites High-use coastal sites with toilets and tap water, and sometimes barbecues, fireplaces, cooking shelters, showers, picnic tables and rubbish bins. Fees are $10 per night.

Serviced Campsites Full facilities: flush toilets, tap water, showers and picnic tables. They may also have barbecues, a kitchen and a laundry; $15 per night.

Note that bookings are necessary for all Serviced Campsites, plus some Scenic and Standard Campsites in peak season (October to April). Book online – https://booking.doc.govt.nz – or at DOC visitor centres. Kids’ prices are half those listed here.

DOC publishes free brochures with detailed descriptions and instructions to find every campsite (even GPS coordinates). Pick up copies from DOC offices before you hit the road, or visit the website.

Guided Walks

If you’re new to tramping or just want a more comfortable experience than the DIY alternative, several companies can escort you through the wilds, usually staying in comfortable huts (showers!), with meals cooked and equipment carried for you.

Places on the North Island where you can sign up for a guided walk include Mt Taranaki, Lake Waikaremoana and Tongariro National Park. On the South Island try Kaikoura, the Banks Peninsula, Milford Track, Queen Charlotte Track, Heaphy Track or Hollyford Track. Prices for a five-day/four-night guided walk start at around $1800, and rise towards $2200 for deluxe guided experiences.

Getting To & From Trailheads

Getting to and from trailheads can be problematic, except for popular trails serviced by public and dedicated trampers’ transport. Having a vehicle only helps with getting to one end of the track (you still have to collect your car afterwards). If the track starts or ends down a dead-end road, hitching will be difficult.

Of course, tracks accessible by public transport or shuttle bus services (eg Abel Tasman Coast Track) are also the most crowded. An alternative is to arrange private transport, either with a friend or by chartering a vehicle to drop you at one end then pick you up at the other. If you intend to leave a vehicle at a trailhead, don’t leave anything valuable inside − theft from cars in isolated areas is a significant problem.