New Zealand

Description

Mount Cook - by Chris New Zealand is paradise for hikers. Tramping, as hiking or walking is called here, is very popular and well organised. Most tramps are inside one of New Zealand’s 14 NPs and 19 National Forests.
From the northern tip to Stewart Island in the south, New Zealand stretches out for 1.600 km, and the country has a 10% larger area than Great Britain. Thanks to high rainfall, its elongated north-south position, geology, mountains and winds, the country offers an enormous variety in landscapes. You will find countless rivers and lakes filled with fish, lush rainforests, alpine ridges and active volcanoes. The coastline is seemingly endless and varied, and dotted with small beaches. In all these landscapes hiking trails have been laid out. Ideal if you are looking for wilderness and isolation.
Trails, or tracks as they are called locally, and so-called backcountry huts are mostly maintained by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Tramping is possible on all levels of difficulty. The DOC distinguishes 6 Track Categories:

  • Easy Access Tracks (very short)
  • Short Walks
  • Walking track (2429 km): day hikes
  • Great walks (380 km) and Easy tramping tracks (895 km): track is generally well formed, may be steep, rough or muddy
  • Tramping tracks (7803 km): track is mostly unformed with steep, rough or muddy sections
  • Routes (1458 km): challenging; Track is mostly unformed with steep, rough or muddy sections


A special category are the so-called 9 Great Walks. In fact there are only 8, because the Whanganui Journey is a paddling route. These Great Walks are very scenic, not too difficult, and consequently most popular. During high season – from mid December until late January – these are best avoided. The Great Walks are:

  • Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk, 42 km, 4 days
  • Tongariro Northern Circuit, 50 km, 4 days
  • Whanganui Journey - paddle, 144 km, 5 days
  • Abel Tasman Coast Track, 51 km, 5 days
  • Heaphy Track, 78 km, 5 days
  • Routeburn Track, 32 km, 3 days
  • Milford Track, 54, 4 days
  • Kepler Track, 60 km, 4 days
  • Rakiura Track, Stewart Island, 36 km, 3 days


All tramps have huts and camp sites. You will need to bring your own food. Also bring your own stove for cooking, except on the Great Walks where the huts have a kitchen with stove. Most huts are basic and cheap, The better and popular ones may be staffed by a warden. There are three categories of huts:

  • 1000 huts in the NPs. Payment with tickets purchased in advance at for instance DOC visitor information centres. You can also buy a Backcountry Hut Pass, valid for one year, and a good deal if used for 10 nights or more.
  • There are a few Alpine Service Huts, high up in the mountains, which are a lot more expensive
  • Great Walk Huts: these have their own separate ticket system and require a special Great Walks Pass. In addition these Great Walks, because of their popularity, are bookable online (DOC) and consequently frequently booked-out during high season.

 
Summer holidays in New Zealand run from mid December until late January. In this period walking trails are very busy. The Great Walks will be fully booked if you haven’t booked early. If you can avoid the high season, from mid November and until mid April is also a good time for hiking, although you may encounter snow high up in the mountains. Weather is changeable at all times.

Map

North Island

South Island

Trails

Regions

Mountains

Books

Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Ypres: Passchendaele - the Fight for the Village
  • Passchendaele: the Fight for the Village in a series of “Battleground” guides from Pen & Sword Books, describing the events during the Third Battle of Ypres. The book covers the contribution of the New Zealand and Canadian troops, as well as presenting the German experience in the battle.The acclaimed “Battleground” series from the renowned... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • New Zealand Hema Handy Atlas SPIRAL-BOUND
  • Tour the land of the long white cloud with New Zealand`s clearest mapping.This small format atlas has more than 1500 motorhome parks, camping grounds, wastewater disposal sites and adventure activity locations marked. Additional city and national parks maps offer something for every kind of traveller, while a succinct trip planning section... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
2021
  • Lonely Planet Best Day Walks New Zealand
  • Lonely Planet`s Best Day Walks New Zealand is your passport to 60 easy escapes into nature. Stretch your legs outside the city by picking a hike that works for you, from a few hours to a full day, from easy to hard. Climb ancient volcanoes, view amazing vistas, and scale tall mountains. Get to the heart of New Zealand and begin your journey... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
2022
  • Epic Hikes of Australia & New Zealand
  • Lace up your hiking boots for the next in Lonely Planet`s highly successful Epic Hikes series, this time exploring 50 of Australia and New Zealand`s most rewarding treks and trails. From the Routeburn Track in New Zealand`s South Island to the Cape to Cape walk in Western Australia`s Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, we cover a huge variety of... Read more
  • Also available from:
  • The Book Depository, United Kingdom
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The Book Depository
United Kingdom
2022
  • Lonely Planet Epic Hikes of Australia & New Zealand
  • Lace up your hiking boots for the next in Lonely Planet`s highly successful Epic Hikes series, this time exploring 50 of Australia and New Zealand`s most rewarding treks and trails. From the Routeburn Track in New Zealand`s South Island to the Cape to Cape walk in Western Australia`s Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, we cover a huge variety of... Read more
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The Book Depository
United Kingdom
2018
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
2022
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
2021
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
The Book Depository
United Kingdom
More books…

Maps

Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • NZ4212 Hokianga Harbour
  • Plans included:Hokianga Harbour (Continuation) 1:40,000Bar & Entrance 1:20,000Nautical charts for New Zealand, created by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), are printed on demand at Stanfords after your order is placed and processed. They provide a detailed coverage of the coastline with a varied range of scales - from overall route planning... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • NZ252 Lake Wakatipu
  • Plans included:Queenstown Bay to Picnic Point 1:50,000Frankton Arm to Queenstown Bay 1:20,000Queenstown Bay 1:5,000Nautical charts for New Zealand, created by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), are printed on demand at Stanfords after your order is placed and processed. They provide a detailed coverage of the coastline with a varied range of... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • NZ7656 Dusky Sound
  • Plan included:Continuation of Dusky Sound 1:25,000Nautical charts for New Zealand, created by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), are printed on demand at Stanfords after your order is placed and processed. They provide a detailed coverage of the coastline with a varied range of scales - from overall route planning to detailed harbour... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Coromandel Pocket Map
  • Coromandel region in a series of maps covering various districts of New Zealand, with each title combining a detailed road map with street plans of local towns, all with road and street indexes. The maps are published in two formats: handy Pocket Maps or Pathfinders with, as the publishers put it “Larger print so you don’t squint”.The road... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • NZ4265 Kaipara Harbour
  • Plan included:Wairoa River (Continuation) 1:75,000Nautical charts for New Zealand, created by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), are printed on demand at Stanfords after your order is placed and processed. They provide a detailed coverage of the coastline with a varied range of scales - from overall route planning to detailed harbour... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • NZ73 Abut Head to Milford Sound
  • Plan included:Jackson Bay 1:50,000Nautical charts for New Zealand, created by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), are printed on demand at Stanfords after your order is placed and processed. They provide a detailed coverage of the coastline with a varied range of scales - from overall route planning to detailed harbour charts.Notices to... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • NZ8215 Niuatoputapu Group and Niuafo`ou
  • Plans included: Niuatoputapu and Tafahi 1:100,000Niuafo`ou 1:100,000Niuatoputapu Harbour 1:9,000Niuatoputapu Harbour Entrance 1:3,000Nautical charts for New Zealand, created by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), are printed on demand at Stanfords after your order is placed and processed. They provide a detailed coverage of the coastline with... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Napier, Hastings and Hawke`s Bay Pathfinder
  • Napier - Hastings region in a series of maps covering various districts of New Zealand, with each title combining a detailed road map with street plans of local towns, all with road and street indexes. The maps are published in two formats: handy Pocket Maps or Pathfinders with, as the publishers put it “Larger print so you don’t squint”.The... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • NZ5411 Tauranga Harbour - Katikati Entrance to Mount Maunganui
  • Plan included:Tauranga Harbour - Katikati Entrance to Mount Maunganui (Continuation) 1:40,000Nautical charts for New Zealand, created by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), are printed on demand at Stanfords after your order is placed and processed. They provide a detailed coverage of the coastline with a varied range of scales - from overall... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • NZ8685 Islands in American Samoa
  • Plans included: Tutuila Island 1:60,000Swains Island 1:50,000Pago Pago Harbour 1:25,000Manua Island 1:100,000Rose Atoll 1:100,000Nautical charts for New Zealand, created by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), are printed on demand at Stanfords after your order is placed and processed. They provide a detailed coverage of the coastline with a... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Palmerston North Pathfinder
  • Palmerston North region in a series of maps covering various districts of New Zealand, with each title combining a detailed road map with street plans of local towns, all with road and street indexes. The maps are published in two formats: handy Pocket Maps or Pathfinders with, as the publishers put it “Larger print so you don’t squint”.The... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • NZ5113 Plans in Rangaunu Bay
  • Plans included:Awanui River 1:20,000Rangaunu Bay and Awanui River Approaches 1:50,000Houhora Harbour 1:25,000Nautical charts for New Zealand, created by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), are printed on demand at Stanfords after your order is placed and processed. They provide a detailed coverage of the coastline with a varied range of scales... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • NZ14903 Approaches to Scott Island
  • Plan included:Scott Island 1:25,000Nautical charts for New Zealand, created by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), are printed on demand at Stanfords after your order is placed and processed. They provide a detailed coverage of the coastline with a varied range of scales - from overall route planning to detailed harbour charts.Notices to... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • NZ945 Plans of the Cook Islands - Northern Sheet
  • Plans included: Penrhyn 1:75,000Suwarrow 1:100,000Nassau 1:75,000Manihiki 1:75,000Rakahanga 1:50,000Suwarrow Lagoon Entrance 1:25,000Pukapuka 1:100,000Penrhyn Taruia Passage 1:6,000Penrhyn Taruia Passage to Gudgeon Bay 1:12,500Nautical charts for New Zealand, created by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), are printed on demand at Stanfords... Read more
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