Tongariro Northern Circuit

If you're fascinated by volcanoes, both dormant and active, make this multi-day walk your next great hiking challenge.

This 'Great Walk' circumnavigates Mount Ngauruhoe in the Tongariro National Park. It passes through an amazing landscape of volcanic craters, glacial valleys, coloured lakes and otherworldly rock formations. It's a challenging hike on rocky terrain, so you'll need to be moderately fit and own a comfortable, sturdy pair of hiking boots. You also need to be prepared for extreme weather changes – in this national park it can transition from fine and warm to windy, wet and cold quite suddenly.

There are several Department of Conservation hikers' huts providing overnight accommodation. Depending on how quickly you travel, it will take four or five days to complete the circuit. Huts need to be booked in advance.

You can look forward to some amazing sights on this hike. Near Whakapapa, where the track begins, there's the ancient volcanic vent of Pukekaikiore, one of the older vents in the Tongariro volcanic system. Further on at Soda Springs, cold springs emerge from beneath an old lava flow – during spring and summer, foxgloves and buttercups put on a pretty show. An unforgettable highlight is Red Crater, where there's an ancient magma feeding pipe and active fumeroles. At North Crater you'll see what was once a lava lake – the lava solidified when nearly at the same height as the crater rim. Another big photo opportunity is the Emerald Lakes, which are old explosion pits. Their brilliant colouring is caused by minerals washed down from the thermal area of Red Crater. Fantastic views of Oturere Valley, the Kaimanawa Ranges and the Rangipo Desert will also demand your camera's attention. For hikers with more time on their hands, side trips can be made to the summits of Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe.