Walking / Hiking

Walking / Hiking

Walking New Zealand

The New Zealand outdoors offers walks suitable for people of all fitness levels, and there are hundreds of choices for walking or hiking trails. These range from walking tracks out in the big spaces of public conservation areas to urban heritage trails.

All New Zealand towns and cities have heritage trails and native bush walks within the city or nearby, making it easy to get off the beaten track.

Auckland has inner city trails on many of its 49 volcanic cones, and the new multi-day Hillary Trail. Wellington’s extensive Botanic Garden and Otari-Wilton’s Bush are criss-crossed with tracks, bush and garden walks. In Christchurch, walkers can meander along the banks of the Avon River or take to the Port Hills for some great coastal views.

New Zealand’s adventure capital of Queenstown is a starting point for an afternoon’s heli-hiking in a remote alpine setting. While from Franz Josef, in Fiordland, heli-hikers can land on the glacier to take a walk on the ice.

Discover nature on Auckland's west coast

With hundreds of walking tracks and some of New Zealand's best surf beaches, Auckland's west coast is a natural playground.

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New Zealand’s Great Walks

Vast national parks and reserves occupy nearly one third of New Zealand's sparsely populated lands.

Energetic hikers can discover golden beaches, virgin bush, glacier-carved valleys and mountain passes in some of New Zealand’s more remote destinations.

Nine walking destinations have been designated ‘Great Walks’ by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC). These walks include Milford Track, Routeburn Track, the Kepler, Stewart Island's Rakiura Track, Tongariro National Park, Whanganui Journey and Lake Waikaremoana.

Apart from the coastal Abel Tasman Track in the northern South Island, the ‘Great Walks’ are in high country or mountain areas. Ranging in duration from two to six days, the tracks cover a variety of landscapes on safe, well maintained pathways.

New Zealand's nine 'Great Walks'

New Zealand has a vast network of spectacular walkways and tracks providing access to unique wilderness areas and virgin rain forests.

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Te Araroa - the Long Pathway

Te Araroa -The Long Pathway running the length of both islands is New Zealand’s ultimate hiking experience.

The 3000-km trail, which travels between Cape Reinga, at the northern end of the North Island, and Stirling Point at Bluff, at the bottom of the South Island, is made up of a series of inter-connecting regional trails that range from easy day walks through towns and farms to multi-day alpine traverses.

Te Araroa offers some of the best natural and destinational highlights in New Zealand - remote sandy beaches, dense bush, steep hills, fast-racing rivers, glaciers, and rainforests as well as historical and cultural highlights.

Te Araroa - the long New Zealand trail

The 3000-kilometre Te Araroa - The Long Pathway, which officially opened in New Zealand in late 2011, is one of the world's longest walking trails.

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