New Zealand Great Walks – More Travel #8

Hear about New Zealand Great Walks as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from jontynz.com about these amazing multi-day treks in his home country.

Picture snow-capped mountains, volcanic landscapes, brilliant blue alpine lakes, epic coastal scenery, unusual native birds, wilderness as far as the eye can see, golden sand beaches, historic sites, lush moss-filled bush, and huge waterfalls.

New Zealand has ten Great Walks, 3-5 day hikes (or tramps in NZ) through some of the finest scenery in this beautiful country.

The Great Walks are an accessible introduction to multi-day hikes. They have well-maintained tracks and cosy huts, providing a relatively safe experience.
These aren’t the luxury hikes available in Europe; you will generally carry almost everything you need, and won’t have a shower for a few days, but they’re incredibly rewarding experiences.

Jonty gives an overview of each walk in alphabetical order, and finishes with general information and recommendations.

The Walks

Abel Tasman Coast Track (55.2km, 3-5 days)

• The most smallest and most popular National Park in New Zealand, and the most popular Great Walk, though it has the most accommodation options
  beautiful place, with golden sand beaches, great swimming opportunities, stunning coastal views
• Highlights: Vast beach at Onetahuti Bay, crossing the Awaroa River at sunrise, cold water outdoor shower at Awaroa Hut
• To note: Number of people on the track, number of baches including an entire village at Torrent Bay, very unusual in a National Park
• Tips: start on track early to avoid the day walkers, check the tides for Awaroa to be able to cross

Heaphy Track (78.4km, 4-6 days)

• The longest Great Walk, but easier than expected, with gradual uphill / downhill sections
• Varied Great Walk with coastal, bush, tussock and semi-alpine sections
• The ends of the track are 463km apart by road but transport options like the Heaphy Bus from Nelson
• Highlights: Views from Mt Perry, a two hour return walk on unmaintained track by Perry Saddle Hut, through Gowden Downs, along wild beaches, seeing wild Takahe (they were thought to be extinct after 1898 but rediscovered in 1948)
• To note: West Coast sand flies live up to their reputation
• Tips: Take plenty of insect repellent!

Hump Ridge Track (62km, 3 days)

• The newest Great Walk, the Hump Ridge Track was developed by the Tuatapere community to diversify their economy away from forestry.
• Opened in 2001 and officially became a Great Walk in 2024
• It is the hardest Great Walk, with three 7-9 hour days
• The lodges are a step up from DOC huts, with furnishings, showers, food available to buy (to cook yourself), alcohol available to buy, and private rooms, though these all come at a cost above the other Great Walks
• It is an incredibly varied track, starting with an epic beach walk, then up ~800m through lush bush to alpine tarns with views over the south coast of the South Island and Rakiura / Stewart Island on a clear day, before heading back down to some of the largest wooden viaducts in the world and lots of other forestry history
• If you only did one tramp in New Zealand, this would give you a pretty good overview of what they’re about.
• Highlights: Alpine tarns above Okaka Lodge, forestry history around Port Craig, the lodges, the wooden viaducts, views of Fjordland and Raikura / Stewart Island, fresh sausages at the lodges
• To note: sandflies (particularly at Port Craig), have to be done in one direction over three days
• Tips: save on weight and buy food in the lodges

Kepler Track (60km, 3-4 days)

• Opened in 1988 to take the pressure off the Milford and Routeburn Tracks, but has since become one of the most popular Great Walks
  Loop circuit from Te Anau, with some pretty steep ascents and descents on days one and two, and wonderful ridge walking in good weather.
• Highlights: Along the ridge line, if the weather is clear, Luxmore Hut at 1299m above sea level is one of my favourite huts with some cool caves nearby, so take a torch
• To note: Lots of sand flies at Brod Bay and Moturau Hut, doing the full loop from Te Anau involves quite a long walk along the road at the start and end of the tramp, but transport options are available
• Tips: Starting from Brod Bay end as easier to go from Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn Hut than the other way around

Lake Waikaremoana Track (46km, 3-4 days)

• The easiest of the Great Walks, mostly flat, other than one decent ascent and descent
• Te Urewera is a legal person, as is the Whanganui River and Mt Taranaki CHECK
• Transition from DOC to Iwi control
• Highlights: View from Panekire Bluff, side trip to Korokoro Falls, moss-covered forests
• To note: some challenges with the transition from national park status
• Tips: Go anti-clockwise, which is opposite to the usual route taken but saves the best views for the end, and is easier in terms of the ascent (mostly staircases that way)

Milford Track (53.5km, 4 days)

• The original and best-known Great Walk, the Milford Track, perhaps doesn’t quite live up to its reputation, but is still a pretty awesome hiking route that was first explored by Europeans Donald Sutherland and John Mackay in 1880. It was guided only until the 1965 freedom walk, and now is half guided, half independent walkers.
• Expect all the weather Fjordland can throw at you, which as the third wettest place in the world, is quite a lot!
• During the winter DOC remove the bridges to avoid them getting damaged and to discourage people from walking the track, there are 76 avalanche risk areas!
• Highlights: Through the prairie valley toward Mintaro Hut, views from McKinnon Pass, the McKinnon memorial, side trip to Sutherland Falls (the largest waterfall in New Zealand), when it rains, waterfalls everywhere!
• To note: Plenty of sand flies around, weather often pretty poor, has to be done over four days in one direction
• Tips: good waterproofs and insect repellent are a must, book as soon as bookings open

Paparoa Track (55km, 3 days)

• The first new Great Walk in 25 years, opened in 2020, the Paparoa Track passes through incredible scenery. It was built to support the West Coast community after the Pike River mining disaster.
• All the huts are above the bush line and offer stunning views, and unusually are visible from each other, giving a nice sense of distance travelled
• The Paparoa Track was DOC’s first purpose-made dual-use track, for hikers and bikers (the Heaphy Track was opened to bikers after it was built)
• The downside is a harder than usual track surface, but there are no gradients more than 6.5%, so it is much easier on the knees than many of the Great Walks.
• Highlights: Pretty much the entire section between Ces Clark Hut and Pororari Hut (half the track) on a clear day is amazing, varied, and colourful ferns halfway between Pororari Hut and Punakaiki, the final section along Pororari River Gorge
• To note: Bikers tend to book up the middle Moonlight Tops Hut, making it more difficult for hikers.
• Tips: Walk the track in winter when the weather is often more settled on the West Coast and there are fewer sandflies around

Rakiura Track (32km, 2-3 days)

• Good excuse to visit Rakiura / Stewart Island, New Zealand’s third island
• Surprisingly tough despite the distance as it is up and down, and can be very muddy.
• Famed for its bird life but less than I expected, worth allowing half a day to visit nearby Ulva Island
• Highlights: Some nice coastal views on the day one section, loop track from Oban
• Tips: Go clockwise, which is opposite to the usual route, but recommended as it saves the best bits for the end, and Port William Hut is more sheltered than the North Arm Hut

Routeburn Track (32km, 2-4 days)

• The first Great Walk I did and still my favourite
• Absolutely spectacular views throughout, both from the track and via side trips up Conical Hill and Key Summit
• Deservedly one of the most popular Great Walks, with similar scenery to the Milford Track but half the annual rainfall (as it’s the other side of the mountain range) and a better route (as from the Routeburn Shelter end you get most of the ascent done on day one).
• Highlights: Views toward Humboldt Mountains and valley heading up to Routeburn Falls Hut, walking around Lake Harris, along Hollyford Face looking toward the Darran Mountains, descent to Lake Mackenzie
• Tips: Leave your pack at the shelter before going up Conical Hill, can do a decent amount of track as a long day walk

Tongariro Northern Circuit (43km, 3-4 days)

• I like it so much I’ve done it three times
• About a quarter of it overlaps with the one-day Tongariro Alpine Crossing, but you soon branch off onto a much quieter track, leaving the hordes behind.
• There really isn’t anywhere else like Tongariro National Park, New Zealand’s oldest national park and a dual World Heritage area.
• Huge variety of landscapes, with some very bizarre colours and plants due to it being a volcanic area.
• Highlights: Crossing the Red Crater, descending past the Emerald Lakes, heading along the Oturere Valley, relatively few sand flies
• Tips: Get going early from Mangatepopo Hut to beat the masses doing the crossing on day 2
• Whanganui Journey

Whanganui Journey is managed under the Great Walk system, but is a great paddle rather than a walk, 3-5 days kayaking down the Whanganui River.

Key information – huts, food, what to take, bookings

• There are huts on all the Great Walks, and some, like Abel Tasman and the Tongariro Northern Circuit, have campsites
• Huts vary in design but typically have a large kitchen / common room area, and bunk rooms with either individual bunks or long bunks. They all have mattresses, long drop toilets, and wardens during the Great Walk season. A number have gas cookers included, but not all. They’re basic but cosy places, don’t expect sofas or curtains (other than on the Hump Ridge). They’re usually in wonderful locations, and are basically the only places to stay in New Zealand’s National Parks.
• Other than on the Hump Ridge you’ll need to carry all the food you want to eat. There is an increasingly large range of dehydrated meals available from outdoor stores. Water is available at huts and is generally fine, but we recommend filtering, boiling, or treating it.
  The tracks are very well maintained and signposted, so carrying maps other than the brochures that can be downloaded or picked up from visitor centres isn’t essential.
• Essential things you should pack are matches, rubbish bags (all rubbish needs to be carried off the tracks), ear plugs, a change of clothes, a pack liner (a thick plastic bag that goes inside your pack to keep things dry), insect repellent and bite cream (sand flies are an annoying feature of most of the walks), toilet paper (provided on some tracks but best be prepared), and a first aid kit.
• Be prepared for the worst, i.e., a good amount of food, wet weather gear, and warm clothes, as the weather can quickly change on any of the tracks. It is very easy to get caught up in New Zealand’s weather, which is much more variable and difficult to predict than in many parts of the world.
• Mountain Biking is possible on the Heaphy Track, May to November, and all year round on the Paparoa Track
• Ultimate Hikes Milford and Routeburn Tracks, flash lodges, guides, food provided, but pricey, up to $5,899 for private Queen or $2,829 for multi-share on Milford, five days
• The most popular Great Walks are Abel Tasman, Routeburn, and Milford
• Walkers 1/3 international, 2/3 NZThe 
• Great Walks season is late October to late April
• Book early. Around 120,000 people walk a Great Walk each year. They can book up very quickly, so get organized and book well ahead of time when booking opens in May for the following year. Booking windows are staggered over four dates.
  Prices range from $32 for locals and internationals to $82 and $130, respectively, for huts; camping is cheaper.
  Off-season is possible to some degree, though with risks. Early May is only a reasonably safe time due to avalanche risk. Also, fewer facilities in the huts, like gas cookers
• There is often availability if you’re willing to camp or do them during the week in the shoulder season.
• Consider going in winter. Half of the Great Walks (Lake Waikaremoana, Abel Tasman, Heaphy Track, Paparoa Track, Rakiura Track) are open all year round. There are far fewer people around (and sandflies!) over the winter months, making them easier to book and more enjoyable. The huts on the Heaphy Track and Paparoa Track are new and double-glazed with heating, so they should keep you warm.

Recommendations

• Best for beginners – Abel Tasman, Routeburn, Paparoa
  Best for birds – Heaphy, Kepler, and Rakiura
  My favourites – Routeburn, Hump Ridge, Tongariro Northern Circuit, Paparoa

Standard Amateur Traveler questions

• Prettiest spot – Routeburn going past Routeburn Falls and over Harris Saddle
• Only on a Great Walk – Abel Tasman, I ran into a friend of mine on the first night, very NZ in a country of five million people
• Three words – Spectacular, accessible, rewarding

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Show Notes

Jonty travels
Great Walks: Tracks and walks
Takahe – the bird that came back from the dead | New Zealand Geographic
Hiking – Jonty travels
New Zealand Great Walks Ranked – Jonty travels…

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