Kopuwai Old Man Range stretches for 50km from the Fraser River in the north to the Umbrella Mountains in the south. The plateau is littered with fascinating rock formations,…
The route begins in a small car park off Ardgour Road that provides access to the aptly named Dry Creek Track. Even in winter the creek can be completely…
The track starts at 330m altitude from the Glacier Burn Track car park next to the Kinloch Road, which leads to the Greenstone–Caples Track. Parking should be reasonably safe…
If you had to pick a map that defines the Otago section of the Southern Alps, CA11 would be it. The map covers the territory from Treble Cone and…
The West Mātukituki Valley offers easy entrance to the heart of one of our largest national parks, which is centered on the soaring summit of Mt Aspiring / Tititea…
It’s a joyful time when spring days are finally upon us and longer, warmer trips in the hills become a possibility. Spring is a great time to tramp up…
This track starts just past Johns Creek in the south-west corner of Lake Hāwea. Initially, there are relentless zigzags which lead to a small saddle on the ridge above.…
The walk begins at the Cardrona ski field car park. Bypass the Cardrona shop and begin hunting for the first trail marker. They’re not easy to find. The first…
The walk starts from the Chinese Settlement car park in Arrowtown, crossing the small bridge behind the toilet block. Follow the signs to Eichardts Flat. The straightforward 4WD road…
High above the Spey River, Mt Memphis (1405m) commands one of the most impressive views accessible from the Dusky Track, stretching across the Matterhorn Mountains of Southern Fiordland. To…
The Greenstone Valley is the entry point for this trip amid dramatic mountain scenery and lush beech forest. A large car park with signage on the north bank of…
Black Peak is a stunning spot. Nestled in the Richardson Mountains in scheelite mining country, the summit boasts 360-degree views. This walk is easily accessible for a long day…
From Wilcox Green car park, join the Millenium Walkway and cross the bridge to Tobins Track. This wide 4WD track is also used by mountain bikers and ascends gradually,…
The track begins from the car park at the end of Glen Nevis Station Road and is indicated by a DOC board. Cross the stile and follow the 4WD…
Brewster Hut is a popular destination near Wānaka, but on this sunny winter’s day we had it to ourselves. The Haast River stole the warmth from our feet as…
The Rock and Pillar Range runs parallel with the coast, only an hour’s drive from Dunedin. A demanding access route begins from Glencreag Station on the patchwork of Strath…
A steep track to the site of an historic gold mine and stunning views of the Rees Valley. By Enrique de Azkoitia The track was built in the early…
Just outside the hustle and bustle of Queenstown is the golden Mararoa Valley – its perfect, clear, meandering river framed by scree and snow-capped mountains. Whilst most visitors to…
The track has become one of my favourite Central Otago day walks, but can be turned into an overnighter, or even a multi-day trip, to Boundary Hut and Old…
The eastern ridge of the Crown Range provides a picturesque gateway to the Pisa Range offering mountainous views of the Queenstown and Wānaka regions. This route is popular with…
Accessible near Queenstown is this rustic yesteryear gold mining hut, built from schist and iron during the 1930s by local prospector Sam Summers. Overnight use of the hut is…
This is an easy riverside bush track taking walkers through one of the largest remaining forested areas of the eastern South Island and passing exquisite cascades of the Catlins…
From its completion in 1908, the Milford Track was originally used exclusively by the Tourist Hotel Corporation. Frustrated trampers continually failed to gain independent access until 1965, when the…
Cascade Saddle is a spectacular tramp resulting in what are arguably the best views you can get of Mt Aspiring/Tititea. But those views are hard-earned and can only be…
The Lindis Conservation Area provides a plethora of tracks for both trampers and mountain bikers through its rolling tussock hills and alpine ridges. The seldom visited Dromedary Hill is…
MacLennan Hut (curiously spelt McLennan on topo maps) sits in the middle of a lush pocket of bush and is a hidden jewel of the Catlins Conservation Park. Access…
Tautuku Hut is essentially a shed that was donated to DOC by ex-All Black and the local Skyline Garages franchisee Laurie Mains. Mains converted the garage and donated it…
The track begins from Roy’s Peak car park, which has been known to be full before 10am in peak season, so an early start is advised (there is a…
Like a watchman, Sentinel Peak stands tall and proud over two of New Zealand’s best-known lakes: Wanaka and Hāwea. The 1814m peak is a custodian of a unique perspective…
The Greenstone – Caples Circuit is a well-known classic due to its easy-flowing trail amid grand mountain scenery. However, the Ailsa Mountains that separate these two lush river valleys…
On a riverside sandwiched between spectacular peaks near the head of the West Matukituki Valley, Shovel Flat offers an accessible campsite to experience the grandeur of Mt Aspiring National…
The barren, tundra-like high country of Kopuwai Conservation Area in Central Otago offers views from The Remarkables to Aoraki/Mt Cook and an alpine experience like no other. Encompassing a…
Traversing a mountain range between the historic Central Otago gold mining towns of Clyde and Cromwell, the Cairnmuir Hill Track provides an excellent vantage point to soak in ‘big…
If you’re keen enough to venture to Rob Roy Glacier and marvel at the lofty summits at the head of the valley, a little extra planning and preparation could…
The trip starts at the Routeburn Road end but leaves the Routeburn Track after a short time and climbs steeply to Sugar Loaf Pass, where it descends, again steeply,…
Park Pass Glacier is one of those special places that you’d expect would take days of difficult and arduous tramping to reach. The glacier cascades spectacularly from its high…
Renowned for its autumn colours and mirror-like reflections, Butchers Dam has become a staple of New Zealand calendars and postcards, but climbing the nearby hills gives a new perspective…
An electrifying hike Skippers Creek offers a gateway to one of New Zealand’s richest and most isolated goldfields and a diverse landscape of beech forest, tussock country and rugged…
While the Great Walks offer an excellent introduction to the enjoyment of tramping, they also provide launchpads to more intrepid places where fewer trampers venture. Just an hour off…
With a steep climb to the treeline, where waterfalls tumble down the sheer rock walls of 2300m peaks, the Glacier Burn Track is a portal to a rugged alpine…
Rising to 1398m above Lake Hawea, the aptly-named Grandview Mountain provides a stunning panorama without the crowds of nearby Roys Peak. Starting from the car park at the Nook…
Lake Alta is an exquisite alpine jewel set in a post-glacial cirque at 1800m right under the north-east face of Double Cone, 2319m. Reaching the lake is easy, considering…
From the tiny car park just off SH6, a stile takes you into a field where a short series of poles guides walkers alongside a narrow stream and towards…
In a valley in the dry high country hills of Pisa Conservation Area, Meg Hut provides a cosy bunk for the night. The eight-bunker is an old musterers hut…
From Muddy Creek at the end of Rees Valley Road, a 4WD road crosses leasehold land along easy river flats. Follow marker poles across a boggy section beyond Arthurs…
Two national parks, two iconic valleys, and more stunning views, lakes and waterfalls than you can point a selfie-stick at – the Routeburn is the complete package. Starting from…
Climbing from the shore of Lake Wakatipu and over the Hector Mountains, the trip to Lake Hope is a classic alpine adventure, just a short drive from Queenstown From…
A short drive north of Wanaka, Isthmus Peak features grandiose views of both Lake Wanaka and Hawea, but with a fraction of the company of the popular Roys Peak…
Tucked in the high bare hills south of Omarama, where northern Otago butts up against southern Canterbury, is a sparkling alpine lake. Sitting at 1550m amid the tawny landscape,…
With Fiordland National Park to the west and Aspiring National Park to the north, the Eyre Mountains are a rarely-visited gem. While the park lacks the spectacular grandeur of its…
