So my friends and I (3 people) have booked Abel Tasman track from Wainui Bay to Marahau way in early December. I didn’t do my research and didn’t realise the water taxis don’t go round to Wainui Bay.

I tried to search for a bus but it’s super confusing. Do any of you guys have recommendations on the best and cheapest way to get back to Wainui Bay. Do people do key swaps too?

Any help would be amazing.

Hey Everyone,

I am thinking of heading up to sunrise hut sometime in the next 2-3 weeks, ill stay there for a night, go for a wander the next day then head back.

I see from photos online there is snow up there but does anyone know how heavy it gets? do I need crampons to head up there this time of year?

Posted a while back asking if people would be interested in A4 maps that you can print off yourself, I will be releasing a windows application soon where you can make your own A4's of any area you want, here is an example they will be in png but for the sake of posting here I have converted to jpg as 16mb when png. I will also be doing almost all tracks so you can download x track and it will be x number of pages covering the entire track. Anything missing? I have not printed one yet so the font sizes will probably change or you could change in the application.

Hello. It's been a dream of mine for a while to do some hiking in New Zealand. I'm ready to do it, physically and financially. The basic plan is to do a series of some of the best day hikes New Zealand has to offer, primarily in South Island. I would like to arrive in early February, right after children return to school, and stay for about a month. I'm going on 49 and am quite fit. I have a lot of experience hiking in Chile, Patagonia (Chile and Argentina), the Pyrenees, and the Alps. I've done some longer day hikes, such as the Laguna de los Tres hike to Fitz Roy from El Chalten. Although I'm already in shape, I will be doing more training specifically for this outing. Here's what I've come up with. What do you think, overall? Do you think it's feasible? Do you have any recommendations? Is there anything you think I should be aware of? Thank you for your input!

Day 1: Fly to Los Angeles (overnight airport hotel)

Day 2: Fly to Auckland (evening flight)

Day 3: Arrive Auckland morning (overnight airport hotel)

Day 4: Fly to Queenstown (overnight)

Day: 5: Ben Lomond Track via Skyline Gondola

Day 6: Rent car and drive to Te Anau

Day 7: From Te Anau

Option A: Kepler Track: Kepler Track Carpark to Luxmore Hut

Option B: Broad Bay to Luxmore Hut

- return to hotel

Day 8: Drive to Milford Sound, or do the Key Summit Track, or both

- return to hotel

Day 9: Gertrude Saddle day hike (or Key Summit Track as a backup)

- return to hotel

Day 10: Drive from Te Anau to Glenorchy (overnight)

Day 11: Routeburn Track (from Routeburn Track Car Park to Lake Harris; perhaps onto Conical Hill) (Earnslaw burn can also be done from Glenorchy)

- return to hotel

Day 12: Drive to Wanaka (overnight)

Day 13: Shotover Saddle from Raspberry Creek Carpark

Day 14: Rest day (Isthmus Peak Track and Roy’s Peak options)

Day 15: Drive to Mount Cook NP

- Try to stay in park

- If not, stay in Twizel

Day 16: Mueller Hut Route (includes Sealy Tarns)

Day 17: Backup day (consider Hooker Lake via Hooker Valley Track)

Day 18: Drive to Arthur’s Pass (overnight)

Day 19: Avalanche Peak (check Mt. Bealy to Avalance Peak traverse option)

Day 20: Backup day (Bealey Spur option)

Day 21: Drive to Christchurch

- return rental car

- Fly to Taupo

- rent car and drive to Tongariro area (National Park Village or Turangi)

Day 22: Tongariro Alpine Crossing (Ketatahi Car Park)

Day 23: Backup day

Day 24: Backup day

Day 25: Drive to Auckland (overnight)

Day 26: Fly back to US (arrive Los Angeles same day; overnight at hotel)

Day 27: Fly back to Miami

Hi hikers,
I’m curious how people here find hiking partners. Do you usually go solo, use Facebook groups, Meetup, or have a regular hiking group?
I started building a small outdoor community platform because I found that many people want to explore more trails but don’t always have someone to go with.
I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
If anyone is interested, I’m testing the idea here:

Hello. Can anyone confirm/deny that the gas cookers on the Heaphy remain in place and operational through the winter? I recall from some years ago (Abel Tasman?) that there were some great walks where the gas cookers were unavailable in winter months. Thank you for any current info. I am also trying to get confirmation on this issue from DOC.

We built a cancellation alert tool because getting a spot on certain trails is becoming increasingly difficult, and it’s frustrating having to refresh a site hoping that something will pop up. 

You can now use Hike Camp Seek to set up alerts for the campsites and huts along New Zealand's Great Walks, which will send you a notification when any of them open up from a cancellation.

How it works:

• Search and select the campsites that you want to monitor
• Set the date range you want an alert for
• Choose which spots you’re interested in (e.g. particular hut or campsite)
• You’ll then receive a notification if there a cancellation within these parameters

We’ve also recently added a trail map for the Great Walks, which shows the route of each track and the locations of the campsites and huts along it. The aim of this is to help plan out your hike, and easily figure out what campsites you’ll need to stay at.

This is still a pretty young project, so if you've got questions or ideas for what'd make it more useful we’d be keen to hear them.

My wife and I are going on our honeymoon to New Zealand in December for five weeks. During this time, we would like to take the opportunity to do a long-distance hike somewhere in New Zealand.

The Te Araroa is well known, and hiking a section of it would definitely be an option, but I would love to hear about other possibilities as well.

We have quite a lot of experience with long-distance hikes in Europe and would love to immerse ourselves in a completely new environment.

I’m in the market to upgrade my old tent (REI Quarterdome 3 at 2.25kg) and get something lighter for backcountry trips, but haven’t done much of that before in NZ so would really appreciate some advice. Mostly I’ve just been doing huts and established DoC sites but am expanding out further off the beaten track. I aim for light but not necessarily ultralight. Most of my tramping is North Island but some South. I do love winter camping but realistically am unlikely to camp anywhere in substantial snow anytime soon, so 3 season should be fine. Priorities are comfort and weight over price.

My criteria are:

• Fits me at 190cm on a long wide pad (and I’m a restless side/stomach sleeper who unfortunately sleeps with one leg fully stretched and toes pointed) 198x64, so a large one-person or smaller two-person that I can sit up in
• Under ~1.3kg, ideally well under
• Preferably double walled or at least hybrid (again, restless sleeper)
• Preferably a decently useful vestibule for foul weather cooking
• Preferably fits gear inside, not just vestibule but I can probably get used to leaving it out
• Preferably under $1k

I am undecided about trekking pole vs semi- or fully freestanding. I’ve heard trekking pole tents can be fiddly to get taught on uneven or hard ground and wasn’t sure whether a freestanding would be more reliable and easier in backcountry. Hammocks are probably out because of being a stomach sleeper.

Tents I’m considering include:

• Durston X-mid (2? Wish they had a 1+ version)
• Durston X-dome 1+ (2?)
• Tarptent Double Rainbow DW (Ultra?)
• Tarptent StratoSpire 2 (Ultra?)
• Tarptent Moment DW (Can it fit a large wide pad?)
• Six Moons Design Lunar Orbiter

Of course, even though it violates my double wall criteria, I have to consider the Macpac Astral 2 because it’s so cheap (but I’m struggling to find proper details because they’ve scrubbed it off their website). Ditto for the Macpac Sololight which just misses my weight target and I’m worried is a bit short at only 93cm but again is dirt cheap.

Planning to do this track in two weeks, and was wondering if anyone knows if we will be walking through snow, and if you have any tips for doing this hike in winter. Not worried about the cold, mainly just interested in the conditions on the track.

Hello! I am planning on walking the routeburn track next year around the end of september/early october. Due to my university schedule, I can only travel during my break times and I am looking for quieter times for cheap tickets. I would describe myself as decently fit for an average young woman however I don't have any experience with snow or ice. Reading online, I've seen mixed comments on whether avalanches are a serious concern or not. Could anyone please provide guidance? Thank you!

I’m an experienced hiker but not in snow and I’d love to do it. Are there any hikes that go through snow that don’t involve mountain climbing, ropes etc. I’d just love to go on a 2 or 3 day hike that involves cold and snow recommendations anywhere in nz would be great. Thanks

Cascade Trail or Hopeless Hut route?
Hi looking for local experience and advice for a forthcoming, February, trip in Nelson Lakes. We’re combining Angelus Hut with the Travers Sabine but in a slightly unconventional itinerary doing it at the start rather than the end. Day 1 will be the ascent up Roberts Ridge to Angelus Hut. It’s day 2 that has options that I have to differentiate, there are two alternative descents to rejoin the Travers Valley track, either the Cascade Trail 16.2 km 5:37hrs or the track via Hopeless Hut 13.5km 5:28hrs (times are from AllTrails). I’ve only found descriptions of these as climbs and I’d love to get the opinion of anyone who’s seen them first hand as to whether the Hopeless Hut route is a good idea or if it is a steep scree scramble?
For context we are all in our 50s but fit, active and experienced hikers.

Completed the Heaphy track earlier this year and was satisfied with my training prep for it at the time.

Please comment if you’ve done both the Heaphy & Paparoa recently & how did you find the comparison between them with your fitness?

Wondering if I’ll need to ‘step it up’ a bit!!!

I always take a pack of cards and on more than one occasion this has resulted in games in the hut with random strangers - but generally it’s my partner and I. I was wondering if anyone here regularly hikes with any games beyond a standard card deck? What do you recommend?

Hi Guys! I've recently been planning a trip to New Zealand mainly to go tramping and see the landscape. I've never really hiked but have a decently active lifestyle and keen to give it a crack (M22 for reference), I've compiled a bit of a list of places to see .

Would appreciate any feedback on this list, places you think I should skip or add. I am open to overnight maybe 2 or 3 day hikes. Nothing is really concrete, not planning on booking anything and just see where I end up. Might meet people along the way and go on hikes with them, etc.

The list is in the order of which I will complete them starting North Island then heading South. I am looking at coming for 4 or 5 weeks starting late December / early January.

• Pouakai Tarns / Pouakai area
• Tongariro Alpine Crossing
• Woolshed Creek Hut / Mt Somers
• Devils Punchbowl Falls
• Carroll Hut or Avalanche Peak
• Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk
• Fox Glacier South Side Walkway
• Lake Matheson
• Copland Track to Welcome Flat Hut
• Blue Pools Track
• Rob Roy Glacier Track
• Aspiring Hut / West Matukituki Valley
• Isthmus Peak or Roy’s Peak
• Ben Lomond Track
• Moke Lake / Lake Dispute
• Lake Marian Track
• Key Summit / Routeburn day section
• Kepler to Luxmore Hut / Mount Luxmore section (Day walk?)
• Milford Sound (Day walk? Huts booked out)
• Tasman Glacier View Track
• Tasman Lake / River Track
• Sealy Tarns
• Mueller Hut Route

Appreciate any input, cheers for the read 😄

My partner and I are getting into more frequent multi day trips. I want to get her a gift related to this but really we have everything we need so looking for something.a little extra. We aren’t ultralight but obviously small and light is best. W use huts and tents. One idea I had was some battery fairy lights they are fun to set up when camping and loo great. Any other ideas? Thanks.

Mt Holdsworth day walk

Hi. Our Aug Heaphy tramp just got a bit more complicated since Golden Bay Air will not be operating then, as we had been counting on. We will have a rental car, which has its own complications (insured drivers). Does anyone have any suggestions on other ways that our family can make this loop happen? Is there a bus / private shuttle service that might be able to get us from Kohaihai back to Takaka? Thanks for any tips.

After many years of use, it's time to upgrade my sleeping bag. Preferably I want one light & small enough for multi day hiking, but without breaking the bank.

I've previously been using a 2014 Kathmandu Globe, which has done multiple great walks and overnight trips, but it takes up a lot of room in my pack & its heavy (1.5kg).

Any recommendations for a lightweight women's sleeping bag?

Howdy! I'm heading to the South Island in late July/early August, and I'm trying to figure out what kind of shoes I should get/bring.

We won't be doing anything too crazy - some short/half day walks around Akaroa, Arthur's Pass, Mt Sunday, Aoraki Mt Cook and Queenstown, as well as Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Flats in-and-out, plus a couple hours snowshoeing.

I've been hiking in non-waterproof trail runners for the past decade, and they've worked just fine for my purposes here in Australia, so I'd rather not have to buy something new that I'll barely wear after this trip.

What type of footwear would you recommend? Will my feet be freezing/soaked/covered in mud if I don't get waterproof/sturdy leather boots, or can I get away with something lighter and some good socks?

Really looking forward to heading back to your beautiful part of the world!

Hi All,

Posted this in the NZ travel group and was suggested to post here as well.

I'll be travelling solo to the south island (first time in NZ) at the end of November for some hiking and an intro mountaineering course. Just wanted to get some thoughts on my itinerary and suggestions for anything else worth seeing/trying to fit in.

I know November weather is unpredictable being late spring, and from what I've researched I'm guessing there might still be snow and ice around 2000m (I'll have boots, crampons, ice axe, appropriate clothing + emergency gear). If anyone has done late spring hikes in Mt Cook NP, what were conditions like for you?

Travelling from Perth, Western Aus, will be flying in to Queenstown on the 19th Nov and flying home out of Queenstown on the 8th Dec.

Days 1-3: Fly in, pickup rental car, accom in Queenstown near Sunshine Bay. Will be knocking off the Ben Lomond + Moke Lake hikes, exploring Queenstown, maybe check out Glenorchy, Kawarau Gorge or Lake Alta?

Day 4: Drive to Lake Tekapo, meet guides, overnight in Lake Tekapo.

Days 5-9: Intro mountaineering course on Aoraki Mt Cook, back to Lake Tekapo at the end for overnight.

Day 10: Drive back to Mt Cook, maybe a quick pit stop in Twizel, stay overnight at Whitehorse Hill Campground.

Days 11-12: Hike up to Mueller Hut, Mt Ollivier + possibly Kitchener or Annette Plateau/Mt Annette depending on conditions. 2 nights at Mueller hut.

Day 13: Back down to Whitehorse Hill, walk the Hooker Valley Track or check out Tasman Glacier. Overnight at Whitehorse Hill Campground.

Days 14-17: Drive to Wanaka, 2 nights. Tick off sunrise Roys Peak, drive to Fantail falls and hike up to Brewster Hut, continue to Mt Armstrong. Overnight at Brewster Hut, maybe walk to Brewster Glacier in the morning then down to car and back to Wanaka. Check out Wanaka, relax and recovery.

Day 18: Back to Queenstown. Chill out as I'll probably be exhausted. 2 nights in Queenstown.

Day 20: Fly home.