New Zealand! Need suggestions

The Heaphy track. Did it last week. Amazing variety of scenery. Dead easy, well graded trail. Luxe huts. Only downside is the massive shuttle from TH to TH.

My daughter was teaching in NZ and went on a number of hikes. Her blog has photos and notes that may inspire– check the archive links on the side:

http://thetravelingwombat.weebly.com/blog

I really liked the Routeburn Track and think it would be worth looking into. I think it was four days and you could add on a day trip to Milford Sound afterwards.

Edit: Looks like it's typically done in 3 days.

Any of their "Great Walks" are spectacular but highly booked, Milford Sound more than any other (just did it last month).

But many other tramps exist that aren't so publicized. Including ones that the DOC doesn't manage but are maintained by local hiking clubs.

"But many other tramps exist that aren't so publicized. Including ones that the DOC doesn't manage but are maintained by local hiking clubs."

Have any examples?

"Have any examples?"

Sorry, no.

We did Routeburn and Abel Tasman 16 years ago.

And Milford Sound and Abel Tasman last month. But we were online that particular morning, at 8 am NZ time and typing quickly. We met some Aussies would didn't type quickly enough and had to take their 2nd-choice week.

But talking to kiwis and reading the hiking magazines in the huts, there are many other tramps ranging from similarly well supported DOC huts to very remote, small huts that (I assume) one coordinates through the hiking clubs.

I'd start with NZ hiking blogs and maybe joining an NZ hiking club.

There are a huge number of hiking (or in NZ speak-tramping ) trips available in NZ, in both islands, ranging from a a day or three walk in the park, to very challenging of 10-14 days. Some can be difficult to get to by public transport, but usually there is some form of transport available.
The weather can make a big difference as to how challenging a trip is. NZ weather is very very variable. count on at least some rain any time of the year.
The Great walks are aptly named as walks, the tracks are well maintained, with relatively easy grades, and often with steps in the steeper parts. But even these can become dangerous in bad weather, with flooding or snow.
Only a few, like the Milford track, require booking, as demand in peak times is high, and Milford is relatively easy for all ages. The Routeburn is a favourite of mine, but a bit higher in altitude, (bush at each end. open snow=grass tops in the middle), and more exposed to the southern weather, and hence unseasonal snow. Guided, and "Freedom" walking is available. Still, not a difficult trip. The Heaphy is excellent mix of bush, tops and coastal, Able Tasman is a coastal one.
There are many other hikes, well maintained but a bit rougher, with good huts spaced either half a day, or a day apart. At popular times huts can get full, but usually there is room. It is not necessary to join a club. Most tracks are in the South island,some with high snow passes, but most are bush or snow-grass tops, but a couple of good ones in the North Island are the Waikaremoana trail, (bush and lake edge) and the Tongariro crossing, (over an active volcano).
There is a lot of information on line Try the Department of Conservation (DOC) website first. They list almost all tracks, based on the area it is located in, and indicate times and degree of difficulty. Most NZ tracks are in National Parks, run by DOC, but an interesting one is Hump Ridge, a private track, where you can have your pack helicoptered to the top hut, and walk downhill to the sea.
Unfortunately, visitors quite often go solo, and because you are unlikely to meet other hikers on many of the trails, (read Joe Zpacks Blog where he complains about not meeting people), and if they get into trouble, consequences can be major. Several overseas hikers die each year, due to falls, drowning, or just getting lost.I would strongly recommend not going solo.
So can you give us an idea of when you are going, your experience, fitness and number in the party. What sort of trip would you like? Maybe we can then be a bit more helpful.

I was in New Zealand for about five months, but this was back in 2005 and I'm not sure exactly what has changed regarding regulations since then. I spent about 60 nights total tramping (as noted above, our equivalent of backpacking) there, much of which was spent sleeping in DOC huts and agree that the great walks tend to be beautiful but are quite regulated and certainly don't have as much of a true wilderness feeling from what I gather. That said, they're probably a great place to start when planning a trip. My favorite part of the country was the southern half of the South Island (Fjordland and Aspiring National Parks) which happens to be very wet and rugged, and relatively speaking the most remote and home to the Kepler, Routeburn and Milford Tracks (All Great Walks).

I didn't plan ahead re: the great walks, but wound up eventually doing the Routeburn and thought it was certainly worthwhile. Would've loved to check some of the other Great Walks, as well. Pretty much every other trip I took was not technically a 'Great Walk' but I enjoyed them just as much. The first hike I did was the Greenstone-Caples track which I think I spent about three nights on and felt was a good introduction though not as spectacular as some of the others. The Rees-Dart is highly recommended and I felt was stunning and offers a side trip or two if the weather is clear, but I remember hearing that this was more regulated now as well and may even be considered a Great Walk. A little further north from this area of the country is the Travers-Sabine loop, which was another favorite and in a part of the country which is not quite as wet. Finally, the most rugged and single favorite trip I did was the Dusky Track which is in the southern part of Fiordland NP, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend that as a first NZ trip as it would be better to get used to the conditions on a shorter and/or better maintained route unless you're fairly experienced, open to sorting out some extra logistics, OK with waist-deep mud and possibly waiting out flooded rivers.

I'd say any of these aside from the Dusky Track would fit nicely into your 4-6 day timeline, with the great walks being more in the 3-4 day range.

Oh, and I'm jealous you get to go to New Zealand :)

We're talking about a decade ago so my memory is a bit hazy but let me know if I can help.

Matt

"So can you give us an idea of when you are going, your experience, fitness and number in the party. What sort of trip would you like? Maybe we can then be a bit more helpful."

next saturday, 4/5 experienced, 4/5 fitness, party of 2

Honestly, easy walk vs vertical climb doesn't matter, as long as I get spectacular views- the prettier the better.
we have a window of 4-6 days in our trip to backpack (the rest of the trip being planned with other non-backpacking events)

thanks everyone for the advice- I'm making a list, then I'll check availability on the dates we set aside. Keep 'em coming!

Sounds like you can do some of the more ambitious trips. Feb/ March should be good weather, so crossing passes should not be too difficult although some can get icey. There has just been a light snowfall in the far south, but that will have melted by now. Real snow does not occur until May or later. Mind you I have twice been hit by heavy falls in January, one caused us to change our route due to avalanche danger. Be very aware of rivers, they rise and fall quickly, and crossing is always dangerous. However most are bridged so not a problem.
The Dusky Sound track is one I have not done, its been on my list for a long time. The Greenstone/Caples is basically (apart from a short section) below the bush line. I would rate it as easy. Much prized by trout fishermen, catches are large and good.
I think the Dart is closed, as a massive slip has taken out a very long section of the track, and rerouting it will be difficult. Another you could look at is the Three Pass trip. Higher, steeper, and more spectacular. Crosses over the Main divide from near Arthurs Pass to the West coast. From memory 5 days. Look it up on line.
If going into the more difficult, (and less travelled) stuff, I recommend hiring a personal locator beacon. Many gear shops and possibly DOC have them, cost about $30 per week. DOC have very good maps available, route guides are on line as well.
I suggest you simply go, and when you get there, contact the nearest DOC office for suggestions as to what is available locally.

I might catch some flack for steering you away from the North Island, but if I were to go back again (especially for anything less than a month) I would spend all of my time on the South Island. While there are some spectacular places worth visiting on the North Island (Tongariro, Taranaki, etc.), the South Island is just… better.

I was lucky enough to have spent a little over two months in NZ at the end of 2013 going into 2014 (December to mid-Feb) and crammed as much hiking into those two months as I possibly could. As others have mentioned (and you have apparently found out) there are ten "Great Walks" that require reservations. I was able to reserve a spot on the Kepler, Milford, and Routeburn for early December back in April of 2013. But from what I can remember, aside from the Milford, most of the Great Walks had some availability if you were traveling solo and had some flexibility with your dates.

Of the three it's hard to pick a favorite. The Milford lived up to its reputation but I think I liked the Routeburn even more. If above-the-tree-line hiking is your thing, I would highly advise you look into it. Keep in mind that you can do the entire hike in two days if you're reasonably fit. Hell, I met some couch surfers who day-hiked it, but I wouldn't recommend it. If you find an opening at Lake Mackenzie Hut I would overnight it starting at the Routeburn Shelter and finish at the Divide.

But if you can't swing a spot on a Great Walk there are plenty of other hikes worthy of the designation. I essentially set up my trip so that all of the Great Walks were front-loaded, leaving me plenty of time to explore other parts of the country. Some other hikes I managed to squeeze into my trip included the Rees-Dart & Cascade Saddle, the Caples, Mueller Hut/Mt Cook, Brewster Hut, Banks Peninsula, and Nelson Lakes/Blue Lake Loop. While all of them had their highlights, hiking in Nelson Lakes was by far the most memorable.

Like most tramps in NZ, Nelson Lakes will allow you some flexibility in terms of your itinerary. For me I chose to hike out to Blue Lake and back, starting in St Arnaud. My exact huts were Lake Angelus, Hopeless, Upper Travers, West Sabine, Blue Lake, Sabine, Lake Angelus. You could easily cut a day or two out of my itinerary by skipping Sunset Saddle/Hopeless Hut or by stopping short of Blue Lake. Of the two I would pick the former seeing how Blue Lake apparently has the clearest water on planet earth, and I can confirm, it's pretty damn blue. Why was it my favorite hike though? Well for the landscape photography enthusiast it was a veritable gold mine, but more importantly the weather was substantially better than what I experienced further south.

As others have mentioned, the weather in NZ is extremely variable. I think I may have had a total of four days of sunshine my first month there. That being said, the rain is what makes the place so damn beautiful! The rain is what keeps everything so green and the waterfalls roaring. But even for me the initial weather forecast was a bit intimidating. Invest in some good rain gear and you should at least stay warm, but don't even bother trying to keep your boots dry. Goretex or not, your feet are going to get wet.

The only major issue with the rain is flash flooding. River levels can rise and fall quickly so heavy rain can cause some logistics nightmares if you're not prepared. When in doubt, wait it out… Other things to consider that come to mind: sandflies. I'm not exactly sure how they differ from no-see-ums, but they are equally as unpleasant. For the most part they were tolerable, but certain tracks were worse than others (I would avoid the Greenstone/Caples at all costs unless you're a fly fisherman).

As for other tramps that members have recommended, personally I wouldn't attempt the Dusky Track unless you are very comfortable in wet and muddy conditions. That hike is no joke, and having spent close to a month in and around Te Anau I heard countless tales of hikers who bit off more than they could chew with the Dusky. But, hey, if you feel up for it rent a SPOT and go for it. You won't find many people out there! And I can confirm what others have said about the Dart Valley. I happened to start up the Dart Valley the day of the landslide (what are the chances?), and even within a few hours of it happening much of the track was submerged in water. That said, the Rees Valley should still be open and Cascade Saddle is worth an out-and-back if you can catch it on a clear day.

One final tip: buy Lonely Planet's Tramping in New Zealand by Jim DuFresne. Seriously, if you ignore everything else in my post at the very least buy the book. It was by far the best resource I had for planning my trip in NZ and I have no doubt it will serve you well. While it doesn't cover some of the more obscure tracks, it will have info on pretty much any major tramp on both islands. And if off-the-beaten path is more of your thing I would recommend you take a look at Shelter From The Storm when you get there. You can find a copy at just about any DOC (but sadly not on Amazon), but the book covers the history of the back country huts and is loaded with information on them. For me, the second I turned to the page on Brewster Hut I said, "I have to go there." And I did. Maybe you will find some inspiration there as well!

>"but if I were to go back again (especially for anything less than a month) I would spend all of my time on the South Island. "

+1

You look at the country on a map and think, "Oh, about the size of California. Fly into Auckland, have breakfast, lunch in Nelson, dinner in Christchurch." No! New Zealand has no I-5 running its length. It has charming, curving, possum-infested roads through mountainous terrain (especially on the South Island), interspaced with one-lane bridges and, oh yeah, a chunk of ocean in the middle. There's so much to do on either island, I'd also suggest that you stay on one island for at least a month. And that it be the South Island. Because what I go to NZ for, the South Island has a lot more of.

If you were going for 2-3 months, I'd say start on the North Island and slowly work your way south and it will just keep getting more and more dramatically beautiful as you go.

A good source of relatively local information is

http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=59

This site is the main site for bushwalking in Australia and possibly NZ. The link is to the NZ section. I am sure the kiwis will kick in if there are better sites for NZ.

I go away for a long weekend tramping in the mountains and a thread about NZ starts while I’m away.

Always happy to help out with info on tramping in New Zealand.

This link leads to a post of mine that has several other links with lists of great tramps (hikes) that are not “Great Walks”.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. After weighing each one, I think we are going to do the blue lake stretch of the te araroa.
I wouldn't have known about it without your posts, so I really appreciate it. (Particularly matt for mentioning travers sabine loop, and andrew seconding the nelson lakes area)

now I'm trying to figure out how to get from lewis pass to Christchurch

I'll copy my whole agenda for you guys later today, see what you guys think. (And in case I get lost and die, you know where to find my body)

Good Choice!
Highly recommended.
Not quite as spectacular as further south but great tramping country, The weather will be better too.

+1 on that choice. We did the TA (South Island only) earlier this season and felt that the Travers-Sabine-Waiau Pass section was on the short list for most scenic of the entire route. There's some tough hiking above Blue Lake for sure, but spectacular. You will have less (no?) snow on Waiau Pass than we did back in early Dec. The long, flat tramp down the Waiau River was super easy but we found it quite nice. The huts on this route are generally top notch as well. As far as getting back to Chch, it should be easy to thumb on SH 7 to Hanmer Spgs and then you can get a bus to Chch – check Intercity, etc.

Here's Stephanie ascending Waiau Pass above Lake Constance:

I have been walking in NZ for years. Typically you get sucked in by the advertising and look to the Great Walks as these are “great” – right? Actually they are great because they are full of a great lot of walking tourists and a great amount of publicity is produced to get you on them. Most consist of valleys with one pass over 3-5 days. In nZ the action is on the high ground and the valleys get pretty tedious. Unfortunately it took me a few great walks to work that out.

I recommend the five passes route that starts in the Routeburn. No huts but you get to see 5 passes which is better than one. Plus the landscape is way wilder than the GWs. The route does require basic navigation but is easily better than the great walks in the area. See here here for an extended route that you will remember for a long time.

Live on the edge and try something like this to avoid the tourists who stick to boring walks in the prominent tourist literature.

Alright, here's my agenda as promised:

Day 1: Fly into auckland, stay in papakura
Day 2: bus from papakura to matamata, do the hobbiton tour, stay in rotorua
day 3: hit the hot springs in rotorua area, particularly looking for the kerosene hot water falls, check out the rainbow cliffs, stay nearby
day 4: bus from rotorua to napier
day 5: Napier -Aquarium. Cape Kidnappers. Taradale. Te Mata Peak
day 6: (travel day) Napier to wellington, ferry to picton, stay in picton because there are no freaking buses saturday night to nelson
day 7: picton in morning, shop for supplies, bus to nelson, hit a musuem (suggestions are welcome)
day 8: nelson to kawatiri, hitchhike to st arnaud, start hiking (St arnaud to Lewis Pass)
day 9: hike
day 10: hike
day 11: hike again
day 12: hike to lewis pass, hitchhike the hanmer springs, soak in the springs as a job well done
day 13: hitchhike? to christchurch, explore (suggestions are welcome)
day 14: bus from christchurch to dunedin
day 15: Dunedin- explore (suggestions are welcome)
day 16: shuttle to dunedin airport, fly to auckland, fly out

if anyone has any suggestions as to what to add/amend/etc., let me know!

>"to christchurch, explore (suggestions are welcome)"

Years ago, I liked the Antarctic Center in Chirstchurch. I assume it's open again since the earthquake.

Last month, we were intrigued by the shopping district in Christchurch having been rebuilt with shipping containers.

The cathedral looks like it's been bombed out.

Well, that trip was amazing

auckland > matamata > rotorua> taupo > napier> picton> nelson >
hiked from st arnaud to lewis pass via blue lake. Blue lake and Waiau pass were AMAZING
also, doing that many miles in only 5 days sucked.
lewis pass> hanmer springs>christchurch>dunedin

overall, awesome trip.

tips for people:
Don't count on hitchhiking. Yes, it can happen, and will save time, but do not RELY on it.
Make reservations for hostels ahead of time. They sell out.
Huts are amazing.
Sand flies are horrible. Imagine irritable gnats mixed with stinging mosquitoes, filled with rage, born from the pits of hell. I loathe them.
Get the fish and chips
Get the thai food
Avoid the overpriced and underwhelming mexican food
Pepperoni pizza is NOT what you think it is. (imagine salami and cheese)
Margarita pizza is everything good and then some.
hot springs in waiotapu and taupo are awesome. The ones in hanmer springs are commercialized and overrated
wear sunscreen.
if you sleep in the bushes next to a lake because you couldn't find a place to stay, watch out for sprinklers

Thanks again for all the suggestions people! On to the next great adventure!