Items11The creator’s order
  1. 1Lake Waikaremoana Great WalkLake Waikaremoana Great WalkA one-way walk of about 46 km along the shore of Lake Waikaremoana in Te Urewera, usually done over three nights and four days; DOC's comparison gives 46 km, though its stage distances add up to nearer 44. The hardest climb comes first: day one goes up Panekire Bluff to a ridge-top hut with wide…0
  2. 2Tongariro Northern CircuitTongariro Northern CircuitThe volcanic one: three to four days through an active volcanic area of lava flows and gravel fields, past the Emerald Lakes, which fill old explosion pits. For 2026/27 it runs 35.5 km from Mangatepopo Carpark to Whakapapa Village, as the section between them is closed after the 2025 Tongariro…0
  3. 3Whanganui JourneyWhanganui JourneyThe Great Walk you paddle rather than walk: a canoe or kayak trip down the Whanganui River, either the full 145 km from Taumarunui to Pipiriki in about five days, or about 88 km from Whakahoro in about three. Local suppliers hire out the boat, paddles, life jacket, dry bags and waterproof barrels…0
  4. 4Abel Tasman Coast TrackAbel Tasman Coast TrackThe gentlest introduction to multi-day walking here: 60 km of coast in the north-west of the South Island, typically walked in three to five days between bays and estuaries. Water taxis run year-round between Marahau or Kaiteriteri and Totaranui, so you can walk a single section or mix in kayaking…0
  5. 5Heaphy TrackHeaphy TrackThe longest of the walking tracks at 78.4 km, crossing Kahurangi National Park from expansive tussock downs and forest to nīkau palms and the West Coast's roaring seas. Walkers take two to six days; mountain bikes are allowed from 1 May to 30 November, so expect to share the track then. The…0
  6. 6Paparoa TrackPaparoa TrackA 55 km shared-use track over the Paparoa Range on the West Coast, walked in three days or ridden in two by mountain bikers, with no e-bikes allowed. It starts at the Smoke-ho car park, 8 km north of Blackball, and finishes near Punakaiki, at the Pororari River car park for walkers and Waikori Road…0
  7. 7Routeburn TrackRouteburn TrackThe short alpine crossing: 32 km between Mount Aspiring and Fiordland national parks, with most people taking three days and two nights and staying at Routeburn Falls and Lake Mackenzie huts. The exposed middle section is the reward in clear weather and the risk in bad, since avalanche hazard can…0
  8. 8Milford TrackMilford TrackThe most famous Great Walk and the most tightly controlled: 53.5 km in one direction only, over three nights and four days, with booked huts each night and no camping allowed. Both ends are reached by boat, from Te Anau Downs to Glade Wharf and from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound, so the trip is a…0
  9. 9Kepler TrackKepler TrackA 60 km circuit that starts and ends at a car park about 5 km from Te Anau, so there is no transport to arrange. Most walkers take four days and three nights. The draw is the climb above the bushline to Luxmore Hut and a long day along tussock-covered ridgelines, with a 30-minute side trip to the…0
  10. 10Hump Ridge TrackHump Ridge TrackThe Great Walk booked outside DOC's system: a three-day loop of about 61 km in southern Fiordland (DOC lists it as 60), booked through the Hump Ridge Trust up to two years ahead and based at two backcountry lodges that are a step up from a typical DOC hut. Options run from freedom walks to guided…0