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…
Featuring an icefall tumbling 2000m down a rock face and feeding a multitude of waterfalls, the Earnslaw Burn is one of the most spectacular valleys in the country. Best…
Climbing into the dry Central Otago high country to one of New Zealand’s highest gold mines, this loop track offers excellent scenery and fascinating history. From the Mt Buster…
The Arrowtown Millennium Walkway was built in 1998 to mark 150 years since Europeans settled in Otago. The walkway is hugely popular, but don’t let that be a deterrent,…
Branching off one of the busiest sites in Haast Pass, the Blue Valley Track is a comforting reminder of how you can still find a track to yourself, even…
A firm favourite The route to Brewster Hut requires an immediate crossing of the Haast River, a trickle in low flow. The marked track on the opposite bank then begins…
It might be a cliché to call Diamond Lake a jewel in the crown, but if you’re looking for a short stroll to a hidden treasure, then this lake…
The southern flanks of the Serpentine Range, which traverses Mt Aspiring and Fiordland national parks, include the incredible Lake Wilson and can be reached from the Routeburn Track. Head…
Take the high road Whakaari Conservation Area may be a relatively new reserve, but it’s an area with plenty of history. It was a hub of scheelite mining (calcium…
The Dingleburn Route from Ahuriri Base Hut is well marked and leads steeply to a ridgeline that forms an outlier to the Huxley Range. At the 1450m ridgeline, follow…
Downhill from NZ’s highest road With a dry, sunny and reliable climate, a dramatic landscape, and widespread evidence of a romantic gold-rush past, Central Otago offers unique opportunities for…
Conquering the Wilkin Valley With an overseas friend on the verge of returning to Europe, I resolved to give him one final epic adventure. We settled on a walk up…
For a demanding overnight hike with some decent altitude near Queenstown, look no further than Mt Larkins. The magic of this summit is not only in its 2300m height…
Along the knife’s edge YOU DON’T HAVE to drive far to find the wilderness beyond the high street and Queenstown’s tourism hustle and bustle. Just 12km west of Queenstown…