There is something romantic about imagining oneself running through a field of flowers, singing “The hills are aliiiive with the sound of music.” 

Springtime means flowering native plants may be found in abundance in many areas. Here are four walks where blooms are likely to be prolific.

1. Gordon Park Loop Track, Whanganui: The walk passes through mataī, tōtara, tītoki, tawa, kahikatea and kōwhai, the latter often cited as New Zealand’s unofficial national flower. The bright golden blossoms are an important food source for tūī, bellbird and kererū.

2. Tongariro National Park: A huge variety of native plants can be seen flowering in spring on various walks within the park.

3. Hapuka Estuary Walk, Haast: Here the flowering harakeke flax can be found in all the colours of the sunset, from yellow to red to orange.

4. Hooker Valley Track: Many different wildflowers can be seen along this track, including celmisia and the Mount Cook buttercup kōpukupuku, which is the world’s biggest buttercup and can grow over a metre tall with leaves larger than your hand. Kōpukupuku in the Hooker Valley were heavily browsed by deer and tahr. However, the removal of the animals from the area shows how a species can recover, as the valley is now a sea of buttercups from late spring to early summer.