Walking on the long white cloud
Trans-Tasman adventures
New Zealand is one of the world’s premier walking destinations. Only a three-hour flight from Australia’s eastern seaboard, it’ll be where many of us look for our first overseas destination post COVID-19. Here are a few ideas to inspire your travel plans.
In good company
You can tackle New Zealand’s singleand multi-day walks independently or (on some walks) with a guiding company. Guided walks ensure that your travel logistics are taken care of, and a good knowlegeable guide can greatly improve your experience along the way. They are obviously more expensive than walking independently but are a fantastic option for those who may not be conf ident stepping out on their own. A guided walk is also less physically demanding; on most, you will only carry clothing and the day’s water. They are also more ‘comfortable’: the lodges used by most guiding companies include in-house chefs, staff, fresh bed linen, warm showers and more.
For independent walkers NZ is a goldmine, and its globally renowned 10 Great Walks are rightly popular. Devised and maintained by the Department of Conservation (DOC), these select walks offer well-maintained tracks, with most streams and rivers bridged, and comfy huts.
Whichever way you go, one of the great attractions of walking in NZ is the DOC backcountry hut system. There are more than 950 huts, all graded (and priced) according to facilities, with the Great Walks huts providing the highest com for t (outside g uided-wa lk lodges). These comprise bunk rooms with mattresses, cold-water supply, cooking facilities (mostly gas), toilets, heating, lighting and, in peak season, a hut warden. You need to pre-book huts through the DOC’s online hut booking system (see “Fact file”, page 116).
Serviced huts offer most of the above but may not have gas cooking facilities or a hut warden. Standard huts provide bunks with mattresses, a water supply, toilets and wood heater.
When planning, DOC’s website ( doc.govt.nz) is great; there’s information on tracks, transport, hut/track costs, plus booking links and maps. There’s also an interactive online topographic map so you can print out the part you need.
Guided and independent experiences differ, with both equally enjoyable. Here are four walks – a mix of guided and independent – that prove that theory.