Trekking in New Zealand

We depart Auckland and head south through the dairy farming plains of the Thames Valley before passing over old ignimbrite flows to reach Lake Rotorua with its stunning crater lakes and volcanoes. We savour a picnic lunch sitting on the beach of Lake Tarawera - an ancient caldera crater amongst forest and volcanoes. In the afternoon we enjoy a bush walk along a good trail alongside this splendid lake - there are plenty of great swimming spots. We use a water taxi to travel one way. Sample good kiwi kai (food) with an evening meal at one of the many cafes and restaurants in Rotorua.

A 1-hour drive gets us to the Tongariro National Park. Established in 1887, it was New Zealand's first National Park, gifted to the people of New Zealand by a Maori chief (Tukino Te Hue Hue) who saw this as a way of protecting the tapu (respect or sacredness) of the land - in particular the summits of the active volcanoes. It is also a dual World Heritage Area, a status which recognises the park's important Maori cultural and spiritual associations as well as its outstanding volcanic features.

Enroute to the Park, we enjoy a short 1 hour hike through stunning forest around the slopes of Mt Pihanga and to the mystical Lake Rotopounamu (Lake of Greenstone). The next two nights are spent in a hotel on the edge of the park, providing a great opportunity for you to explore the area at your leisure. In the afternoon hike to Taranaki Falls, cascading 20 metres over a 15,000 year old lava flow.

This morning we drive to Wellington, arriving in the early afternoon. Wellington is New Zealand’s wonderful harbour capital. The giant fault-created harbour almost encircled by steep suburbs gives it a giant coliseum feel. You have free time to enjoy walking around the central city and absorb the lively atmosphere. Wellington is well known for its vibrant café, art and culture scenes. There is no shortage of places to have a coffee or a drink - with more bars, cafes and restaurants per capita than New York. You may like to visit the museum of New Zealand, called Te Papa, or the beehive (Parliament House).

Today we wander through lush coastal forests, cross Falls River via a 47 metre suspension bridge then depending on the tides we may cross an estuary or follow the all tide track. Cleopatra's Pool is a worthwhile side trip, here the river has carved a smooth slide down the rocks into deep clear pools - you may not be able to resist taking a dip! We finish our hike on the golden sand beaches of Anchorage, where a water taxi takes us back to Kaiteriteri and our vehicle. We spend the night in Murchison, a quiet rural town on the edge of the wilds. This is the north eastern limit of the vast wilderness ranges and rivers that dominate much of the South Island.

After a leisurely breakfast we hike back down the Fox River before driving south along the coast to Punakaiki and the Pancake Rocks. These 30-million-year-old limestone rocks have formed immense features with thousands of layers. Continuing south, we stop at Hokitika. Originally known as the 'Capital of the Goldfields', Hokitika was once a thriving and prosperous port. Much of its old character remains and it is now a major centre for greenstone (pounamu) or jade. This hard stone is treasured by the Maori who used it for decorative jewellery and for carving some of their lethal weapons – the war clubs known as meres. From Hokitika we continue south to Fox Glacier, one of the few places in the world where you will see glaciers descending into the level of the rainforest.

After a relaxed breakfast enjoying the stunning views over Lake Wanaka we set off on today’s hike to the Rob Roy Glacier. We start off with a beautiful drive up the Matukituki Valley, driving through large sheep, cattle and deer farms along the way. Our hike starts from Raspberry Flat and crosses a suspension bridge across the Matukituki River before climbing through Beech forest alongside the raging boulder strewn stream of Rob Roy. Eventually the track emerges above the tree line in a delightful alpine meadow with a superb vista of the Rob Roy glacier. We take lunch here before wandering back down the valley to the vehicle. We drive over the Crown Range into Queenstown where we stay for the next two nights.

We head into Fiordland National Park - World Heritage Area, the largest National Park in New Zealand. The huge glacial lakes of Te Anau and Manapouri are the border of Fiordland’s dramatic inland coast. The area is dominated by water, either in the form of lakes, ocean fiords or as falling rain – which has enabled the establishment of temperate rainforest. 

We hike on the Kepler track, firstly around the lake shore before climbing gently up through the forest and limestone outcrops to the bush-line. From these broad tussock tops you are rewarded with the sweeping views of the Fiordland wilderness including the Murchison and Kepler mountains and Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri. Descend back to the lake and follow the lakeside trail back to the vehicle. We base ourselves in Te Anau for the next two nights. An ideal base to explore and experience Fiordland National Park.

After several days of rigorous hiking give the legs a rest today on our drive north to Aoraki/ Mt Cook National Park. A stop in Cromwell is a good opportunity to sample some of the delicious fruit that is grown in this area as well as taking a stroll through the quaint and lovingly restored historical precinct of the town. Central Otago’s high country landscape, contains some of New Zealand’s largest high country sheep stations, many measuring tens of thousands of hectares – Patagonian like in size and splendor. Crossing Lindis Pass we continue through the MacKenzie country to the shores of Lake Pukaki and then west to Aoraki/Mt Cook (3724m). Arriving late in the afternoon the remainder of the afternoon is yours to do as you please, either hike (unguided) the nearby Red Tarns track or relax and enjoy the stunning views of Aoraki.

Time for one final hike this morning, as we explore the nearby Tasman Valley, a stunning area of alpine vistas, lakes and glacial morraines. Leaving Mt Cook we continue north through the MacKenzie country, taking a break at Lake Tekapo - aqua blue waters framed by the Southern Alps. Tekapo is filled by glacially fed rivers which deposit tons of glacial flour (finely ground rock) into the lake; this flour is so fine that it is suspended in the water and refracts the light giving the lake a stunning colour. After crossing the Canterbury plains we arrive in Christchurch in the mid afternoon, and here the trip concludes after 3 weeks of hiking through volcanoes, thermal wonderlands, rainforests, glaciers and remote mountain valleys.