Hiking & Walking
NZ has a reputation as a hiking and walking paradise. Bigger than the UK, but with only one-fourteenth the population, you’ll rarely be short of a place to wander.
30% of the land area is set aside for conservation and recreation. The Department of Conservation, known as DoC, oversees 13 National Parks as well as other tracts of protected land.
DoC has an excellent, well organised website with information on walks all over the country. Use the interactive map to find walks close to where you are. The National Parks all offer a host of short walks far too numerous for us to mention here.
Keen hikers will want to book hut accommodation well ahead for the 10 Great Walks to avoid disappointment.
For the ultimate long walk, hike the length of New Zealand on the Te Araroa Trail.
If you’re a keen walker, take a look at our Dayhikers' South Island Itinerary to help with planning.
If you hear the term tramping, don’t worry, it’s simply a Kiwi word for hiking or walking, usually with a backpack.