New Zealand’s Great Walks Were the Highlight of My Trip

Ever heard of New Zealand’s Great Walks?

I hadn’t … until I met a guy at the airport several years ago who was wearing a New Zealand sweatshirt.

We struck up a conversation, and within the first five minutes he said this: “If you want to see the best of New Zealand, you have to do the Great Walks.”

The Great Walks are a series of multi-day backpacking trails around New Zealand. They showcase the best of the country’s natural beauty, often passing through national parks or UNESCO World Heritage sites.

I spent 2 full months in New Zealand – from November to December 2023. I spent one month in the North Island, and one in the South Island. I did three of New Zealand’s Great Walks, and it was absolutely the highlight of my time there.

I hiked around an active volcano, canoed 55 miles down a sacred river, and trekked through rugged alpine wilderness while surrounded by native wildlife.

The guy at the airport was right: the Great Walks are the perfect way to experience New Zealand’s incredible scenery. Thank you, airport guy.

Now it’s my time to pass on his wisdom.

In this article, I’ll overview which three Great Walks I chose to do, along with some planning tips. If you need any more convincing, well … read on.

What are the Great Walks?

Scenic view of a hiker along the alpine ridge — *Hiking along the alpine ridge of the Kepler Track in the South Island.*

The Great Walks are 10 designated backpacking trails around New Zealand, designed to showcase areas of cultural significance and stunning beauty. These trails are spread across the South Island (which is more popular) and the North Island (which is often overlooked, but definitely worth visiting).

They’re great for backpackers or travelers because you don’t need a ton of camping equipment. You can stay at huts along the way, which come equipped with beds, stoves, toilets, and potable water. You just need to bring a sleeping bag, food, and a pot to cook in.

Each hut also has a ranger who stays there with you. This helped me feel safe while trekking. Plus, the rangers are often super knowledgeable about the area. They gave us some great tips for spotting wildlife, explained more of the area’s history, and even taught us some songs in Māori.

The Great Walks are only open from October to April, which is New Zealand’s summer. They take some advance planning because you need to book ahead for the huts, but they are 100% worth it.

Great Walk #1: The Tongariro Northern Circuit

The author Laura McFarland and her partner in front of the Tongariro Circuit — *My partner and I in front of the most famous part of the Tongariro Circuit — the Emerald Lakes.*

🤔 What is it? 4-day trek around Mt. Ngauruhoe, an active volcano in the North Island.

👉 Best for: First-timers, travelers short on time, Lord of the Rings lovers

🏆 Award for: Most bang for your buck

Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand. It has three active volcanoes: Mt. Tongariro, Mt. Ngauruhoe, and Mt. Ruapehu.

This is where the Tongariro Northern Circuit is. And wow, it blew my mind.

We trekked by perfectly cone-shaped mountain peaks, neon blue lakes, and volcanic landscapes that looked like Mars. I didn’t even know New Zealand had landscapes like this.

The author Laura McFarland standing right next to Mt. Ngauruhoe against a clear blue sky — *Standing at the highest part of the trek right next to Mt. Ngauruhoe.*

You climb very close to the top of Mt. Ngauruhoe, but at no point do you ever reach the summit. This mountain is tapu, or sacred, to New Zealand’s native people, the Māori. Summiting it is highly disrespectful. Plus, the views are better from around it anyway.

Lord of the Rings fans may recognize Mt. Ngauruhoe — it plays Mt. Doom in the movies! I kept joking that we were literally walking into Mordor.

The Oturere Hut with the Mt. Ngauruhoe in the background at sunset — *Oturere Hut, where we slept on night 2, has incredible views of Mt. Ngauruhoe.*

This 4-day circuit is great for beginners. There’s not too much mileage, there’s only one major section of altitude gain, and it includes some of the most famous scenery in New Zealand. You can even do it in 3 days if you’re short on time.

You can also do the most famous section of the Circuit as a one-day trek, known as the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. However, I’m really glad we took the time to do the multi-day trek.

The Alpine Crossing section is crowded since it’s one of the most popular day hikes in New Zealand. However, the rest of the walk is peaceful and quiet, with barely anyone on the trail. By doing the full Great Walk, you get to see the national park from all angles.

Great Walk #2: The Whanganui Journey

The author's partner paddling on Whanganui River — *My partner and I paddled 88 kilometers down the Whanganui River.*

🤔 What is it? 3-5 day canoe journey down the Whanganui River in the North Island

👉 Best for: Non-hikers, last-minute planners, groups of 2, Māori culture

🏆 Award for: Most underrated

The Whanganui Journey is more of a great paddle than a great walk. This is one of the more recent additions to the Great Walks, so it’s still fairly unpopulated. We were able to get hut reservations at the last minute.

You paddle a canoe down the gently flowing Whanganui River, with fern-lined canyon walls rising up around you and waterfalls dripping off the rocks. There are no roads near this part of the river, so there were no sounds except for birds chirping and water splashing.

It can take 3-5 days depending on where you begin your journey. We chose to only go for 3 days because we didn’t have that much canoe experience — or actually, any canoe experience. But we learned quickly!

A traditional communal place surrounded by greenery — *We got to visit a marae, a traditional Māori meeting room used by the community. This one is only accessible by the river.*

The Whanganui River holds a lot of cultural significance for the Māori people nearby. The river is taonga, meaning it’s a special treasure in Māori culture.

On the second day of our paddle, we had the opportunity to visit a marae, or a meeting house. We were welcomed by the Māori ranger there, who let us into the marae with a special ceremony for visitors. This was such a memorable part of our journey.

The author Laura McFarland and her partner holding their paddleboards near the river — *Big smiles on day 3 when we successfully finished our paddle.*

The Whanganui Journey is vastly underrated. I don’t know why it’s not more popular — maybe the idea of canoeing for 3 days throws people off.

However, this was my personal favorite of our three journeys. I found it incredibly unique, culturally significant, and spiritual.

Great Walk #3: The Kepler Track

The author Laura McFarland standing on the hill overlooking the mountains of Fjordland National Park — *Me on the Kepler Track, overlooking the mountains of Fjordland National Park.*

🤔 What is it? 4-day trek between two lakes in Fjordland National Park, South Island

👉 Best for: Big mountain views, native New Zealand wildlife, lake access, hut amenities

🏆 Award for: Best views & variety

The Kepler Track is what I think of when I imagine backpacking in New Zealand. It’s far down in the South Island, and it has all the classic New Zealand imagery: snow-capped mountain peaks, sparkling blue lakes, rare native birds, and deep valleys filled with the greenest ferns I’ve ever seen.

This is the longest Great Walk we did, at around 60 kilometers (or 40 miles). It had a lot of elevation, and it was definitely the hardest backpacking trip I’ve ever done. But we were rewarded with absolutely jaw-dropping views.

A woman reading a book near the lake — *Reading a book by the lake where we spent night 3.*

The huts on the Kepler Track are undoubtedly the best. There’s tons of common space to hang out in and plenty of stoves available to cook. And each hut has something unique.

At the first hut, we had some up-close interactions with the kea, New Zealand’s endangered alpine parrot. At the second hut, we got to go on a night hike to try to find a kiwi — the most famous (and elusive) New Zealand bird. Although we didn’t see any, we did hear them!

The third hut sits right on a gorgeous lake where we were rewarded with a warm and sunny day. We swam and sunbathed on the beach for hours — a welcome treat for our aching muscles.

A rare alpine parrot standing on a bench — *The kea, a rare alpine parrot native to the far south of New Zealand, sitting outside our hut.*

The Kepler Track is popular but not as popular as the other two Great Walks in Fjordland National Park: the Milford and the Routeburn. We missed the booking window for these two, so we ended up choosing the Kepler by default.

However, it was perfect. I could not have asked for a better end to our time in New Zealand. The Kepler definitely had the most amazing views out of all the Great Walks we did.

Bonus: The Abel Tasman Coast Track

Panoramic view of the scenic sandy beach of Abel Tasman Coast surrounded by greenery — *The Abel Tasman Coast Track boasts gorgeous turquoise waters and beautiful sandy beaches.*

We visited Abel Tasman National Park in the South Island and did a day hike on the Abel Tasman Coast Track. I would recommend extending it and doing the multi-day Great Walk. The coastal scenery was gorgeous!

Tips for Great Walks

Tip #1: Plan Ahead

View of the John Coull Hut surrounded by greenery — *John Coull Hut, where we stayed on night 1 of the Whanganui Journey. This is one of the only Great Walks that doesn’t immediately book up.*

Great Walks season is October – April, but hut bookings open in May or June. Many huts book out in mere minutes.

If you want to stay in a hut, which I would highly recommend, you’ll need to plan far in advance to secure a booking. Campsite bookings are easier to get last minute, but it does mean you’ll be bringing a lot more gear, like a tent and a sleeping pad.

Tip #2: Pack proper equipment (especially a pot)

A wooden table with a variety of high-protein snacks — *Pack plenty of high-protein snacks like beef jerky, canned tuna, and peanut butter.*

Make sure you bring all the backpacking essentials. This means hiking clothes, warm layers, a sleeping bag, and plenty of backpacking food. There’s water at the huts, so you don’t need to bring your own. But you do need to boil the water before drinking it, so be sure to pack a pot!

You don’t need a tent, sleeping pad, stove, or cooking fuel — all of this is provided at the huts. However, you will need these things if you stay at the campsites instead of the huts. See my list of what to bring to New Zealand for the full breakdown.

Tip #3: Check the weather before you book

The author Laura McFarland posing for a photo near the signage of Kepler Track — *Completing a very rainy last day on the Kepler track.*

New Zealand’s weather can be unpredictable. We were there at the beginning of the Great Walks season — late spring into early summer. And the weather proved to be a bit of a struggle for us.

We almost couldn’t do our canoe journey because it was raining so much. The river kept flooding and our trip was postponed for 3 days. We should have waited a few weeks further into the season when it’s less rainy.

Tip #4: Don’t be afraid to ask for help

A woman standing near the canoe at Whanganui River — *At the end of the Whanganui River Journey with our trusty canoe.*

We did have a few mishaps along our hikes. Specifically, we flipped our canoe on day 2 of the Whanganui Journey. We were swept down the river for half a mile and had to be rescued by a jetboat.

Luckily, everyone on the Great Walks is extremely helpful. The rangers want you to be safe. And unlike in America, you won’t get charged a fortune if you end up needing assistance.

New Zealand’s government has a free helicopter service available to anyone who gets injured in the backcountry. They’ll come rescue you if you need it. So don’t be afraid to ask for help!

👉 I traveled the world with 2 backpacks. Here’s what I packed.

***

Great Walks are an amazing way to see New Zealand’s natural scenery. Doing these walks was the highlight of my trip to New Zealand. But it takes proper planning and a good amount of fitness.

There are different walks suited for different comfort levels. Do your research and you’re bound to find one that aligns with your ideals.

These three Great Walks were the perfect ones to start with — but now it’s my goal to go back to New Zealand and do them all!

Want to know more about my time in NZ? Read the story of how I retraced my dad’s footsteps by doing the same backpacking trip 40 years later.

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