New Zealand's latest Great Walks

For overnight adventurers

Rainforests to mountains

The Paparoa Track is one of New Zealand’s newest Great Walks, on the west coast of the country’s South Island.

The trek, which opened in May 2021, is ideal for travellers looking to explore a truly “untamed” trail taking in temperate rainforests, grassy mountaintops, pristine rivers and limestone cliffs as well as the crashing waves of the ocean.

Paparoa Guided Walks escorts hikers over four days and three nights across the 34 miles, with accommodation each night in remote mountain huts. It is classed as an easy to moderate walk.

The route takes hikers past gold-mining ruins with views across to the Grey Valley and Southern Alps – including New Zealand’s highest mountain Aoraki – and then makes its way towards the Pororari River Gorge. The guided walk includes all meals plus sleeping bags, backpacks and carbon-fibre hiking poles.

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From NZ$1,599pp (£835) • paparoaguidedwalks.com

For scenery lovers

High-country walking 

Another new Great Walk is Wanaka High Country Walk, which can also be found in the South Island, around the spectacular Lake Wanaka.

The big selling point is the scenery along the 20-kilometre trail, which also takes in alpine tussocks and verdant meadows.

The walk takes around six to seven hours to complete, with hikers transported in four-wheel-drive vehicles to a remote high country station to start the trek through the hills.

The trip, which operates from October to May, also includes a mountain-top picnic and the chance to take part in a conservation project to protect local birdlife. Local guides for the trip, operated by Ridgeline, can adapt the walk for all abilities, with vehicles on hand for those who don’t want to walk the full length of the route.

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From NZ$299pp (£156) • ridgelinenz.com

For nature buffs

South-coast stunner

An even newer addition to the Great Walks network will be Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track Walk in the Fiordland area of the South Island, which is set to officially open in late 2022. Fiordland, located in the island’s south-west corner, is already home to three existing Great Walks (Kepler, Milford and Routeburn), with the latest addition taking hikers on a 38-mile loop through the region’s coastline, forests, alpine scenery and past historic viaducts.

The three-day, two-night loop follows the southern coast to the sub-alpine zone of Hump Ridge, with hikers staying in two lodges complete with king-sized beds and hot showers. Passengers and/ or their bags can also be flown to the lodges by helicopters. This walk is one for nature lovers, with a chance to spot New Zealand’s colourful birdlife while soaking up its diverse flora and fauna.

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From NZ$295pp (£155) • humpridgetrack.co.nz