Try the Greenstone-Caples, Routeburn, and Kepler treks. Stay at Mackeller, Mackenzie, Luxmor, Iris Burn, and Motorau huts.
Mossy green forests, lush velvety landscapes, cascading waterfalls, craggy exposed peaks and… mud. These are a few things you can count on when “tramping” around New Zealand. And “tramping," the kiwi word for hiking, can only be properly done by stomping straight through the ever-present mud and rain, soldiering on with a positive attitude, knowing that a dry hut awaits you after a long satisfying day of slogging through the trails.
With tramping being a favorite vacation sport for every New Zealander, there are many different hiking tracks well laid out over the South Island near the picturesque lakeside towns of Queenstown and Te Anau.
Popular treks around Queenstown are the Greenstone-Caples (stay at the tiny Mackeller hut) and Routeburn tracks (stay at the modern lakeside Mackenzie hut). Around Te Anau is the Kepler track with the beautiful views from the Luxmor Hut, foresty Iris Burn hut, and lakeside Motorau hut.
After a few hours of tramping, the mud becomes just a small obstacle in the breathtaking raw wilderness of authentic New Zealand.
Visitor information
Getting there: Qantas and Air New Zealand often offer deals from the west coast. Discount flights and cheap one-way fares are often found on Qantas's website. Air New Zealand sometimes offers layovers in Fiji.
Where to stay:
Queenstown: Lakefront Apartments 26 Lake Esplanade. A 3 bedroom apartment costs NZ$300 per night.
Te Anau: Te Anau Lakeview Holiday Park 1 Te Anau-Manapouri Road. The Kepler track can be started from this place and you can even leave your rental car during your hike.
On the tramps if staying in the track huts, tickets need to be purchased ahead of time at the DOC office:
Queenstown Department of Conservation office: 37 Shotover St, tel: 011 64 3 442 9708.
Te Anau DOC: Lakefront Drive, tel: 011 64 3 249 8514
What to bring:
Good rain gear including a backpack cover, warm clothes, and hiking boots with Gore-Tex liners and a good gripping soles are essential.
Water filters and water containers are essential due to the faint Giardia threat.
You need to bring your own food and sometimes a stove.
Sandflies can also be a problem on tracks close to marshy areas, so a good bug spray with DEET is recommended also.
Try Alpine Sports: 28 Shotover St, tel: 011 64 3 442 7099. Stoves can be rented for NZ$4 per day.
Getting around:
Queenstown official visitor center: i-site, located at the clock tower, corner of Camp and Shotover Streets, tel: 011 64 3 442 4100. Bus tickets and other info to get to the start of trailheads can be found here.
Queenstown Car Rentals tel: 011-64 3 442 9220. Have deals for NZ$29 per day which include free airport pickup and dropoff.
For more on this hike click here
