On the island nation of New Zealand, tramping isn’t just a word but rather it is a national pastime enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. The word ‘tramping’ may be unknown to most people outside of the country, but the recreational activity is simply known elsewhere as hiking or bushwalking. To be more precise, tramping usually involves walking New Zealand’s rugged terrain, carrying all the equipment needed for your trip. A night stay is usually a part of tramping and this can take the form of an overnight campout in one of New Zealand’s National Parks. With fourteen national parks in total there are so many beautiful areas for you to explore on a New Zealand walking holiday. Here are our pick of the islands’ best:
Mount Aspiring National Park
This national park located close to the city of Wanaka is named after the towering Mount Aspiring; one of the country’s highest points. The park is one of the best places in New Zealand for walking and is a serene dreamland of glaciers, mountains and alpine lakes. The park has a number of tramping trails, some of which are more challenging than others. The three day Routeburn track is stunning, but visitors with less time on their hands should try the Aspiring Hut walk, a one and a half hour trek which takes you around the perimeter of Mount Aspiring. The park also has something for the more adventurous, and you could finish your tour with a jetboat ride along the River Dart or even a heli skiing adventure in the Northern Buchanan region.
Fjordland
This area of New Zealand is almost Norwegian in appearance, with its U shaped glaciers and towering snow capped mountains. Spectacular waterfalls cascade down through the valley and these can be explored via sea kayak. On your kayaking trip you may be lucky enough to spot some of the park’s local residents, dolphins, penguins and fur seals. This national park is the best in New Zealand for walking and of the country’s ten ‘Great Walks’ three can be found in this very park. The most famous being the Milford Track, a five day trail which begins at the head of Lake Te Anau and ends at Milford Sound, from where it is possible to book a fjord cruise taking in the rest of the region.
Tongariro
Parts of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy were shot on location at the Tongariro National Park. Therefore, visitors to this region can not only enjoy walking amongst vaguely familiar landscape but in doing so can hope to learn more about the volcanic past of New Zealand. Walking the Alpine Crossing in this national park attracts 70,000 visitors each summer and visitors to this region are awarded with breathtaking views of the three snow covered volcanoes, Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. The largest of these volcanoes Ruapehu played Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings and although all three volcanoes are still active, this doesn’t stop thrill seekers from skiing down their slopes or hiking up to their craters. The park is ideal for walking in and, as well as the Alpine Crossing, guests can also take part in the six day round the mountain walk, where guests can spot all kinds of native flora and fauna from long and short tailed bats to the native birds that make their home in the national park.
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