We meet at 7am at the Sky Tower in downtown Auckland before heading south to Rotorua, with a café stop on route to fortify those who missed breakfast. Rotorua is renowned for its steaming thermal vents, bubbling mud-pools and stunning lakes. The area is also rich in Māori and early European history, including the violent 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption that buried a Māori village. We enjoy a quick stop by Lake Rotorua then veer off the beaten track, southeast into the Whirinaki.
After a picnic lunch, we sort out gear and pack our backpacks for the hike into the rainforest. A further hours’ drive gets us to the south end of this huge conservation park.
The Whirinaki Forest is a preserved remnant of the vast forests believed to have covered the super-continent of Gondwanaland more than 150 million years ago. Our first hike is an easy one, on a descending track through native beech forest, to a simple forest hut beside the stunning Whirinaki river. We cook up our meal together and either stay in the hut or camp nearby with an evening campfire and time to relax and enjoy the surroundings. Includes lunch and dinner.
Whirinaki Hut is a 25-bunk Department of Conservation hut with living area and a spacious kitchen complete with cosy fire. The hut is superbly located, tucked into a clearing of beech trees alongside the Whirinaki River. Cool down with a refreshing swim in the river after an enjoyable day of hiking. Camping sites can be found in the large grassy area just in front of the hut.
This morning we continue down the valley track. This wilderness is off the tourist trail and we rarely see others, but we do often see rare blue ducks and robins and hear kaka (a large bush parrot). Lower down the valley our hike passes beneath giant tree ferns and some of New Zealand’s most stunning podocarp rainforest trees.
Later in the afternoon we drive east, into the rugged forest ranges of Te Urewera. This is the traditional home of the Tūhoe (Māori tribe) and one of the last places to have been reached by European settlers.
After two hours winding through the most incredible rain forest, we reach the northern arm of remote Lake Waikaremoana. We continue around the lake before stopping for the night at a camping area with sweet little cabins. Here we relax and cook a meal together in the communal kitchen. We usually stay in the simple cabins but occasionally camp. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Enjoy comfortable “Fisherman’s Cabins” in serene isolation with nature right on the doorstep. The Waikaremoana Holiday Park is situated on the lake edge of picturesque Home Bay, Lake Waikaremoana. The cabins utilise communal bathroom and kitchen facilities, and sleeping bags are required.
Ready yourself with the promise of spectacular views as we start the day with a 20 minute drive to the trailhead at the south end of the lake and begin the climb up the Panekiri Range. We ascend through gnarled beech and bright green tawa forest to a point over 500 metres above the lake and hike along with breath-taking vistas in every direction.
Take time to absorb the view with a lunch stop at Bald Knob before we return back along this undulating trail, and if time permits once back at the road end we will explore the fascinating Onepoto Caves trail. Enjoy a second night at the cabins (occasionally we camp). Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Enjoy a second night in a comfy cabin at the Waikaremoana Holiday Park. Those brave enough may like to try a dip in the cool clear waters of the lake.
We start the day with a drive to the Volcanic Plateau and its myriad natural wonders. Explore an extraordinary thermal park, bathe in a natural hot river and view the impressive Huka Falls. Feel the spray here as the mighty Waikato River, New Zealand’s longest, plunges 11 metres into a stadium-like pool.
Later we arrive at Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand. Incredibly, this 600 square kilometre crater lake was formed in 186AD by the most powerful volcanic explosion in recorded history.
At Taupo, we grab our takeaway food and head to a lovely lake-side spot. Here we can relax on the unusual pumice beach and in summer enjoy an evening swim before continuing to our lodge accommodation in Whakapapa Village, Tongariro National Park. Includes breakfast and lunch.
Located in Whakapapa Village at the foot of Mount Ruapehu, Skotel Alpine Resort offers a friendly informal atmosphere. Stay in the comfy Backpacker rooms, twin and sometimes triple share. Sheets and towels are provided, and bathroom and kitchen facilities are communal.
Tongariro National Park is the oldest National Park in New Zealand and the fourth oldest in the world. In 1993, the park became a UNESCO mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Site. Although many hikers walk the busy one-day Tongariro Alpine Crossing, few explore the more remote and drier east side of this volcanic range. Enjoy our secret side trips and short cuts but rest assured we will hike the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing, considered one of the world’s finest day walks, but at a less busy time of the day whenever possible.
We sort out gear and pack our backpacks ready for our two nights away. In the late morning, hike out of Whakapapa through tussock-grasslands and over the low saddle that cuts between the volcanoes Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe. Late afternoon we arrive at the simple but modern Waihohonu Hut among patches of mountain beech forest beside a quiet stream. There are great mountain-views from the spacious common room. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Waihohonu Hut is a modern 28-bunk Department of Conservation hut located on the Tongariro Northern Circuit Great Walk. Facilities are basic but comfortable, with bunk beds, mattresses, wood stove, common room, and toilets.
The trail to the next hut takes just 3 hours, so we have the morning to explore. Either amble (about an hour) to the splendid Ohineopango Springs and visit a historic hut and then return to the hut for lunch, or we can negotiate an adventurous off-trail route over ash-moraine ridges and skirt lava cliffs to reach a viewpoint high above a remote lake. After lunch continue on, traversing stony desert to an alpine hut at 1400m situated on the edge of an old lava flow.
We stop to enjoy fantastic views of the park’s three main peaks: Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. The latter starred as Mount Doom in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films. It’s an extraordinary landscape of active volcanoes and lava valleys.
Evening provides an opportunity to share the hut with hikers from all over the world. Oturere ‘sardine tin’ Hut is small, quite busy, but still our favourite spot. We usually sleep in the hut, but sometimes we camp. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Oturere Hut is a 26-bunk Department of Conservation hut located in Tongariro National Park. Facilities are basic but comfortable, with bunk beds, mattresses, wood stove, common room, and toilets.
We hike through a moon-like valley of lava flows and ash fields before climbing steeply to the remarkable Emerald Lakes, which have graced the covers of many guidebooks. From here we join the spectacular Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The next few hours of hiking takes us through an unforgettable wonderland of lava valleys, steaming craters and brooding volcanoes before our descent through bonsai-like alpine foliage and alongside mineral-infused streams. In good conditions, we have the option of climbing high on the volcanic peaks.
An evening drive takes us back to our lodge in the heart of the National Park – the perfect place to relax with a beer and enjoy million-dollar volcanic views before dining in the alpine village. Includes breakfast and lunch.
Located in Whakapapa Village at the foot of Mount Ruapehu, Skotel Alpine Resort offers a friendly informal atmosphere. Stay in the comfy Backpacker rooms, twin and sometimes triple share. Sheets and towels are provided, and bathroom and kitchen facilities are communal.
Driving south, we leave the volcanoes to descend through the beautiful river valleys of the Rangitikei and along the coast to Wellington, where we arrive mid-afternoon after a café break. Wellington is so much more than just New Zealand’s capital. It is also the nation’s stylish hub for arts, culture, cafés and politics. Enclosed by hills and a harbour, this compact city has many attractions within easy walking distance.
Options include enjoying the National Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa) or watching the political shenanigans of the ‘Beehive’ (Parliament House). Many visitors immerse themselves in the vibrant café scene and the accessible downtown area. Includes breakfast.
