When to walk in New Zealand:
Best time: Oct, Nov, Feb, March
OK but busy: Dec, Jan
Avoid: May-Sept [cold and wet, especially the South Island, impassable
tracks etc.]n.b.
The weather is unpredictable at any time so take rain gear whatever
month you go.
There
are easy, short and pretty walks all over New Zealand - too many
to list. But on this page are some easy ones, or head here for tougher Great Walks.
Easy
Peasy:
Art Deco Napier city walk [east of North Island], 1-2 hours.
Season:
Napier has a beautiful Mediterranean climate Oct -March, but is
windy, wet and miserable in winter.
You might think that a city centre has no place in pages on the
best walks in New Zealand, but Napier is an exception. In 1931 Napier
was reduced to rubble by a massive earthquake. The reconstruction
coincided with the peak of the Art Deco movement, and the result
was a city uniquely designed in this one coherent style. It's easy
to imagine you're an extra in a thirties movie as you stroll around
the centre.
The Napier Art Deco Trust offers an excellent 1.5 hour guided walk
in the summer.
The Franz Josef Glacier
Easy:
Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers,
Westland National Park, South Island, 3.5 hours [1.5 hours on the glacier].
Not strenuous. Full
day and overnight heli-hikes are also available on Fox Glacier.
Season: Nov - March. Alpine guides
available but book ahead.
This is what New Zealand is about - huge, fast moving glaciers crunching
down into rainforest and to within 12 metres of the Tasman Sea.
You can take a half or full day guided walk, and there are also
many great trails in the forests around the glaciers. Beware the
parrot vandals in glacier car parks!
Easy:
Coromandel [north of North Island], lots of
walks of less than half a day. Different levels available.
Season: Best Dec-Jan, but OK and quieter
Oct - March.
Coromandel gets busy at weekends with Auckland stress-refugees especially
in the summer. It's not as dramatic or rugged as areas of the South
Island, but the area is a treasure trove of coastal and forest walks.
The west coast has some interesting towns, while the east coast
is more scenic. A good kick-off is Whitianga in beautiful Mercury
Bay.
After a day of bushwacking you can go to Hot Water Beach, south
of Hahei, dig a hole in the sand [two hours before or after high
tide] and bathe in the resulting hot pool. Spades for hire!
Abel Tasman NP walking.
Ninety
Mile Beach - Cape Reinga Walkway,
3 days.
In the far north of New Zealand this year round beachside track
has huge sand dunes, surf-fishing and secluded swimming.
Banks
Peninsula Track,
4 days, or faster if you hoof it. Winds along coastland south-east
of Christchurch [South Island], through native forest and past farmland.
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