Off the beaten track in New Zealand

New Zealand isn’t exactly world-famous for many things. In fact, if you ask your average person to locate it on a world map, they’re likely to point somewhere in Europe or Africa (hint: it’s down near Australia). However, this little island nation is world-renowned for one thing – hiking.

This little pocket-sized paradise is home to some of the most amazing walks you’re ever likely to see, stuff that’ll knock the socks off even the most well travelled toes, with the most famous trails like the Milford and Routeburn drawing throngs of people from across the globe.

Among the visitors have been writers from lofty publications like the New York Times and National Geographic Adventure, who’ve penned superlatives like, “jaw-dropping”, “primordial” and “breathtaking” to describe their experiences.

However, what they and most other hiking visitors to New Zealand don’t realise is that the “great walks”, as these famous trails are known, are just the tip of the iceberg. Beyond their well-beaten paths there’s a whole world of adventure hidden away in the mountains. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look.

Over the last 14 years, the guides at Active New Zealand have explored almost every nook and cranny of the Kiwi backcountry. Here are some of their suggestions of where to begin your search for the ultimate off-the-beaten-track experience:

Siberia Valley

Mt. Pollux - © Southern Alps Air

If you’re looking to get into the wilderness but don’t have much time to spare, then a trip into the Siberia Valley is a great way to go. Thanks to a grass airstrip installed by deer cullers in the 1960s, this amazing spot can be accessed by light aircraft, getting you into the heart of Mount Aspiring National Park in swift and thrilling style.

Once on the ground you can relax and explore around Siberia Hut, take a day-trip to the iceberg-filled Lake Crucible, or for the more intrepid, set off on the three-day Gillespie Pass Circuit.

Whichever way you choose to go, when it comes time to return to civilization, the locals have devised an equally adrenalin-charged exit from the wilderness, thanks to a regular jet boat service on the Wilkin River.

Hump Ridge Track

Okaka Lodge - © Mark Banham

This track on the south coast of the South Island started life as an idea at a 1988 Tuatapere Promotions Committee meeting, aimed to bring visitors to this forgotten corner of the South Island (apparently the little town’s existing hook; “New Zealand’s sausage capital” just wasn’t working). Ten years later the Hump Ridge Track was a reality – and what a stroke of genius it’s proven to be.

The Hump Ridge follows historic logging and forestry trails through towering native conifer forest, alpine wetlands and windswept beaches. At times the going can be quite challenging – requiring six to seven hours of hiking each day, but the rewards are more than worth it.

If you’d like to make things a little easier on yourself, then for a fee, you can have a bag of gear delivered by helicopter to the next hut each night. This means you hike with a tiny pack of essentials, but have all the creature comforts waiting for you at the end of the day – sheer luxury!

Angelus Circuit

Hukere Stream - © Active New Zealand

Tucked away in the Nelson Lakes National Park, this trail is a brilliant introduction to tramping in New Zealand, with enough facilities to be user-friendly without losing the million-miles-from-anywhere feeling that makes the region so special.

Over three days you’ll experience Tolkienesque beech forests along the shores of Lake Rotoiti, pristine mountain streams, alpine meadows and the stunning alpine amphitheatre of Lake Angelus, a spectacular location for one of the route’s huts… and a “refreshing” spot for a swim if you’re feeling bold.

On a clear day, the Robert Ridge, between Angelus Hut and St Arnaud, can deliver some of the most spectacular ridge walking the country has to offer. This section of trail tiptoes along a moonscape ridge, past alpine tarns and rocky outcrops, all overlooking two glacier-carved lakes. Keep the camera handy here – it doesn’t get much better than this.

Cascade Saddle Route

Cacade Saddle - © Mark Banham

Be warned, this trip is not for the faint of heart. However, if you’re well prepared and reasonably fit then the Cascade Saddle is a must.

From a trailhead near Wanaka, this route leads you through the picturesque Matukituki Valley to the historic Aspiring Hut, before taking a sharp – and steep – left hand turn towards Glenorchy, climbing for more than a vertical kilometre to the trail’s high point.

The view from here is truly jaw-dropping; with Aspiring Hut barely visible below, Mt Tyndall and Plunket Dome risi from either side of the saddle, beckoning you to try for their summits -  while in the distance the shattered ice of the Dart Glacier creeps towards the valley floor.

On the far side of the valley, Mt Aspiring dominates the skyline. Draped in a flowing white gown of snow and ice, the peak seems close enough to touch, close enough that on a quiet day you could probably hear the chattering teeth of climbers on the summit.

Before you go

If an adventure in the mountains of New Zealand sounds appealing, here are a few websites worth checking out before you go.

Active New Zealand – These guys lead hiking, biking and kayaking tours throughout the country. Their guides offer a wealth of information on the New Zealand backcountry and were integral in writing this featured destination.

The official website of the Tuatapere Humpridge Track – containing all the information you could possibly want to know about this spectacular South Coast trail.

Southern Alps Air – The only way to fly when you’re in Mount Aspiring National Park. Actually there are a few others, but these guys are the best by a long shot.

The New Zealand Department of Conservation. The body charged with the immense task of maintaining all these trails and backcountry huts – Also a great source of information on safety in the New Zealand bush.

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