New Zealand

From Highway 6 on the New Zealand South Island's west coast, take the Glacier Access Road for 2km to where the signposted Alex Knob track begins. There will be a obvious parking lot on the right.The trail begins at the parking lot breaks off to the left from the Lake Wombat trail about a half-mil...

See "Backpack to Boulder Lake for the first half of this trip. From Boulder Lake Hut cross the stream in the direction indicated by the sign at the most advantageous point. There is no evident trail through the tussock so make your way to the spur at the head of the valley that leads to Green Sad...

The trail begins at the signposted car park along Milford Road just before the Homer Tunnel, about 98km from Te Anau. Follow the marked track through the valley and left, steeply uphill. About halfway up you will cross the Gertrude Stream below a large, steep waterfall.Upon reaching Black Lake, c...

The walk starts with red tussock grass. After a short distance, you will walk into alpine shrub. The track up to the falls is a very gradual incline. To get to the lower falls, a long staircase through a forest of toatoa trees provides a quick descent down the cliffs on the east side of the falls...

From the carpark follow the well marked trail to the toe of the Fox Glacier. Do not stray from the trail as unstable ice and moraine can be very dangerous. Looking for a longer adventure? You can hike to the summit of Mt. Fox above Fox Glacier. 

Whiskey Falls provides a great way to stretch the legs during a car trip. Or it provides a great day hike option if you are looking to explore the Nelson Lakes area. I had a day to explore and decided to cruise down Nelson Lakes and do a day hike.Whiskey Falls is located along the shore of Lake R...

From Queenstown drive to the Remarkables Ski Field. The road features incredible views of Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, Shotover Canyon and the Southern Alps. The road takes you far above tree line into alpine high country.From the parking area it is a short (30-45 min) walk along a pleasant trail t...

The very northern tip of the South Island in NZ lies one of the best beaches around. The hike into the beach is very straight forward, easy, and short. Only 1 kilometer through some pasture lands, over a couple fences (using steps) and you hit the wonderful sand taking you the rest of the way to ...

This is a point-to-point trek so you can either begin at Te Paki Stream or the Spirits Bay campsite at Kapowairua. This description starts from the Te Paki Stream. To get here, you need to drive north on SH1/Cape Reigna Road until you reach the tiny village of Te Paki. Turn left onto the Te Paki ...

This is a great hike while you're in Queenstown to see a gorgeous view of the area if you have a few hours to kill. The hike is very well marked with lots of information boards on the area. Please make sure to dress appropriately - there can be some snow on the ground in the winter. From the carp...

The Kauaeranga Kauri Trail  is a 1-2 day hike. The hike itself spreads over a number of tracks that range from approximately 6-10 hours. The track can be summited in a out-and-back track in a day or as a circuit (loop). There is a serviced hut (80 bunks - bookings required) available as well as m...

The Mount Somers circuit is a tough 26km adventure, but it rewards you with constantly changing but beautiful scenery. From the start at the Sharplin Falls carpark, the trail immediately climbs upward through lush forest. As soon you reach a highpoint, you descend again to cross the river (via a ...

Mount Arthur and the Tablelands are a unique and beautiful portion of Kahurangi National Park. The area is remote, making it perfect for astrophotography.There are many hiking options and places to stay - consult the map at the Flora Car Park shelter for options. Here is a short circuit that can ...

There are actually two trails leading up to the summit: the Avalanche Peak Track and Scott's Track. The former begins at the Arthur's Pass Visitor Centre while the latter begins down the main road, across from the Devil's Punchbowl Falls (less than 1 km south of the visitor centre). Both trails b...

From the lakefront, walk left until you reach the trailhead. It takes around 1-1.5 hours to walk it at an average pace. The track is on privately owned land, so expect for sheep to be nearby at all times.You can mountain bike the trail if you wish to. The trail varies from long, drawn out section...

From the parking lot walk along any paved walkway until you spot a posted map (they're all over the place) then plan your day's adventure around the parks many attractions. Some of my favorite places to visit include the Cunningham House, the Heritage Rose Garden, the New Zealand garden area, and...