Best of Hiking New Zealand

• Hiking Mileage:  1-2 miles (1.6 – 3.2 km)

On this New Zealand hiking adventure, your guide will pick you up at Christchurch International Airport. After getting settled into our first nights’ accommodation, we’ll meet together as a group for our orientation meeting. We’ll then head out to the famous Christchurch Botanical Gardens for a short walk to shake out the legs after a long flight and to get acquainted with the local flora and unique ecology of the island. From there, we’ll enjoy our first of many delicious meals together. Though you won’t experience much jet lag as there is likely not much of a time difference depending on where you are flying from, you have traveled many hours crossing the international date line. We’ll call it an early night so we are ready to enjoy our second incredible hike tomorrow morning.

• Hiking Mileage: 8 miles (13 km)
• Elevation Gain: 2608 feet (795 m)
• Elevation Loss: 2608 feet (795 m)
• Drive: 3 hours

After a good night’s sleep and a breakfast to fuel your day, we’ll load the van and begin our journey through the stunning Southern Alps. The Southern Alps are the fastest growing mountain range in the world (rising about 1 cm per year!) and the hallmark of the South Island landscape. Our first hike is along the Bealey Spur Track within this range. This out-and-back trail located within Arthur’s Pass National Park is a gentle climb, through mountain-beech forest with commanding views of the surrounding valley. Your guide will prepare a delicious lunch at the historic Bealey Spur Hut before we descend back to the van. Our second hike takes us to the Devil’s Punchbowl located in Arthur’s Pass. We’ll continue on to Devil’s Punchbowl for a short walk through a lush beech forest to view this incredible 430 ft waterfall.

Our itinerary takes us into Hokitika, on the west coast of the South Island. This area is well known for its heritage of gold mining history, shipwrecks, and pounamu stone hunting. One can find many, unique New Zealand treasures here in Hokitika. Before dinner you’ll have time to explore town and get a taste of more to come in this New Zealand adventure.

• Hiking Mileage: 8 miles (13 km)
• Elevation Gain:  846 feet (258 m)
• Elevation Loss: 846 feet (258 m)

The focus of today’s hike is the splendid Lake Kaniere. After breakfast the trail will take us along the photogenic bays of the lake. The route will afford us plenty of options for swimming holes. Eventually we’ll come upon a loop through the Hokitika gorge. While on the hike we’ll see plenty of examples of Rimu and Podocarp forests. Our afternoon drive will take the scenic route down The Great Coast Road to Punakaiki. Here we’ll enter the Paparoa National Park where our beach front lodgings will be waiting for us replete with self-contained cottages, hotel rooms, and an in-house restaurant.

• Hiking Mileage: 8 miles (13 km)
• Elevation Gain: 380 feet (116 m)
• Elevation Loss: 669 feet (204 m)

Today will be a day of exploring Punakaiki’s offerings consisting of Pororari River Loop, Pancake Rocks, and the Truman track. The Pororari River loop takes you past limestone cliffs and through iconic, sub-tropical forests. Pancake rocks are limestone formations made up of unique shaped rocks. We’ll also catch a glimpse of blowholes and surge pools. The Truman track is a shorter walk through pristine subtropical forest that will bring us to a magnificent coastline with cliffs, caverns, a waterfall, and blowholes.

If weather cooperates, a bonfire awaits our tired muscles as we watch the sunset over the Tasman Sea.  As the dusk gathers, we’ll head back to our cozy accommodations for the evening.

• Hiking Mileage: 7.4 miles (12 km)
• Elevation Gain: 1555 feet (474m)
• Elevation Loss: 1365 feet (416 m)

Today we head north to hike up the Fox River Gorge. Here we’ll encounter west coast rain forest, stunning limestone gorges, and spacious caves. On this hike we’ll have lunch beneath the Ballroom overhang, which is one of the South Island’s crown jewels. After lunch our hike continues as it follows the river out of a limestone canyon to the coast. During this hike we’ll have ample opportunity to practice our river crossing skills with aid from our fantastic guides. Upon arriving at the mouth of the Potikohua and Fox rivers we’ll head inland toward the small alpine village of St. Arnaud, tucked away in the heart of the Southern Alps.

• Hiking Mileage: 6.2 miles (10 km)
• Elevation Gain: 4055 feet (1236 m)
• Elevation Loss: 410 feet (125 m)

Today is the start of our two-night hut section on the Angelus Circuit! The morning starts with a short boat ride across Lake Rotoiti to our trailhead and has us climbing steadily up from the Travers River, beech forests, and the Hukere Stream. Tonight, we’ll be staying next to a stunning alpine lake at the Angelus Hut. This alpine lake is rumored to be the prize of this New Zealand adventure and is a local favorite. Angelus Hut provides a more communal experience with 2 large rooms, each with 14 bunk beds, and a shared pit toilet.

• Hiking Mileage: 3 miles (5 km)
• Elevation Gain: 1906 feet (581 m)
• Elevation Loss: 1906 feet (581 m)

Today we’ll awaken to the sunrise, coffee in hand, and our objective for the morning in sight above us. With day packs we’ll begin the hike to the summit of Mt. Angelus. The summit block will afford us sweeping views over the surrounding Nelson Lakes National Park. For those looking to take a morning off from hiking, this is an ideal time to enjoy the glorious alpine lake and Angelus Hut.

• Hiking Mileage: 6.8 miles (11 km)
• Robert Ridge Elevation Gain: 945 feet (288 m)
• Robert Ridge Elevation Loss: 4829 feet (1472 m)
• Speargrass Track Elevation Gain: 735 feet (224 m)
• Speargrass Track Elevation Loss: feet 3235 (986 m)

This morning presents us with two hiking options. Depending on weather, we can choose to take on Robert Ridge which provides dramatic views of Tasman Bay and Kahurangi National Park in the distance. This trail has some exposed sections before we descend below tree line into the native beech forest. Our other option is the equally stunning Speargrass Track that follows the valley along Speargrass Creek. We’ll then catch our shuttle to Lewis Pass, the northernmost pass of the Southern Alps.

Tonight we’ll be staying at a geothermal retreat nestled in the bush called Maruia Springs. Here we’ll be able to soak our muscles before enjoying the local cuisine at this in-house restaurant. This will be an ideal place to treat ourselves for the next two nights.

Maruia Hot Springs Resort offers two different types of rooms: Glamping Pods with shared bathroom or ensuite Lodge Rooms. Please note that we cannot guarantee which room you will be assigned to.

• Hiking Mileage: 3.2 miles (5 km)
• Elevation Gain: 2159 feet (658 m)
• Elevation Loss: 2159 feet (658 m)

This morning we’ll have plenty of time to treat ourselves as Maruia Hot Springs. Hot spring soaks, sauna infusions, and mediation and yoga classes are included in your stay. Once we’ve spent the morning relaxing and taking in the benefits of Maruia Springs, its time to drive to a nearby trailhead. The Lewis Tops Track takes us up through aged beech forest and into open, tussock tops. This hike will afford us plenty of stunning views of the surrounding mountains and nestled, alpine tarns.

• Drive: 2.5 hours

We’ll start our final morning with a soak in the geothermal waters followed by a leisurely and tasty breakfast.  As we make our way back South to Christchurch, we’ll get to reminisce over the incredible time we’ve had on our New Zealand hiking adventure. Your guides will take you either to the airport for flights leaving after 2 pm or to the Mayfair Luxury Hotel if you plan to stay in New Zealand a little longer.