Tracks & Trails

The Department of Conservation and New Zealand Police are urging hikers to be prepared and plan for extreme winter conditions when hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and Tongariro Northern Circuit.

The Department of Conservation has re-opened the Hacket Track in the Mount Richmond Forest Park in Marlborough, with a temporary trail around a landslip on 13 April.

Mountain bikers can ride the Heaphy Track in the Kahurangi National Park from 1 May to 30 November.

But areas near urban centres saw strong growth in visitor numbers.

Waikato’s popular southern section of the Hakarimata Walkway can appeal to wider range of users.

DOC yet to asses full extent of damage, no date for reopening given.

The Department of Conservation will keep a number of tracks and the Twilight Campsite near Cape Reinga closed due to reports of feral dog sightings.

The Whangamumu, Kauri Grove and Te Toroa Tracks on Cape Brett Peninsula in the Bay of Islands will be temporarily close to prevent the spread of kauri dieback disease.

The 56-year-old Kahunui Hut in the Waioeka Conservation Area on the East Coast has been upgraded to help preserve the area’s heritage.

Trampers to Waikato’s Pahautea Hut in Pirongia Forest Park are now asked to book their stay via DOC’s online booking system.

The Department of Conservation has started construction of new boardwalks across the Pouakai Tarns and the Ahukawakawa wetland as part of its Taranaki Crossing project.

The Department of Conservation has reopened the popular Mount William Walkway after closing it in November. 

The Ōmanawanui and the Puriri Ridge tracks in the Waitākere Ranges have reopened after being upgraded to help combat the spread of kauri dieback.

The message to Aucklanders to take more care of kauri forests appears to be hitting the mark, with non-compliant behaviour trending down across the region this summer.

The track had been closed since July 2019 after a significant slip undercut the track, making it unsafe to access.

Construction of the cycling and walking path between Ngaūraunga and Petone is slated to start in the middle of the year, with completion expected in 2024.

The Eastern Okataina Walkway has been closed indefinitely due to a large slip and the risk of ongoing rockfall that is posing a significant safety risk to track users. says the Department of Conservation.

Two tracks in Waikato’s popular Hakarimata Ranges will close this month for upgrades.

Police are urging walkers on the popular Tongariro Alpine Crossing to plan appropriately and be adequately prepared.

Kim Young, who previously worked at Te Papa, would help develop the Remutaka Cycle Trail into the next “Great Ride” along the lines of other popular Great Rides such as the Otago Central Rail Trail and Alps 2 Ocean.

Work has begun to nearly double the length of popular Hawke’s Bay walking and cycling track, the Tukituki Trail.

The trail would eventually traverse 55 kilometres of West Coast scenery from Westport, around Cape Foulwind to Charleston.

Te Taiapa/Goldie Bush tracks in the Auckland region are temporarily closed to plan track maintenance and protect kauri from the threat of kauri dieback disease.

Located in the Hanmer Forest Park, the new trails added to an existing network and included the 4km Tombstone trail, an advanced single-track that provided 185m of climbing followed by a 240m descent.

The ongoing closure of the Milford and Routeburn tracks has the Fiordland economy $1m out of pocket, says Destination Fiordland manager Madeleine Peacock. 

Enterprise Dunedin, Clutha Development and Tourism Central Otago have teamed up to promote the wider region as a premier trails destination.

The grant would allow for continued public access to the land, and as a contribution towards the staffing costs associated with managing the area.

The initial findings of a survey carried out for Walking Access Aotearoa are good news for commercial tourism operators according to its lead researcher.

Closed borders mean New Zealanders will outnumber international walkers on the Te Araroa Trail for the first time.

Staff from Skydive Franz and Fox Glacier have been lending a hand to upgrade tracks in South Westland as part of the $1.3bn Jobs for Nature programme.

The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail is closed between Twizel and Omarama due to the large fire at Ohau.

The Department of Conservation and Hastings District Council say visitor risk management work at Cape Kidnappers/Te Kauae-a-Māui should be completed by Labour Weekend, allowing people to access the DOC track.

Waitomo’s Ruakuri Nature Walk is a finalist in the 2020 Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards.

The Government will inject nearly $30m from the Provincial Growth Fund into 11 projects across the Northland region.

A Department of Conservation survey found that mental and physical health plus desire for connection with nature were the main motivations for people spending time outdoors.

Police are reminding trampers to keep themselves safe as the weather warms up.

The Backcountry Trust’s programme to repair and maintain huts, tracks and bridges in some of New Zealand’s more remote places is getting a $2m boost from the Government’s $1.3bn Jobs for Nature programme.

Te Araroa Trust and the Walking Access Commission have joined forces to work on the Trust’s length-of-New Zealand trail.

People walking on closed tracks in the Waitakere Ranges can expect to be issued with trespass notices, warns Auckland mayor Phil Goff.

Once completed the project would create a 24km loop track that would begin and end at Mahia Beach.

A new loop track and bridge has been opened at Hokitika Gorge, creating a one-hour walking experience.

The regional trust will work closely with Te Araroa Trust to enhance the 450km section of the trail that passes through the Northland region.

Two walking and cycleway paths in Wellington and Wairarapa have been granted a total of $16m from the Government $220m shovel-ready cycleways package.

The tracks were extensively damaged by an extreme weather event in February 2020.

The Waikato tourism operator has launched a suite of couples-focused gourmet hiking escapes as part of its domestic tourism push.

The trail was part of a wider vineyard cycling network developed in partnership with the Renwick Smart and Connected Bike Walk Group.

Gannet Beach Adventures hits back at claims it is unsafe to use a DOC track to visit the area’s popular gannet colony.

DOC is urging visitors to Pureora Forest to report damage and suspicious behaviour after a shelter was targeted by vandals for a second time.

The Department of Conservation and Hastings District Council will reopen the Cape Kidnappers/Te Kauae-a-Māui track later this year, allowing walkers to access the track at their own risk.

A section of track at the Fairbrother Loop in Ōhope Scenic Reserve has been made impassable due to a washout, meaning visitors will no longer have a loop option while repairs are made over the next few weeks.