Tracks & Trails

Construction on a new section of the Mountains to Sea Cycle Trail is starting today.

A cabinet paper from Tourism Minister Peeni Henare says without the funding some Great Rides may close.

The upgrade has been slowed by supply chain issues, weather conditions, and arduous terrain.

The Department of Conservation says it is continuing cleanup work on land in Southland and Otago affected by floods last week.

Foresty slash was swept into upper Queenstown during the biggest downpour in 24 years, which prompted the declaration of a state of emergency.

The Hokitika Gorge on the West Coast will receive a new suspension bridge by the summer of 2024-25, thanks to a successful funding application for $300,000 from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund by Westland District Council.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has secured another $1.92m to repair and upgrade closed sections of the region’s Great Rides network.

The Department of Conservation and Ngāti Hei are once again urging the public to respect warnings and a rāhui around the walking tracks at Coromandel Cove.

A new booking system is being put in place for Tongariro Alpine Crossing visitors, although it will be voluntary for the 2023/24 season.

The National Party has promised a new Great Walk in Canterbury, longer Department of Conservation concessions, and more flexible working visas with faster processing.

Work is set to begin to upgrade a key walking and cycling route into Queenstown.

Bed nights on the country’s newest Great Walk have far exceeded expectations, according to the Department of Conservation.

The latest section of the Clutha Gold Cycling and Walking Trail is now open to the public.

The continued closure of walking tracks around one of Coromandel’s most popular natural attractions poses a challenge but marine access still offers an excellent experience.

The NZ and US operator’s CEO on recovery, business priorities, M&A and the Queenstown-based company’s global opportunity.

Visitors to Hamilton’s parks and urban nature walks will soon be able to use app-based technology to learn more about biodiversity.

The Department of Conservation has closed a 60-metre section of the Hongi Hika track at Kerikeri due to dangers from tree fall.

Construction of a walking track spanning the length of Te Kūiti in the King Country and connecting to the Te Araroa Trail is underway.

Opening day bookings for the Heaphy Track topped 7,500 bednights – almost three times the total for last year, says the Department of Conservation.

International visitor interest in the Routeburn Track have soared, with bookings for the popular Great Walk up to 34% from just 18% last year.

Bookings for the Routeburn Track were the busiest so far of the Great Walks, says the Department of Conservation.

The Department of Conservation has closed 15 tracks in the Kaimai Ranges after the detection of the pathogen that causes kauri dieback disease.

International visitors made up 35% of bed nights on Fiordland’s Kepler Track after the first day of bookings for the Great Walk, up from 20% last year.

Bookings for the Kepler Track Great Walk have jumped on last year.

The first sod has been turned on a new hiking and cycling trail connecting Tūroa on Mt Ruapehu with Ohakune.

Bookings for the Whanganui Journey are expected to increase compared to last year, says the Department of Conservation.

Bookings for the Abel Tasman Coast Track opened to strong demand.

The Department of Conservation is upgrading one of Rakiura Stewart Island’s most popular viewing spots with a new platform and safety barrier.

Great Walks bookings for the Paparoa Track numbered more than 1,000 in the first half hour of opening on Thursday, according to the Department of Conservation.

Almost a quarter of bednights on the Tongariro Circuit Great Walk were booked by international visitors, according to interim figures from the Department of Conservation.

Demand for the Tongariro Northern Circuit Great Walk has jumped compared to last year after Great Walks bookings finally reopened.

The Department of Conservation is seeking assistance with identifying the riders of three quad bikes who illegally rode through and got stuck along the Wilkies Pools Track at Egmont National Park in May.

Great Walks bookings reopened at 9.30am today after being delayed from April due to a faulty booking system.

The unique floating coffee and burger stop on the popular Lake Dunstan Cycle and Walking Trail is up for sale.

Around 500 tracks and visitor sites were damaged by extreme weather over summer.

The Department of Conservation and Auckland Council are warning the public that many tracks remain closed in and around the Waitākere Ranges despite the road cordon to Muriwai being lifted.

The shared pathway around Dunedin and Otago Harbour has been named Te Aka Ōtākou, which means ‘The Otago Vine’.

The Department of Conservation will reopen bookings for the Great Walks 2023/24 season from 11 July.

Mauao Mt Maunganui is facing more temporary closures next week to protect culturally and historically-significant locations on the base track, Te Ara Tūtanga.

The first stage of Northland’s Kaihu Valley Trail has been officially opened.

The stories of Rotorua iwi and the Whakarewarewa forest area are now digital through a new app that helps visitors learn more about the area.

The Department of Conservation will take more time to ensure its Great Walks booking system will work as intended before it reopens to the public, probably in July.

The Te Āpiti – Manawatū Gorge walking track has been temporarily closed and a rāhui placed on it until 22 June.

Great Walks visitor numbers for the 2022/23 summer jumped by almost a fifth compared to the previous season, driven by the return of internationals.

The Department of Conservation is temporarily closing three popular walking bridges in the Wānaka area for safety reasons. 

The Canterbury Aoraki/Mount Cook Loop has been named the second-best hike in the world, according to Explore! Worldwide.

An $18m funding boost is helping to kickstart the extension of New Plymouth’s Coastal Walkway to Waitara.

Gannet Beach Adventures permanently shut its doors last week after a four year struggle to stay open.

The iconic Cape Kidnappers operator shuts its doors for good, frustrated at ongoing disruptions.

Eight Department of Conservation campsites around the Coromandel’s Kauaeranga Valley are closed this month while they undergo repairs.