Posting format

We built a cancellation alert tool because getting a spot on certain trails is becoming increasingly difficult, and it’s frustrating having to refresh a site hoping that something will pop up. 

You can now use Hike Camp Seek to set up alerts for the campsites and huts along New Zealand's Great Walks, which will send you a notification when any of them open up from a cancellation.

How it works:

• Search and select the campsites that you want to monitor
• Set the date range you want an alert for
• Choose which spots you’re interested in (e.g. particular hut or campsite)
• You’ll then receive a notification if there a cancellation within these parameters

We’ve also recently added a trail map for the Great Walks, which shows the route of each track and the locations of the campsites and huts along it. The aim of this is to help plan out your hike, and easily figure out what campsites you’ll need to stay at.

This is still a pretty young project, so if you've got questions or ideas for what'd make it more useful we’d be keen to hear them.

My wife and I are going on our honeymoon to New Zealand in December for five weeks. During this time, we would like to take the opportunity to do a long-distance hike somewhere in New Zealand.

The Te Araroa is well known, and hiking a section of it would definitely be an option, but I would love to hear about other possibilities as well.

We have quite a lot of experience with long-distance hikes in Europe and would love to immerse ourselves in a completely new environment.

I’m in the market to upgrade my old tent (REI Quarterdome 3 at 2.25kg) and get something lighter for backcountry trips, but haven’t done much of that before in NZ so would really appreciate some advice. Mostly I’ve just been doing huts and established DoC sites but am expanding out further off the beaten track. I aim for light but not necessarily ultralight. Most of my tramping is North Island but some South. I do love winter camping but realistically am unlikely to camp anywhere in substantial snow anytime soon, so 3 season should be fine. Priorities are comfort and weight over price.

My criteria are:

• Fits me at 190cm on a long wide pad (and I’m a restless side/stomach sleeper who unfortunately sleeps with one leg fully stretched and toes pointed) 198x64, so a large one-person or smaller two-person that I can sit up in
• Under ~1.3kg, ideally well under
• Preferably double walled or at least hybrid (again, restless sleeper)
• Preferably a decently useful vestibule for foul weather cooking
• Preferably fits gear inside, not just vestibule but I can probably get used to leaving it out
• Preferably under $1k

I am undecided about trekking pole vs semi- or fully freestanding. I’ve heard trekking pole tents can be fiddly to get taught on uneven or hard ground and wasn’t sure whether a freestanding would be more reliable and easier in backcountry. Hammocks are probably out because of being a stomach sleeper.

Tents I’m considering include:

• Durston X-mid (2? Wish they had a 1+ version)
• Durston X-dome 1+ (2?)
• Tarptent Double Rainbow DW (Ultra?)
• Tarptent StratoSpire 2 (Ultra?)
• Tarptent Moment DW (Can it fit a large wide pad?)
• Six Moons Design Lunar Orbiter

Of course, even though it violates my double wall criteria, I have to consider the Macpac Astral 2 because it’s so cheap (but I’m struggling to find proper details because they’ve scrubbed it off their website). Ditto for the Macpac Sololight which just misses my weight target and I’m worried is a bit short at only 93cm but again is dirt cheap.

Planning to do this track in two weeks, and was wondering if anyone knows if we will be walking through snow, and if you have any tips for doing this hike in winter. Not worried about the cold, mainly just interested in the conditions on the track.

Hello! I am planning on walking the routeburn track next year around the end of september/early october. Due to my university schedule, I can only travel during my break times and I am looking for quieter times for cheap tickets. I would describe myself as decently fit for an average young woman however I don't have any experience with snow or ice. Reading online, I've seen mixed comments on whether avalanches are a serious concern or not. Could anyone please provide guidance? Thank you!

I’m an experienced hiker but not in snow and I’d love to do it. Are there any hikes that go through snow that don’t involve mountain climbing, ropes etc. I’d just love to go on a 2 or 3 day hike that involves cold and snow recommendations anywhere in nz would be great. Thanks

Cascade Trail or Hopeless Hut route?
Hi looking for local experience and advice for a forthcoming, February, trip in Nelson Lakes. We’re combining Angelus Hut with the Travers Sabine but in a slightly unconventional itinerary doing it at the start rather than the end. Day 1 will be the ascent up Roberts Ridge to Angelus Hut. It’s day 2 that has options that I have to differentiate, there are two alternative descents to rejoin the Travers Valley track, either the Cascade Trail 16.2 km 5:37hrs or the track via Hopeless Hut 13.5km 5:28hrs (times are from AllTrails). I’ve only found descriptions of these as climbs and I’d love to get the opinion of anyone who’s seen them first hand as to whether the Hopeless Hut route is a good idea or if it is a steep scree scramble?
For context we are all in our 50s but fit, active and experienced hikers.

Completed the Heaphy track earlier this year and was satisfied with my training prep for it at the time.

Please comment if you’ve done both the Heaphy & Paparoa recently & how did you find the comparison between them with your fitness?

Wondering if I’ll need to ‘step it up’ a bit!!!

I always take a pack of cards and on more than one occasion this has resulted in games in the hut with random strangers - but generally it’s my partner and I. I was wondering if anyone here regularly hikes with any games beyond a standard card deck? What do you recommend?

Hi Guys! I've recently been planning a trip to New Zealand mainly to go tramping and see the landscape. I've never really hiked but have a decently active lifestyle and keen to give it a crack (M22 for reference), I've compiled a bit of a list of places to see .

Would appreciate any feedback on this list, places you think I should skip or add. I am open to overnight maybe 2 or 3 day hikes. Nothing is really concrete, not planning on booking anything and just see where I end up. Might meet people along the way and go on hikes with them, etc.

The list is in the order of which I will complete them starting North Island then heading South. I am looking at coming for 4 or 5 weeks starting late December / early January.

• Pouakai Tarns / Pouakai area
• Tongariro Alpine Crossing
• Woolshed Creek Hut / Mt Somers
• Devils Punchbowl Falls
• Carroll Hut or Avalanche Peak
• Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk
• Fox Glacier South Side Walkway
• Lake Matheson
• Copland Track to Welcome Flat Hut
• Blue Pools Track
• Rob Roy Glacier Track
• Aspiring Hut / West Matukituki Valley
• Isthmus Peak or Roy’s Peak
• Ben Lomond Track
• Moke Lake / Lake Dispute
• Lake Marian Track
• Key Summit / Routeburn day section
• Kepler to Luxmore Hut / Mount Luxmore section (Day walk?)
• Milford Sound (Day walk? Huts booked out)
• Tasman Glacier View Track
• Tasman Lake / River Track
• Sealy Tarns
• Mueller Hut Route

Appreciate any input, cheers for the read 😄

Mt Holdsworth day walk

My partner and I are getting into more frequent multi day trips. I want to get her a gift related to this but really we have everything we need so looking for something.a little extra. We aren’t ultralight but obviously small and light is best. W use huts and tents. One idea I had was some battery fairy lights they are fun to set up when camping and loo great. Any other ideas? Thanks.

Hi. Our Aug Heaphy tramp just got a bit more complicated since Golden Bay Air will not be operating then, as we had been counting on. We will have a rental car, which has its own complications (insured drivers). Does anyone have any suggestions on other ways that our family can make this loop happen? Is there a bus / private shuttle service that might be able to get us from Kohaihai back to Takaka? Thanks for any tips.

After many years of use, it's time to upgrade my sleeping bag. Preferably I want one light & small enough for multi day hiking, but without breaking the bank.

I've previously been using a 2014 Kathmandu Globe, which has done multiple great walks and overnight trips, but it takes up a lot of room in my pack & its heavy (1.5kg).

Any recommendations for a lightweight women's sleeping bag?

Howdy! I'm heading to the South Island in late July/early August, and I'm trying to figure out what kind of shoes I should get/bring.

We won't be doing anything too crazy - some short/half day walks around Akaroa, Arthur's Pass, Mt Sunday, Aoraki Mt Cook and Queenstown, as well as Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Flats in-and-out, plus a couple hours snowshoeing.

I've been hiking in non-waterproof trail runners for the past decade, and they've worked just fine for my purposes here in Australia, so I'd rather not have to buy something new that I'll barely wear after this trip.

What type of footwear would you recommend? Will my feet be freezing/soaked/covered in mud if I don't get waterproof/sturdy leather boots, or can I get away with something lighter and some good socks?

Really looking forward to heading back to your beautiful part of the world!

Hi All,

Posted this in the NZ travel group and was suggested to post here as well.

I'll be travelling solo to the south island (first time in NZ) at the end of November for some hiking and an intro mountaineering course. Just wanted to get some thoughts on my itinerary and suggestions for anything else worth seeing/trying to fit in.

I know November weather is unpredictable being late spring, and from what I've researched I'm guessing there might still be snow and ice around 2000m (I'll have boots, crampons, ice axe, appropriate clothing + emergency gear). If anyone has done late spring hikes in Mt Cook NP, what were conditions like for you?

Travelling from Perth, Western Aus, will be flying in to Queenstown on the 19th Nov and flying home out of Queenstown on the 8th Dec.

Days 1-3: Fly in, pickup rental car, accom in Queenstown near Sunshine Bay. Will be knocking off the Ben Lomond + Moke Lake hikes, exploring Queenstown, maybe check out Glenorchy, Kawarau Gorge or Lake Alta?

Day 4: Drive to Lake Tekapo, meet guides, overnight in Lake Tekapo.

Days 5-9: Intro mountaineering course on Aoraki Mt Cook, back to Lake Tekapo at the end for overnight.

Day 10: Drive back to Mt Cook, maybe a quick pit stop in Twizel, stay overnight at Whitehorse Hill Campground.

Days 11-12: Hike up to Mueller Hut, Mt Ollivier + possibly Kitchener or Annette Plateau/Mt Annette depending on conditions. 2 nights at Mueller hut.

Day 13: Back down to Whitehorse Hill, walk the Hooker Valley Track or check out Tasman Glacier. Overnight at Whitehorse Hill Campground.

Days 14-17: Drive to Wanaka, 2 nights. Tick off sunrise Roys Peak, drive to Fantail falls and hike up to Brewster Hut, continue to Mt Armstrong. Overnight at Brewster Hut, maybe walk to Brewster Glacier in the morning then down to car and back to Wanaka. Check out Wanaka, relax and recovery.

Day 18: Back to Queenstown. Chill out as I'll probably be exhausted. 2 nights in Queenstown.

Day 20: Fly home.

Hello Kiwi tramping friends,

I’m visiting NZ next year for some of the Great Walks. For all my hiking at home I make my own dehydrated meals for economical reasons and also I don’t eat meat and find the selection of vegetarian options in the commercial meals is a bit limited.

Has anyone successfully brought their own homemade dehydrated meals into New Zealand? Everything would be cooked prior to dehydrating and I can write an ingredients list for each meal, and I will make sure to not include any honey or egg (and I don’t eat meat anyway) so not sure if according to this it will be ok?

Because they have the caveat that specifically meals containing eggs, meat and honey must be commercially packaged, I’m not sure if that means meals without those ingredients don’t have to be commercially packaged?

Thanks in advance for any advice. Obviously I plan to declare everything, coming from Australia I understand and appreciate the importance of strict biosecurity measures.

Gudday all, my Asolos, after years of heavy use, have joined the choir invisible, they have snuffed it, their sole has departed from their soul. In fact the sole just fell off. Given wide feet, what's the word on a good boot these days?. Need sturdy, good ankle support and good for hunting in wet bush. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Hi, returning to NZ for the first time in 22 years, before I left in the early 2000's I did a lot of tramping, probably close to 100 tramps all up with the longest being the north west circuit, Te Araroa wasn't complete when I left. Obviously the landscape hasn't changed but more bird song perhaps? I pray that I do not get to a hut and there are people on their phones? Paper maps no more a thing? Most people now use tech? Done a quick search on DoC and it seems a few huts that are not part of the great walks you now have to book? Is this common now?

Hi, I'm hiking the Abel Tasman in October with some of my friends. I'm looking at buying a pack at around the 50L mark - I tried the Macpac Torlesse 50L which I quite like, but was wondering what other recommendations people have?

Hi, I'm doing the Abel Tasman walk with 5 of my friends at the end of October, staying in the huts (3 nights), and need to purchase a hiking pack. I quite like the Macpac Torleese hiking pack, but am unsure whether to get the 35L or 50L version. As we are staying in the huts I don't need to bring a tent, but we will be bringing all of our food and cooking equipment (jetboil etc.). This is my first overnight/multiday hike. Any recommendations size wise?

I'm working on reducing pack weight and one thing i really need to swap is my sleeping bag. I have a macpack down bag from 15 years ago or so, and its bulky and comparatively heavy to what's on the market these days.

I'm male and a hot sleeper, and will mainly be tramping summer and shoulder seasons. Mostly huts with the odd night here and there in a tent. No tenting in the snow or on exposed tops at this stage.

When i walked the TA i did the lot in a cheap and light Torpedo7 summer bag and just layered up with like 3 layers when it was cold - a few nights when it was REALLY cold and we were in the tent (frost outside, windy etc) were unpleasant though.

I'm currently leaning towards a 2 degree limit bag @ 500grams, but worry it may be a bit cold for the SI. If i go for a lower limit bag it will likely be way too hot in summer. I do always have a liner though so could just open it and sleep in that. I have managed to get a sweat going while just in a liner with a really warm bag under me before though.

Prefer not to have to buy multiple bags.

What's everyone's opinions on bag temps? Any other hot sleepers have any recommendations?