Walking New Zealand July 2022

Celebrating 30 years of Great Walks The 2022/23 season marks the 30th anniversary of New Zealand's Great Walks. Formed in 1992, the Great Walks were established as a means of managing and conserving the most popular tracks in New Zealand. While some tracks continue to be immensely popular with visitors, there are many ways to enjoy them if you have a bit of flexibility around where and when you go. So get out there and hike or bike, walk or run, or even paddle around our most treasured parts of the country – the choice is yours. Streets for People update New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) are currently working with 15 councils across the motu to plan and scope projects as part of the Streets for People programme 2021-24, that…

New Zealand Walks Maunga Taranaki (2518m) stands like a lonely sentinel defiantly guarding the region to which he gives his name (meaning “barren mountain”). Maori say he was banished from the company of his fellows in the centre of the North Island for having an illicit affair with the graceful Pihanga, wife of the proud and jealous Tongariro. This distinctive symmetrical andesite cone dominates the countryside. He's the latest of a series of volcanoes in a single line from Moturoa south to Kaitake and Pouakai, both now much-eroded remnants of much larger peaks. Since Mount Taranaki's most recent activity happened as late as 1620, he is more correctly deemed a dormant rather than extinct volcano, and is well-known for rapidly-changing moods and weather conditions. Egmont National Park covers a circular…

My Favourite Walk The walks in Mcclaren Falls Park are lovely at any time of the year, but stunning in Autumn, when all the exotic trees show their colours. Lake Mcclaren was created in 1925 after the construction of a dam and power station; and 190 hectares of land beside the lake, was set aside for a park. Planting began in the 1960's to create one of the best collections of trees in the North Island, which is now home to many native birds. We spotted several kereru, and saw lots of fantails and tuis flitting around. Mcclaren Falls park is only 15 minutes drive from Tauranga. The falls can be viewed from a bridge at the park entrance. They are fascinating, ranging from a gentle flow to a stunning…

NZ Guided Walk New Zealanders have always been great travellers. The 'OE' has been a rite of passage for many, drawing Kiwis to explore far flung corners of the globe. But these days a new phenomenon, the 'DE' seems to have taken on greater appeal. Otherwise known as the 'domestic experience', this emerging tradition is more than likely due in no small part to a global pandemic, conflict in Europe and a climate conversation which has some thinking twice about international travel. It is also a renaissance to a simpler time and a great chance for people to reconnect with nature, says Juliet Gibbons, the co-owner of Wilderness Guides based in Picton. “I think a lot of New Zealanders have fallen in love with their own country during what has…

Now the time to get your digital camera out or look through your digital images and enter the The image could be a scenic scene, a walk on the beach with the dog, a bush walk, a street walk or anything walking that takes your fancy. The rules are simply: there must be a person or persons walking in the picture either front, side or back on, and can be in the distance. We require an emailed image in high resolution mode, in jpeg format as an attachment, and NOT embedded in Word or in the email, and NOT a link to a website to be downloaded. The subject line must have the words “Walking New Zealand Photo Contest” and the email must include the NAME, POSTAL ADDRESS and phone…

The New Zealand Walking Access Commission wants to help the Department of Conservation (DOC) protect public access when it reclassifies stewardship land. Stewardship land is land that was allocated to DOC when it was formed in 1987. It includes former state forests and Crown land considered to have conservation value. There are over 3,000 parcels of stewardship land of varying sizes across New Zealand — over 2.7 million hectares or 9% of New Zealand's total land area. Many of these areas are home to threatened species and high-priority ecosystems. Reclassifying stewardship land can raise the level of protection for the land where needed. The Department of Conservation has been seeking people's views on improving the legal process for reclassifying and disposing of stewardship land. That process usually involves surveying the…