Walking New Zealand April 2025

Lemala Camps & Lodges is launching its newest property, Lemala Osonjoi Lodge on 15 July, on the edge of Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater. Osonjoi Lodge will feature 16 spacious suites, each with king beds, en-suite bathrooms, large picture windows, and a nook with a double bed that can serve as an extra sleeping area. Given its 8,000ft elevation, suites will be equipped with slow-burn wood stoves to keep guests warm when the mist rolls in. For families and larger groups, the lodge will include two two-bedroom suites, accommodating up to four adults and two children. The interior design blends African chic with a stylish Nordic touch, creating a sophisticated yet warm atmosphere. The central guest areas will feature a lounge, bar, outdoor viewing deck, and the secluded Forest Spa, which will…

The newly launched experiential mobile camp – Sarara Wilderness in Kenya – is open. This camp in the Samburu expands Bush & Beyond's portfolio with more immersive wilderness experiences. At Sarara Wilderness, up to 12 guests at a time have a tented stay in the wilderness, with wildlife viewing, cultural encounters, as well as a range of outdoor activities – including hiking in the bush. An option is for guests to fly out for one night from one of Sarara's other ecolodges to add another strand to their Africa trip. The camp comprises six tents and two guide rooms with a separate dining room and lounge area. There is also a mobile plunge pool.…

European self-guided walk operator, On Foot Holidays, has launched a companion app that eliminates the need to carry paper maps, notes and guides. It works offline, and beeps if walkers go the wrong way. Resembling a private tour guide, the app makes hiking On Foot Holidays’ routes easier, safer and more environmentally-friendly, with walking already offering the lowest carbon footprint, highest cultural immersion and most eco-gracious way to explore the world. On Foot Holidays offers 37 self-guided walking holidays in 11 countries across Europe, with inn accommodation and Walking app many meals included along the way. Luggage is transferred between hotels each day so walkers carry just a day pack along the entire route. The app contains GPS maps and navigation and all the information hikers need for their holiday…

The Kimberley will soon become Australia's latest sustainable tourism hotspot with world-leading luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent set to develop a new eco-lodge in Purnululu National Park. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed site is home to the world-famous Bungle Bungle Range, believed to be over 350 million years old. The environmentally and culturally sensitive premium lodge is due to open by 2027 and will be developed in partnership with the Billingjul Aboriginal Corporation (BAC), with the initiative endorsed by BAC as the Traditional Owners. The luxury eco-lodge will be an exciting new offering for visitors to experience the magic of the Kimberley - one of the world's last true wilderness areas, where ancient culture, prehistoric landscapes and otherworldly nature abound.…

River Culture & Adventure to launch its first Larapinta Trail trip guided by First Nations leaders. From May 2025, a seven-day walking tour on the Larapinta Trail in Central Australia will be guided by two First Nations leaders and an Intrepid trip leader. Ten departures scheduled in 2025 will offer exclusive access to 100% Finke's private campsite on the trail. Hikers will walk through diverse landscapes, from riverbanks and desert plains to mountain ranges. The nine to 16km per day trek culminates at the summit of Mt Sonder, offering views of the West MacDonnell Ranges, known as Tjoritja by the raditional custodians of the land. Brett Mitchell, ANZ managing director, New First Nations guided Larapinta Trail Intrepid Travel says the collaboration reinforces Intrepid's commitment to its Reconciliation Action Plan by…

Tucked away at the end of a no exit road in inland Taranaki, the native bush clad Lake Rotorangi Hydro Walkway is a little gem which is well worth the journey. The 1.5 km walkway is an easy loop walk which starts at the Patea Dam and can be completed easily in 45 minutes. But it deserves a longer stay to soak up the ambience and the tantalising views of Lake Rotorangi, which at 46 km is New Zealand's longest man-made lake. The flora is mixed podocarp and manuka forest featuring numerous nikau palms as well as black beech and tawa. Travelling in an anticlockwise direction, the track sits above the shore line and leads around a peninsula. Coming the other way there is some steeper climbing but the track…