Overview
New Zealand’s long-distance hiking trail, the Te Araroa (Maori for “long pathway”), is one of the great walks of the world, connecting the North Island and South Island by way of spectacular parks and reserves as well as charming Kiwi villages and towns. On this journey, we’ve selected the most scenic Te Araroa trails on the South Island, starting in the rugged shores of Fiordland National Park, where the Te Araroa meets the Southern Ocean, and making our way north to the lush coastal forests of Queen Charlotte Sound. The Te Araroa largely follows the spine of the Southern Alps on the South Island, and our hikes bring us along skyline ridges to alpine lakes and through native forests, farmlands, and tussock country, with our days on the trail rewarded at every turn by the natural showcase of New Zealand’s famously diverse landscapes. We’ll stay in comfortable lodges and hotels en route, savor the country’s world-class wine and fresh local cuisine every step of the way, meet fellow “trampers” on this epic trail, and enjoy the warm welcome of Kiwi culture.
Itinerary at a Glance
Days 1-4
Blenheim / Marlborough Wine Country / Queen Charlotte Track
We meet in Blenheim, the gateway to Marlborough wine country, and head to the beautiful Queen Charlotte Track, one of New Zealand’s finest walking tracks. Here we’ll hike skyline ridges with incredible views across Marlborough Sounds’ secluded bays, islands, coves, and sheltered waterways. This area is a fine introduction to the richness of New Zealand’s lush native forest. Our lodge, built at the turn of the century, is accessible only by boat.
Days 5-6
Nelson Lakes National Park
We head to Nelson Lakes National Park, named for the 16 lovely alpine lakes cradled high in this beautiful stretch of the rugged Southern Alps. We’ll hike along Lake Rotoiti, where dense beech forest towers over a carpet of mosses and ferns, keeping an eye out for the native forest birds such as the fantail, tomtit, and bush robin.
Days 7-11
Queenstown / Southern Alps
We fly to Queenstown and head out for Te Araroa hikes above treeline in the Mototapu Valley, the perfect place for vistas across the snow-capped Southern Alps. After we visit the historic gold-mining village of Arrowtown, taste some of the famous local pinot noir at a winery, we’ll hike the mountains, lakes, forests, and tussock grasslands of Mavora Lakes Conservation Park, with its Middle Earth scenery.
Days 12-14
Fiordland National Park
We explore the tide pools before climbing up Howell’s Hill to Mores Scenic Reserve, where the views are phenomenal, extending out to Stewart Island, the third largest island in New Zealand, and the vast expanse of the Southern Ocean. We mark the end of the Te Araroa trail with a hike on the Foveaux Walkway along the coast, right along the edge of the Southern Ocean. Depart via Queenstown on Day 14.
New Zealand's Te Araroa: The South Island
