New Zealand Half Day Hiking Trips

(click for Full Day Hiking Trips or Overnight Hiking Trips)

Listed on these pages is our selection of available hiking trips. Each hike is graded between 1 and 10, with 1 being a stroll, and 10 being a good, solid workout.

Swamp Track loop walk, Ruahine Conservation Park (grade 2)

This is a nice, easy walk along mostly level tracks, through beautiful native bush, and should take 1 to 1.5 hours to complete, stops excluded. This is the walk for you if your fitness is less than average, or if you’re limited for time. It includes a stop at a bush hut (with an interesting story behind the name) for lunch, or morning or afternoon tea. The whole experience, travel included, should take no more than 4 hours. Includes travel, a snack and/or packed lunch, and tea/coffee.

Cost NZ$100.00 per person (single surcharge plus NZ$30.00).

Awatere Hut, Ruahine Conservation Park (grade 4)

This is a gem – maximum ’bang’ for your hiking buck. A superb combination of open tops with great views, genuine unspoilt native bush, a river, as well as an original deer cullers hut with great character and atmosphere. All within 1 hour’s walk from the carpark! Total walking time about 2.5 hours – average fitness required, as a total climb/descent of 250m is involved. The whole experience, including travel, should take approximately 5 hours. Includes travel, a snack and/or packed lunch, and tea/coffee.

Cost NZ$115.00 per person (single surcharge plus NZ$35.00).

Waipawa Forks Hut, Ruahine Conservation Park (grade 5)

This walk incorporates two huts, a 50 minute gradual climb up an excellent track through beautiful mountain forest and bush, morning tea or lunch at Waipawa Forks hut, and an adventurous hour’s walk down the untracked Waipawa River back to the car park. This is a great starter hike for the moderately fit, and an excellent combination of good quality track and roughing it! Note that wet feet are unavoidable on this one, but it’s great fun nevertheless. Total walking time about 4 hours, and the whole experience, including travel, should take approximately 6 hours. Includes travel, a snack and/or packed lunch, and tea/coffee.

Cost NZ$125.00 per person (single surcharge plus NZ$40.00).

Stanfield Hut, Ruahine Conservation Park (grade 4)

New Zealand Hiking - Stansfield Hut This hiking trip combines a delightful walk up the West Branch Tamaki River (wet feet unavoidable!) to Stanfield hut, with the return along Holmes Ridge – just a great combination of river, bush and open tops, with marvellous views. Similar in some ways to the Awatere Hut hike, but just more of it! Even though this walk is a grade 4, good fitness is required, as total walking time is about 4 hours, and a 200m climb is involved. This walk is more of a full day hike, but it does depend on where your accommodation is located as to the total time required, which could be between 6 and 7 hours, travel included. Includes travel, a snack and/or packed lunch, and tea/coffee.

An additional option with this hike (with prior notice) is a stop in the historic village of Norsewood, for a coffee/tea and cake, with our compliments! There is also a great little shop selling locally produced, high quality, pure wool knitwear and socks – worth a visit.