WHEN TO GO
The best weather is from January to March with warm temperatures and less rain. The periods around Christmas are always particularly busy with school holidays and to be avoided if possible. Most tracks are comfortably walked from October to May though the winter months do get cold and its certainly not an advisable time to attempt any of the Alpine tracks.
The best weather is from January to March with warm temperatures and less rain. The periods around Christmas are always particularly busy with school holidays and to be avoided if possible. Most tracks are comfortably walked from October to May though the winter months do get cold and its certainly not an advisable time to attempt any of the Alpine tracks.
WHAT TO PACK
Its important to ensure you are equipped with all the appropriate food and equipment on any of the major hikes in New Zealand. Weather is subject to great fluctuation and it’s always advisable to be prepared. The following are some general recommendations:
Clothing appropriate to the season. It’s always got to ensure you have enough warm clothes for your trip. Its useful to bear in mind that more layers means more warmth so it’s not necessarily about big, bulky items. Suggestions would include a pile/fleece jacket, waterproof jacket,
lightweight fleece top/woolen jersey, couple of t-shirts, polypropylene top, waterproof seamed-sealed pants, shorts (can actually be better when raining), underwear, polypropylene bottoms, woollen socks, hat, gloves and a lightweight towel. Finally, a good pair of hiking boots can be a lifesaver, you may be crossing rivers and will often be traversing slippery surfaces so good boots are a great investment.
Its important to ensure you are equipped with all the appropriate food and equipment on any of the major hikes in New Zealand. Weather is subject to great fluctuation and it’s always advisable to be prepared. The following are some general recommendations:
Clothing appropriate to the season. It’s always got to ensure you have enough warm clothes for your trip. Its useful to bear in mind that more layers means more warmth so it’s not necessarily about big, bulky items. Suggestions would include a pile/fleece jacket, waterproof jacket,
lightweight fleece top/woolen jersey, couple of t-shirts, polypropylene top, waterproof seamed-sealed pants, shorts (can actually be better when raining), underwear, polypropylene bottoms, woollen socks, hat, gloves and a lightweight towel. Finally, a good pair of hiking boots can be a lifesaver, you may be crossing rivers and will often be traversing slippery surfaces so good boots are a great investment.
EQUIPMENT
The gear you take depends greatly on the length of hike and terrain but here are some general items that would be of use:
Sleeping bag (check the warmth rating to make sure you have something appropriate to the condition and season your hiking in, theres nothing worse than being cold all night!), cooking gear and fuel, plastic crockery, torch (ideally a headlight), pen knife, map, mossie repellent, camera, backpack liner, small first aid kit and occasionally mobile phone (but be prepared for lack of reception).
The gear you take depends greatly on the length of hike and terrain but here are some general items that would be of use:
Sleeping bag (check the warmth rating to make sure you have something appropriate to the condition and season your hiking in, theres nothing worse than being cold all night!), cooking gear and fuel, plastic crockery, torch (ideally a headlight), pen knife, map, mossie repellent, camera, backpack liner, small first aid kit and occasionally mobile phone (but be prepared for lack of reception).
FOOD
A lot of this is down to personal taste but try not to get too carried away. After a long hike most things taste good and its more about convenience than fine dining. Here are some popular hiking fuels:
Muesli, chocolate, milk, powder, bread,, vegemite (the classic kiwi spread), packet pasta or noodles (though bear in mind they never quite feed as many as they say on the packet), pasta sauce, bacon or tuna, muesli bars, packet soup , glucose powder or similar energy drink mixer you can add to water. Also try and pack your food in sealed bags where possible to prolong its life on the trip.
A lot of this is down to personal taste but try not to get too carried away. After a long hike most things taste good and its more about convenience than fine dining. Here are some popular hiking fuels:
Muesli, chocolate, milk, powder, bread,, vegemite (the classic kiwi spread), packet pasta or noodles (though bear in mind they never quite feed as many as they say on the packet), pasta sauce, bacon or tuna, muesli bars, packet soup , glucose powder or similar energy drink mixer you can add to water. Also try and pack your food in sealed bags where possible to prolong its life on the trip.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Make sure you take the equipment you need, appropriate footwear and clothing is extremely important with some of the heavy downpours you can encounter, particularly on the south island’s West coast. You can obtain maps from DOC but also check out LINZ www.linz.govt.nz for geographical maps. Above all, when possible, consult and register your intentions with a DOC office before undertaking any of the longer walks and take note of their advice.
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