Great Walks of New Zealand
About Us
Every year for the last decade our adventurous group of friends come together from all over the country to complete a Great Walk of New Zealand. We disconnect from life for a week to hike miles across some of most stunning terrain in Aotearoa and witness some of the most breathtaking vistas in the world together.
For one week we are On the Slowdown. Taking in life at a different pace, step by step.
We are not expert hikers. Just an ordinary bunch of mates that like hitting the trails, can put one foot in front of the other, and most importantly like to have some fun, whiskey, and laughs along the way. Since our first Great Walk we have learned a lot about how to prepare, what gear to take, what food is trail worthy, and have honestly had a few fails along the way too. Hopefully this site can help to make your planning easier for your next NZ hiking adventure or give you some inspo to finally book that Great Walk you've dreamed about.
See on you On the Slowdown.
How it started
One New Years eve in 2014 we made a resolution to finally hike a Great Walk of New Zealand and stop talking about it. With no multi-day hiking experience (and no clue) we set out on our maiden hike in 2015 on the iconic Milford Track. After 3 magical days climbing mountains, standing under waterfalls, and navigating forests we came out of the Milford Track with plenty of blisters and buzzing from the incredible experience. Standing at Sandfly point together waiting for the boat to reluctantly take us home we set a pact - to hike all the Great Walks of New Zealand, one every year.
How it's going
Since our first hike in 2015 we have gone from 6 crew members to 12. Everyone gets hooked on the phenomenal experience of traversing the most beautiful landscapes in the world. We consider ourselves incredibly lucky to experience such amazing places with our friends and marvel at just how breathtaking our lovely little country Aotearoa is. We have two more Great Walks to go, the Heaphy and Rakiura. Maybe we'll see you out there on The Slowdown.