Want to know what hiking a Great Walk of New Zealand is actually like?

Check out our adventures on the blog

Who are we?

We are just a group of friends that one New Years eve made a resolution to hike the Milford Track. We had always talked about hiking it for years, but like most kiwis, just hadn't got around to it. We were not experienced hikers and had never completed a multi-day hiking trip before but just booked the huts and gave it a go. We loved it so much that we made a pact to complete all the Great Walks of New Zealand. There are now 11 Great Walks in total, and we have been completing one a year (with a couple of years skipped due to Covid). We have learned a lot since we started, particularly around what to take and how to make our packs lighter but still carry all the necessary gear. We also had heaps of fails along the way.

The hiking crew has gone from 6 to 12 over the years. Between us we've tried lots of food, gear, and clothes, so can offer some recommendations into what works for us and some things that didn't. The trips have become so epic that everyone is fizzing for the next one. We get to see incredible places, disconnect from our hectic lives, and slow down while we traverse the wild landscapes of Aotearoa.

The Crew

Who am I?

I'm Natty Knees, the trip planner that organizes the Great Walks for the crew. I scour the internet trying to find as much info as possible on each hike and suss out the best choices for transport and accommodation. I would have loved a place where I could get all the info in one spot to make it easier to plan and get all the great pieces of advice I picked up from other hikers along the way. So, I made this site for anyone wanting to tackle a Great Walk, is new to hiking, or coming in from overseas that could use some local advice.

If you want to know what it is actually like hiking a Great Walk, check out our experiences of walking each one. Loaded with some info and photos so you can figure out which one is right for you. Maybe all of them...

We still have two Great Walks to go (Heaphy/Rakiura). So maybe we will see you out there on the slowdown.

N.B:  Trail names have been used for the crew on this blog so we can remain cool and mysterious.

P.S At some point in our journey, we started completing a Great Ride of New Zealand after each Great Walk. Since we were already in the area, we figured why not? Stay tuned for the Great Rides coming soon...