New Zealand Hikes | South Island

If you thought my first post for North Island New Zealand hikes was long, buckle your seat belts & get ready for this one!! The South Island of New Zealand is often touted as the better of the two islands in terms of exploring and adventure. As much as I loved our time in the North Island, it’s hard to argue with this gargantuan list of hikes in the South Island! Because this list is so long, I didn’t go into as much detail as I did the first time around – if you’re interested in reading more, check out the linked blog posts for each hike. Are you ready? Let’s get hiking!

South Island New Zealand Hikes

Similar as before, I’ve sectioned the hikes by region. Be sure to check out my New Zealand Hikes Map on Google Drive! The hikes we didn’t get around to doing (but wish we had!) are indicated in italics.

The Sounds (Picton & area)

Queen Charlotte Track

The Queen Charlotte Track is a 70km track from Ship Cove to Anakiwa. Water taxis are used to transport hikers from the main land out to Ship Cove. This track runs through private land meaning that you can stay at various accommodations (ie bed & breakfasts, inns, hotels, etc), making the hike a bit more accessible. You can also use water taxis to transfer your luggage to your accommodations. Camping/tent options are available as well.

Queen Charlotte Track Distance: 70km Time: 4-6 days Blog Post: Hiking in Queen Charlotte Sound More Info: Queen Charlotte Track (QCT Inc)

Eatwells Lookout & Mount Stokes

Since Mac and I opted to hike the Queen Charlotte Sound a bit differently than the usual, we had the opportunity to explore the Kenepuru Saddle region. Our first activity was to summit Mount Stokes – the highest point on the Queen Charlotte Sound. The hike is pretty gruelling, and the terrain is full of rocks and roots, but the views at the top are unbelievable.

Mount Stokes Distance: 6.5km Time: 5 hour return (medium difficulty)

From the Kenepuru Saddle, there’s a small place to park your car and head out to Eatwells Lookout. The trail there is quite easy with lovely views of the sounds along the way. There’s a turnoff for the lookout after which is the steepest hill I’ve ever climbed. Similar to Mt Stokes, the views are incredible. On a clear day you can see out over the saddle and sound below.

Eatwells Lookout Distance: 12km Time: 3.5 hour return (easy)

Lake Rotoiti

South of Picton and Nelson is a small town called St. Arnaud. It’s here where the Lake Rotoiti Loop begins. The contrast of the mountains and the lake below is just stunning. The long hike can be split into two days by electing to stay at the Lakehead Hut or Clearwater Hut.

Lake Rotoiti Distance: 31km (Lakehead Hut is 11km from the trail head on the east side) Time: 1-2 days Blog Post: Lake Rotoiti Loop Walk

Golden Bay

Abel Tasman Coast Walk

This is another of New Zealand’s Great Walks. The trails are very well maintained and the views are very picturesque. The abundance of campsites and huts means that this track is extremely customisable.

Abel Tasman Coast Walk Distance: 60km Time: 3-4 days Blog Post: Abel Tasman Coast Walk

Farewell Spit

This incredibly long spit is bursting with trails to hike. We hiked along the inner beach before crossing the spit over to the ocean beach and returning to the car park via farmers fields.

Farewell Sit Distance: 6-12km (with heaps of options for other hikes) Time: 1.5-4 hrs Blog Post: Exploring Golden Bay More Info (with Trail Maps): Farewell Spit (NZ DOC)

Heaphy Track

The Heaphy Track is a long one that takes you through lush forests, over (and sometimes through) rivers, and beside flowing waterfalls. It’s a one way track with the terminuses being almost 400km of driving apart – try and get creative with your car relocation!

Distance: 78.4km Time: 4-6 days More Info: Heaphy Track (NZ DoC)

Greymouth

Point Elizabeth Walk

The Point Elizabeth Walk leads you from the car park on the other side of the river from Greymouth right beside the Tasman Sea and terminates at the Rapahoe car park. This walk is a great location to spot some whales and dolphins!

Point Elizabeth Walk Distance: 5.5km (one way) Time: 1-1.5hrs (one way) Blog Post: Day Walks Near Greymouth

Coal Creek Falls

The car park for this trail is just 15 minutes from Greymouth. The trail weaves through the forest and shoots you out right at the base of the stunning Coal Creek Falls. In the summer you can even swim in the river!

Coal Creek Falls Distance: 1.8km (one way) Time: ~40 minutes (one way) Blog Post: Day Walks Near Greymouth

Fjiorland

Kepler Track

Oh, the Kepler Track. Our first experience with NZ’s Great Walks. It was our first overnight backpacking hike and it was a doozie. The trail winds through mountainous terrain and is not for the faint of heart (nor for the completely unprepared). Be sure to take the side trail to the top of Mt Luxmore for some unbeatable views.

Kepler Track Distance: 60km Time: 3-4 days Blog Post: Hiking the Kepler Track

Ben Lomond Track

For amazing views of the picturesque town of Queenstown from above, be sure to check out the Ben Lomond Track. For those interested in a shorter hike, the Tiki track leaves right from town and takes you up to the top of Bob’s Peak (the Skyline Complex) (only ~1 hr).

Time: 3-4hrs (to Ben Lomond Saddle), 6-8hrs to Ben Lomond Summit Blog Post: Mt. Cook to Queenstown More Info: Ben Lomond Track (NZ DoC)

Milford Sound

This is probably NZ’s most famous hike. With huts being the only accommodation option along the trail, it can get quite expensive. From what I’ve heard though, it’s totally worth it.

Distance: 53.5km Time: 4 days More Info: Milford Track (NZ DoC)

Routeburn Track

Mac hiked this track on his first stint in NZ and had a great time. The trail is riddled with waterfalls and views of the gorges and valleys below.

Distance: 32km Time: 2-3 days More Info: Routeburn Track (NZ DoC)

Hollyford Track

We met some Swedes that did this track and said it was gruelling but awesome. If you’re so inclined, you can extend your tramp by linking up with other trails en route.

Distance: 56km Time: 3-4 days More Info: Hollyford Track (NZ DoC)

Roys Peak

This track gets all the glory for the best views (and is probably one of the most ‘instagram-able’ spots ever!). The endless rain we encountered in Wanaka deterred us from doing this hike, but it still remains high on my list of must dos!

Distance: 16km return Time: 5-6hrs More Info: Roys Peak Track (NZ DoC)

Glacier Country

Fox Glacier & Franz Josef Glaciers

There are short-ish trails from each of the glacier’s respective car parks to the terminus of the glaciers. The Franz Josef trail is longer and more scenic, but there is a forest lookout trail at Fox Glacier.

Glacier Trails Distance: 5.4km (Franz Josef Track) Time: 1.5km Blog Post: Adventures in Glacier Country More Info: Franz Josef Glacier (NZ DoC)

Hooker Valley Track

I was so gutted not being able to do this track (that darn rain!!). I’ve heard the views of Mt Cook alone are worth the 10km of hiking!

Distance: 10km return Time: 3hrs More Info: Hooker Valley Track (NZ DoC)

The Catlins

The Catlins are a totally underrated part of New Zealand. We spent two days driving through them and filled each days with little stops along the way for quick hikes. I won’t name them all here, but be sure to check out my blog post for more info. My favourites were McLean Falls, Jack’s Blowhole, and Nugget Point. All hikes were 30 min – 1 hour.

Blog Posts: NZ’s Hidden Gem | The Catlins Part One and Part Two

Humpridge Track

This track winds along the south-western coast of New Zealand and offers sweeping views of the Tasman Sea, Stewart Island, and Fjiordland.

Distance: 61km Time: 3 days More Info: Humpridge Track (NZ DoC)

And there you have it. A quasi-comprehensive guide to the best New Zealand Hikes. Keep in mind that NZ is quite literally BURSTING with trails and tracks and the ones I’ve listed here only scratch the surface. The wide variety of hikes makes NZ appropriate for all ages & fitness levels. I didn’t know how much I absolutely loved hiking until I dove right into it and ended up hiking over 300km during our time there! Tell me, what hikes have you done in NZ, or what hikes are you totally keen on doing?

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