Peak Bagging in New Zealand

New Zealand has many famous walks; the Tongariro Crossing, the Milford Track, and the Abel Tasman Track are all justifiably heralded as some of New Zealand’s best tramps. If, like me, you’re not one to follow the herd, and you’re looking for some lesser known walks in New Zealand, you could do a lot worse than use a ‘peak bagging’ list as a good excuse to get off the beaten track.

If you’ve ever visited the Scottish Highlands, you’re likely to have encountered the pastime of ‘munro bagging’. A munro is a Scottish mountain over 3000ft (915m) and over 4000 people have completed the entire list of 284 Scottish munros (with many thousands more having bagged at least one or two munros). When we backpacked around Scotland a few years ago, we loved Munro Bagging so much that we decided New Zealand needed its own list.

Given that New Zealand is an extremely mountainous country, compiling an achievable peak bagging list is not an easy task. To make things easier, we created a list of peaks that are accessible to walkers and trampers, so you don’t necessarily need to be a mountaineer to participate. Our list is suitable for all fitness levels, and even if you’re feeling hungover, there are plenty of smaller peaks you can visit!

Off the beaten track
Along our journey so far, we have discovered a truly wonderful thing about using a peak bagging list to explore New Zealand; it lures you to New Zealand towns and mountains that are often well off the tourist trail. They are the sort of places that don’t feature prominently in the guidebooks, for example …
if you really want to see New Zealand’s native birds up close, try a walk up Kapiti Island. Or if you want to experience a well earned thermal bath after climbing a mountain, try Te Aroha or Hanmer Springs. And if the crowds are too much on the Tongariro Crossing, try a day walk to Ruapehu’s crater lake instead.

Here are just a few highlights from New Zealand’s peak bagging list:

Mt Isobel – Hanmer Springs
Hanmer Springs is a popular thermal resort town located only a couple of hours from Christchurch. That alone makes it worth visiting, but if you really want to feel like you truly deserve that soak in a hot pool, you need to stand on the top of Mt Isobel first. The track starts from the top of Jacks Pass and you’ll need to allow about four hours for a return walk. From the summit, you’ll get amazing views of Hanmer Springs and the surrounding mountains. In winter, the mountain is snow covered, so this walk is recommended from October to April.

Mt Arthur – Kahurangi National Park
Mt Arthur is situated in one of New Zealand’s lesser known national parks – Kahurangi. The tramp starts from the top of New Zealand’s highest mountain road and it is a long and fairly strenuous day walk, but with a summit of 1795m you really are climbing a substantial mountain! It’s a good idea to be well prepared for this tramp and it is best done in summer. The tramp to the summit shows off the complex maze of sinkholes, potholes and caves that intertwine in this area.

Rangitoto – Auckland
The crazy thing about Auckland is that to experience its best bits, you need to get out of the CBD. Taking the ferry out to Rangitoto is a fantastic way to see Auckland’s volcanic past up close. It’s only a three hour return walk to the summit of Rangitoto, and along the way you’ll see old lava flows and lava caves. Of course, from the top, you’ll get great views across to Auckland’s North Shore. This a year round walk and suitable for all fitness levels. When you’re back in Auckland, make sure you visit the volcano exhibit at the Auckland Museum, where you can see what it would feel like if Rangitoto erupted again!

Mt Hikurangi – East Coast
Mt Hikurangi is situated on the East Coast of the North Island and is the first place on the New Zealand mainland to see the sun each morning. There are amazing views of the East Coast coastline from the top on a sunny day. The East Coast is not an area that sees many visitors, so a trip to Ruatoria and Hikurangi is well off the beaten track!

Mt Ruapehu
As an active volcano, Mt Ruapehu is probably one of New Zealand’s most famous mountains. Ruapehu has repeatedly featured in international news media due to spectacular eruptions in 1995 and 1996, and a Crater Lake break-out lahar in 2007. However, when the mountain is quiet, you can walk to the crater lake on a summers day. The route is unmarked however, so taking a guided trip is a good idea (trips run from the Whakapapa Visitors centre).

Botanical Hill - Nelson
At only 147m, Botanical Hill wouldn’t rate a mention on many traditional peak bagging lists. However, as well as being a pleasant and easy walk located in the centre of Nelson, it has a peculiar claim to fame. The summit of Botanical Hill has a monument celebrating its claim of being the geographical centre of New Zealand. Botanical Hill also provides great views over Nelson and the surrounding area, and it can be walked at any time of year.

Stay safe

Although it’s very important to be adequately prepared when venturing into the great New Zealand outdoors, you shouldn’t let that scare you into staying back at camp! There a lot of true stories about trampers who get into trouble, but if you follow these sensible precautions, you can’t go too far wrong:

• no matter what the weather, take suitable layered clothing (thermals, wind & rainproof jacket, hiking boots, hat, sunglasses)
• get an up to date local weather forecast, and also use your eyes and ears to be your own weather forecaster - do not go if it looks at all dodgy!
• take a map and a compass
• take a mobile phone
• tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back
• don’t leave the track
• don’t tramp alone
• consult with local information and DOC offices to get up to date track conditions

Remember, tramping is not an extreme sport. It’s not about risking your life for a thrill. Stay safe, and it will be a far more enjoyable experience.

For more information on any of the walks above or on other New Zealand mountain walks, visit www.peakbagging.co.nz.

Written by Jon Povey