On Tuesday, Aotearoa's extremely popular Great Walks open for 2024-2025 bookings with both New Zealanders and foreign tourists set to race for coveted spots in huts and campsites.
Last year it took less than a day before the Milford Track was booked out for the entire year as thousands of people crashed the Department of Conservation (DOC) website.
So, how can you ensure you don't miss out? Here's what you need to know.
This year there is a change in the way bookings are made and the first thing to do is ensure you have an online account set up for the new system ahead of time.
Once you have your login ready to go, it's important to know when you need to use it - carefully read the information below.
Great Walks July 2024 - June 2025 booking opening dates:
- May 28, 9:30am - Milford Track, Lake Waikaremoana Track
- May 30, 9:30am - Abel Tasman Coast Track, Rakiura Track, Whanganui Journey
- June 5, 9:30am - Routeburn Track, Paparoa Track
- June 6, 9:30am - Kepler Track, Heaphy Track, Tongariro Northern Circuit.
Hump Ridge Track will become a Great Walk in October and that can be booked in advance through the Hump Ridge Trust.
Seasoned hiker and travel writer Jennifer Parkes joined AM on Monday to share further tips. First and foremost, she recommended being online and ready to go well before bookings open at 9:30am each day.
"The number one thing is you need to be online early. They are opening this week and DOC is staggering them, so you can actually book a couple over a number of days," said Parkes.
"Make sure you've got the dates you want to do the hike nailed, but also have some backup dates. You need to book them as fast as you can, so have your preferred dates and backup dates written down ahead of time."
She also emphasised the importance of researching the walk you want to secure, and to make sure you're booking the right places for the right days.
"With a number of the Great Walks you can go in either direction. The Routeburn, for example, you need to know which way you want to walk, and know in which order the huts go. You don't want to muck it up."
Parkes said the Routeburn along with the Kepler and Milford tracks are truly special walks that allow you to stand on top of a mountain and gaze upon the vast, untouched beauty of Fiordland.
However, for first time multi-day hikers, she suggested a different track.
"The Abel Tasman is a really accessible walk. You can do it over multiple days, there are loads of campsites, there are huts, and the really good thing is you have got water taxi access," said Parkes.
"That means you can get your gear taken from place to place. If you're like, wow, this sounds like an awesome walk, it's going to be a good push for my fitness - but maybe carrying 15 - 20kg pack isn't for you. The Abel Tasman has a whole lot of options."
There has been some controversy around children on the Great Walks, due to safety issues and noise levels around communal sleeping areas.
But Parkes insists children should be included on such adventures.
"How can we teach our kids to want to look after this place if they're not allowed to go out there and see it for themselves?" she asked.
"It's so good for mental health. And I think with so many things going on, we're all so busy, it's so good to be able to just walk and think in your own head as you wander along.
"But it's really great for resilience as well. When kids know that they were able to do it, even when it was tough, I think that's the stuff - those are skills that they really need in life."
Of course, there are rules for safety one must follow on a Great Walk or any outdoor adventure. You should make use of the Plan My Walk website and be familiar with the NZ Land Safety Code before heading off.
