Spot tui and other native birds and trees on a guided adventure in Northland's Puketi Forest. Photo / Getty Images
Spot tui and other native birds and trees on a guided adventure in Northland's Puketi Forest. Photo / Getty Images
Jessica Wynne Lockhart checks out some of the best day walks to get you moving this winter
Don't let the cold get you down – a brisk winter walk is invigorating and inspiring, and made even better if you have a guide to show you hidden sights and secrets alongthe way.
Here are some of the best guided day walks around the country this winter, from city tours to hiking adventures, suited to all skill levels.
Unearth ancient archaeological sites in the Pāpāmoa Hills
Located in the Western Bay of Plenty, the Pāpāmoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park is a 135-hectare property with breathtaking views of the coastline. Unguided, it only takes about 45 minutes to reach the trig at 224 metres, but in doing so, you might miss out on the park's seven pa sites, considered by archaeologists to be among the best-maintained sites in the country.
Your 5.5-hour guided tour with Travel Ed will start from a marae, from which your local Māori guide will take you to the top of Pāpāmoa Hill, where they'll share the stories of the arrival of waka to the area in the 1300s. If you've worked up an appetite, you'll be relieved to discover the tour ends of Izakai, a Māori-Japanese fusion eatery. traveled.co.nz/
Learn the lie of the land in Wellington
Wellington is a walker's paradise, and city walking tours are great for giving you insight into new corners to explore.
Walk Wellington's 2.5-hour daily tour starts from Civic Square at 10am, taking visitors along the waterfront, to the Old Bank Arcade, Lambton Quay, the Old Government Buildings and more. It costs $20 and is free for children under 16. walkwellington.org.nz/dailywalks
Discover a new side of the Capital on a Walk Wellington tour. Photo / Getty Images
Hire a designated walking guide in Martinborough
Is there any greater joy than having a designated driver while touring wineries? We'd argue there is, and that's the ability to walk from vineyard to vineyard. Martinborough is one of the only places in the country where it's possible to do this with ease.
As a guest on one of Martinborough Wine Walk's tours, you'll enjoy a drop or three from a hand-picked selection of the region's best winemakers, alongside craft brewers and distillers. Tours range in length from a leisurely three-hour afternoon meander to immersive full-day behind-the-scenes tours. martinboroughwinewalks.com
Have high tea in Pukekura Park
Covering 52 hectares in the heart of New Plymouth, Pukekura Park is considered a national garden of significance.
On a one-hour walking tour with Discover Taranaki, you'll be guided through the formal gardens and fernery, around the lakes and through the native forest, and provided with insider information into how this garden is maintained through expert husbandry. The tour, which costs $70 per person, concludes with a traditional high tea at the Tea House on the Lake. discovertaranaki.nz/pukekura-park-hightea/
Pukekura Park in Ngamotu New Plymouth is perfect for exploring on foot. Photo / Supplied
Travel into an ancient rainforest at nightfall
At 15,000 hectares, Northland's Puketi Forest, near Kerikeri, is one of the country's most diverse woodland environments.
On one of Adventure Puketi's guided half or full-day walks, you'll travel with a small group into this unique area, where you'll learn to identify native trees (including tawa, rimu, tānekaha and nīkau) and spot native birds (such as tūī, fernbirds and kukupa/ kererū). For an entirely different perspective, sign up for the night walk and the chance to hear kiwi, feel bats flying overhead, and meet some of the other nocturnal dwellers of the forest. Tours start from $65 for children and $112 for adults. adventurepuketi.co.nz/
Take advantage of Coromandel's quieter winter season
With Kiwi Dundee Adventures (which offers Auckland pick-ups for some of its excursions) you can discover the entire Coromandel peninsula in a day.
But if a walk is what you're after, try the tour company's eight-hour Wilderness Adventure. Best for those with a moderate to high level of fitness, you'll explore remote pristine rainforest environments, where you'll find the world's largest tree ferns, crystal clear rivers and rock pools. It starts from $305 (adults; children $190 with family packages available), including pickups and a picnic lunch. kiwidundee.co.nz
Discover hidden laneways with City Walks Dunedin
Dunedin is becoming known for its massive and colourful street art, alongside its laneways, which are undergoing a renewal with the addition of local eateries and drinking spots.
Experienced guide and author Athol Parks (formerly a subeditor with the Southland Times) showcases the transformation on this afternoon walk ($40). Departing from Vogel St, it covers the city's Warehouse Precinct, as well as the Bond Quarter, home to local businesses such as the Wild Dispensary and the Steamer Basin Brewery and Taproom. citywalks.co.nz/news/dunedin-laneways-walk
Helicopter to hike on a remote high-country station
In a country of relatively untouched high-altitude wilderness, it makes sense that some of the best hiking trails are only accessible by helicopter. Designed with Kiwi visitors in mind, Glentanner Park Centre's new heli-hiking experience showcases just one of these remote environments—yet is surprisingly easy on the knees.
The tour begins with an exhilarating helicopter flight from Glentanner Park (18km from Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park) to a high point on Glentanner Station, a privately owned family farm. From there, you'll start a gradual 7km walk down a farm track, where you'll learn more about the region's glaciation and the area's unique ecology - while taking in the surrounding Southern Alps. glentanner.co.nz
