When it comes to your time and money, signing up for an in-depth skills course shouldn’t preclude going on a dream trip. By traveling to one of the countries below, you can get world-class certification in anything from scuba diving to mountaineering, often for less��than you would pay in the United States. Plus, these classes offer the opportunity to connect with a destination on a much deeper level by interacting with local guides and participants��and to see parts of an area��you may not��have otherwise.��If you’re taking this time to reassess your career path or set some new outdoor��goals, here are four affordable course options��to consider for your next work-play adventure.��

Scuba Diving in Honduras

Having time at home is actually a great opportunity to begin working toward��your introductory open-water diver certification. Both the (PADI) and (SSI)��offer eight-to-15-hour online classes starting from $150, which knock days and dollars off your on-the-ground training.��

Once the textbook learning is out of the way, it’s just a matter of finding the best place to get in the water once it’s safe to travel. SSI and PADI have thousands of dive centers around the world. PADI even sells its own to popular locations, such as the��Indonesian island of Gili Trawangan or the Red Sea town of Dahab��in Egypt, for less than $1,000 a week��before plane fare.

While Koh Tao, Thailand, is known as the budget dive factory of the world, it may not guarantee the best value for money. The��small��island houses about 70 dive schools, most offering one-��or two-day courses (from $350) in the shallow, crystalline waters.��Despite its range of outfitters, the sheer number of newbies the��area��attracts means you may not��get the personalized instruction you need at an affordable price.

For high-quality and affordable instruction, we recommend��Central America. The Honduran islands of Utila and Roatan are inexpensive and��short flights��from the United States��(from $350 round-trip from major U.S. cities) and boast some of the healthiest coral in the Caribbean. Expect to pay around $300 for your open-water certification at��any of the local dive shops.��

, a PADI five-star dive center in Roatan’s southwestern tip, maintains a small student-to-instructor ratio and charges only $230 for those looking to complete the open-water portion of their certification, compared to $350 for the whole course. And just because you’re learning doesn’t mean you can’t have a bucket-list experience: the center is located near some of the island’s famous wall dives, which, in addition to an abundance of coral, offer the chance to see manta rays and hammerhead sharks.��

Mountaineering in South��Asia

Typically over a minimum of five to seven days, a good mountaineering course will cover rope work, scrambling, orienteering, crevasse rescues, route and risk assessment, snow and glacier traverses, and group communication. In the United States, you can expect to pay between $1,500 and $3,000 to complete the certification with a reputable outfitter.��

However,��budget-minded peakbaggers can learn the basics among some of the tallest mountains in the world. Our pick: the Himalayas in northern India. Permit fees��are low or nonexistent, and the area offers plenty of accessible peaks.

Check out the highly reputable Uttarkashi-based�� (NIM).��Its Basic Mountaineering Course costs $800 for 28 days of instruction, which includes food, accommodation, and equipment. The last is important—if you’re a beginner, you’ll likely want to avoid the up-front investment of buying your own gear so you can use the training as a chance to learn what works for you. The course begins with training on equipment and��techniques at about 4,200 feet��and ends with a two-week trip to between��14,000 to 16,000 feet into the Himalayas for hands-on experience with techniques like self-arresting, belaying, and using ice axes and crampons. The school also offers special women-only courses. While class sizes are bigger than many similar courses in the United States—between six and��eight people versus four—the quality of instruction is solid: NIM is funded by and trains the Indian military, which is known for its mountaineering prowess.��

Yoga Teaching Training in India

Most immersive yoga teacher training courses (or YTTC) include lodging��and food, which makes countries with a low cost of living more affordable places to��study. While there are a number of affordable locales that specialize in YTTC, from Thailand and Indonesia to Costa Rica, the most coveted classes tend to��be more expensive because��they often fly in instructors from abroad. So why not go straight to yoga’s��birthplace in India, where a saturated market has resulted in competitive pricing? It’s easy to find a 200-hour YTTC for $1,000 or less. Compare that to Bali, where the same course��can cost upwards of $5,000, or the United States, where monthlong programs start at around $2,500.��

If you want to study in the actual birthplace of the practice, head to the northern city of Rishikesh, the yoga capital of the world. Situated in the Himalayan foothills along the Ganges River, the town is home to the top-rated ($1,000 for 29 days), which includes lessons in vinyasa, ashtanga, hatha, and meditation. Or try��, which��has brand-new student dorms ($1,059 for 26 days).��Both programs lead to a Yoga Alliance Certification, an internationally recognized ticket to teach.

Canyoning in France

Even if you have no aspirations of guiding, there’s a strong argument to be made for taking a comprehensive canyoning��skills course. (See��the film 127 Hours, starring James Franco as Aron Ralston, who is forced to cut off his own arm after becoming trapped in a canyon.)��

“Canyoning is not like rock climbing, where you can buy a harness and a chalk bag and go to a gym and start,” says Andrew Humphreys, an international canyoning instructor and owner of . A highly technical sport, canyoning requires a variety of baseline skills and gear just to get started.��

The first thing to note is the difference between canyoning and canyoneering: the former involves water, such as��rappelling��through waterfalls, while the latter generally refers to dry canyons.��Check the of the��skills you need to acquire to be a proficient canyoneer, including basic knots and setting up rope anchors, as well as��a list of��certified instructors around the world. Programs in the United States��range from $130 to $220 per day��but often don’t cover water skills.��

For an affordable course abroad,��Humphreys recommends France. At , an center in the commune of��Niaux in the south of France, about 500 miles from Paris, you’ll join the ranks of more than 100 independent canyoneers��and 35,000 beginners who have learned under the tutelage of expert Rod Strum. Its eight-day Autonomous Canyoneer��training is priced at $950 (less than $120 per day)��and includes all the basics recommended by the American Canyoneering Association, plus additional��techniques like rappelling through waterfalls.

Prepare for your trip with an online training program from . Developed by Humphreys and other instructors, it offers free modules to teach the basics of canyoning through instructional videos and interactive video coaching.

The post Get Outdoor Certifications for Less in These Countries appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Looking at a map, you could be misled by the size of��New Zealand’s South Island. As you’re circling the 58,000-square-mile island, packed full of��every kind of landscape imaginable,��it might be hard to believe that its entirety could nearly fit within Illinois’s borders. On the island’s northeast coast, Canterbury’s tussock-covered plains meet thousands of miles of golden beaches; head west and you’ll hit glaciers hidden among��thick swaths of rainforest; to the east, remnants of extinct volcanoes form a rugged coastline holding bright blue bays; and��to the south, rare penguins thrive in forests that almost reach��the sea. The snowcapped peaks of the Southern Alps run through it all, punctuated by aquamarine glacial lakes.��Even if you could technically drive across it in a day—the island is only 522 miles long—you wouldn’t want to.��

Even then, don’t expect a few weeks, or even months, to feel like enough. In more than a year of living on the South Island, I’ve put 12,000 miles on my car��yet have barely managed to make a dent in my to-see list. This isn’t unique to me; a common refrain I hear from Kiwis��is that you can live in New Zealand your entire life and never see it all.��

A love and respect for the outdoors is entrenched in New Zealand’s history,��starting with the Māori who settled on the islands in the 14th century. Within the past few decades, the Māori��culture has seen more integration and recognition,��from the establishment of Tongariro National Park on the North Island in 1993 as the world’s first World Heritage Site, designated for its cultural and spiritual importance to an indigenous people, to today, with the ��of many of its traditions, including Te Reo, the nation’s native tongue.��This��reverence for the country’s roots and landscapes runs deep and drives many��of the government’s��policies, from education initiatives like to prioritizing .��

New Zealand has��almost every kind of outdoor activity, but its most unique features are its Great Walks, a series of ten��three-to-five-day backcountry tracks that pass through some of the nation’s most awe-inspiring landscapes.��The newest��Great Walk, the Paparoa Track, opened on the South Island��in��December��and winds��through the pristine Paparoa National Park. Then��there’s the longest walk of them all: the 1,860-mile Te Arora Track, an epic thru-hike that runs from the tip of the North Island to the bottom of the South and takes months to complete.��The tracks—coupled with an extensive backcountry hut system and car-camping options—make��it easy for hikers of all skill levels to get a taste of this country’s��wilderness.��

Activities abound throughout the entire country,��but if you want to get the most out of a two-week trip, stay on the South Island—few other regions offer the chance to scale frozen peaks,��surf��rocky coastlines, and paddle��roaring rivers in such a small space. The island is also home to seven of the ten��Great Walks, as well as the country’s highest peaks and most expansive rainforests.��

While the South Island has long topped adventure bucket lists, this year it will be easier to get there than ever before, with more airlines offering affordable, direct flights. Last year, American Airlines��announced that it will debut the only nonstop flight to Christchurch��from Los Angeles in late 2020,��as well as a direct flight from Dallas–Fort Worth to Auckland, from which it’s a short domestic hop to the South Island. Once you get there, all that’s left is to follow our handpicked itinerary of the best adventures in every region.��

What You Need to Know Before Visiting New Zealand

Plan for drives to take up to twice as much time as you think. Google’s estimated drive times are meaningless. Driving on the “wrong” side of the road isn’t the only challenge; the roads are notoriously narrow and winding, and many are unpaved.��If you arrive in winter, chains are mandatory on many mountain passes. “Slips” (landslides) are also common, as are road closures, so be flexible in your planning and use the (NZTA) website to research your route before you head out.��

Learn a new set of lingo. While there’s always an added ease when traveling to English-speaking countries, the local slang is almost an entirely different language. A few examples: DOC (pronounced “dock”) is the Department of Conservation,��which manages the country’s parklands. (Like any bureaucratic government body, DOC is both loved and hated by Kiwis.) Backcountry hikes are “tramps,” which may be on a clearly marked “track” or on an unformed “route.” The word “walk” is��reserved for paths suitable to all fitness levels.��

Make bookings up to a year in advance for the most popular huts and hikes. DOC’s online booking system for its Great Walks��typically opens in June for the next season (October to May). Peak periods for some trails, such as the Milford Track in Fiordland, sell out within a matter of seconds.��All Great Walks must be reserved in advance, requiring mandatory hut or campsite bookings that can be as much as $92 per person per night.��Some walks are known to have a greater chance of last-minute openings, like the Rakiura Track.��If you miss out on a DIY trip,��tour operators often have more��last-minute��availability.

Take advantage of backcountry huts. While New Zealand is known for its beautiful, high-end lodges��and abundance of campsites, hike-in backcountry huts offer the opportunity to see some of the most stunning, remote landscapes in relative comfort. There is an extensive system of 1,400 huts,��950 of which are managed by DOC and the rest by various outdoor groups, that allow you to forgo your tent on the trail. Originally built for sheep musterers and deer cullers, huts today are used by trampers, or backcountry hikers, for shelter.��They range in condition and amenities, from serviced huts that include mattresses and running water��to those that are��little more than mountainside shacks. Unlike the huts in the Great Walks, the majority of these are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and hut tickets��($3 to $9) or passes ($61 for six months, $81 for a year for unlimited stays) can be purchased from select i-Sites��(official visitor centers), DOC info centers, Youth Hostel Associations, and outdoor outfitters.��

Know the rules around camping.��After decades of misuse by tourists, the limited most “freedom camping”—or pitching your tent virtually anywhere—to certified self-contained vehicles, meaning one you can live in for up to three days without getting water or dumping waste.��If you don’t have a self-contained vehicle, you have to stay at designated campsites with toilets and available water, some of which are free or cost as little as $3 per night. Similar to BLM land in the U.S., there is some limited available on public-conservation land to those without self-contained vehicles.��But just because you can pull up and pitch your tent doesn’t mean you should—many of these sites don’t have waste-disposal facilities, and you must be prepared to practice Leave No Trace principles and pack out everything you bring in. Many campsites (free or otherwise) are at risk of being shut down due to tourist misuse. ��has more information on the laws related to camping and parking your camper��in New Zealand, as well as where you can find sites.��

Interpret DOC’s signage in the most literal way possible.��While everyone has different interpretations of rating systems, my experience is that the information provided by DOC is usually spot-on, especially once you have a handle on the difference between a walk, tramp,��track,��and route.��Unlike other countries where walking times are padded, a three-hour tramp that’s signposted as such will take you three hours (minimum) to do. And if a route is recommended only for those with orienteering skills, you’re going to need your compass. Always check on the or chat with a ranger about your ability level and experience before heading out.��

Pack your own gear. Like many other island nations, New Zealand relies heavily on imported goods, which can drive up prices. It’s better to bring all the��outdoor gear you need with you. Before packing your boots and tent, make sure they’re clean in order to meet the country’s stringent customs and biosecurity guidelines—even a bit of dirt can lead to confiscation.��If you do forget something, secondhand gear is readily available on , New Zealand’s answer to Craigslist��or Facebook Marketplace.��

Bring your best deet.��Ever wondered why such a gorgeous country has managed to remain relatively unpopulated? Sand flies, my friends, and millions of them. They’re everywhere, all year round. These tiny biting blackflies love hanging out around water,��so be wary when spending a day at the beach.��

Be flexible.��The country comes with the wildness and unpredictability of a land ruled by nature. Two earthquakes in the past ten��years have devastated major cities,��and smaller shocks are a regular occurrence. The weather is highly variable, with landslides and road closures a common disturbance to travel plans.��

What’s the Best Time of Year to Visit the��South Island?��

Read any tourism brochure��and you’ll invariably stumble across this catch-all statement: “New Zealand is a great place to visit at any time of year.”��

In essence that may be true, but timing your trip should be more nuanced. Winter is June to September, with temperatures that range from below freezing to 50 degrees, while in summer, from December to March, temperatures average between 60 and 78 degrees.��New Zealand’s southerly latitude means long summer days, with the sun setting around 9 P.M. In winter, it sets as early as 5 P.M.��

Weather can be highly variable at any time of year, although you can always count on wind��(cyclists pay heed). Rain and cloud cover are also par for the course. In fact, New Zealand’s Māori name, Aotearoa, translates to “land of the long white cloud.”��It’s typical for the weather to shift moment to moment, with clear skies ahead of you and dense clouds just behind.��

There are also regional factors to consider: Restaurants, accommodation, and operators all but shut down for the winter in Golden Bay in the northern Nelson Tasman region.��Snow on Queenstown’s ski slopes is only solid from about July to August. And the typically always-rainy West Coast (commonly referred to as the wet coast) gets the least amount of rainfall in the winter months.��In my opinion, fall—from March through May—is prime time, before the days get too short and operators close down for the year; this is when you’ll still get stunning colors, darker skies for starry nights, less rain than the spring shoulder season, and most important, lower rates after the summer��crowds.��

Perhaps the question to answer is when not to visit. Kiwis love to travel in their own country, so it’s best to skip the school holiday period of December and January.��

How to Get There and Around

Getting to New Zealand

Regardless of whether you’re headed to a specific place��or planning to circumnavigate the island, Christchurch’s central location makes it the perfect jumping-off point. Flights to Christchurch tend to be more affordable—and reliable—than those to Queenstown or Dunedin in the south, the island’s two other international airports.��Christchurch Airport even has a dedicated area��for reassembling bicycles.��

Getting Around

Flying: If you’re short on time, 16 regional airports exist across the South Island,��and tickets are relatively inexpensive. For example, flying from Christchurch north to Nelson will run you about $80.��There are also no security checks for regional flights, which saves on travel time. However, be aware that smaller airports are more vulnerable to high winds, snow, and heavy rainfall—all of which the South Island has in buckets—and flights are often delayed or cancelled for these reasons.��

Buses: (Flexipasses from $132)��offers service throughout much of the South Island��but has a limited��schedule and doesn’t run in some areas (such as Golden Bay) during the winter months.��Relying on the bus may also limit you from exploring backcountry areas.��

Driving: Three popular rental companies are Jucy (from $80 per day),�� (from $46 per day), and����(from $36 per day), all of which have minimum lending periods of anywhere from three to ten days.��

If you’re planning an extended trip of a few months or more, it’s cheaper to buy a car or van and sell it when you leave. Used vehicles are surprisingly affordable��and can be found on Facebook Marketplace or Trade Me, and��many come outfitted with everything you’ll need to hit the road, including cookware��and lawn chairs. Some used-car lots also offer buyback programs. Plan to invest between $2,000 to $7,000, plus the cost of registration,��a warrant of fitness, and any additional insurance from AA, New Zealand’s version of AAA. Ideally, you’ll get most of that back when you sell the car at the end of your trip, but keep in mind that sellers garner higher prices in the summer, the prime tourist season. Look for a camper that’s certified as self-contained, and you’ll be able to park almost anywhere for the night, free of charge.��Use the ��or�� apps to find the best spots.��

Another important consideration is where you’ll be driving. If you plan to head into the backcountry, you’ll won’t regret choosing a vehicle with four-wheel drive��and ample clearance.��

Where to Go

The South Island is made up of six major regions. Marlborough is in the northeast and Nelson Tasman is in the northwest. Just south, Central Canterbury is the island’s largest region and home to its biggest city, Christchurch. Southwest of Canterbury is Otago and the adventure hub of Queenstown.��The West Coast and Southland are exactly where you imagine they would be.��

We’ve designed this guide to function as a road-trip map of sorts, if you were to start in Christchurch and head north to Marlborough before driving counterclockwise around the island.��

Marlborough��

Many people who fly into Christchurch immediately head south, or those who arrive from the North Island on the Cook Strait ferry��pass through Marlborough without giving it much consideration. Don’t make the same mistake: the northernmost tip not only has plenty of adventure, but it’s one of the best winemaking regions in the world.��

A half day’s drive north of Christchurch,��Marlborough has 1,118 miles of coastline—much of it unpopulated and unspoiled—equating to days’ worth of hiking, kayaking, and mountain biking.��Half-day excursions are best paired with afternoons wine tasting near Blenheim, which has plenty of restaurants and lodging. The seaside port town of Picton offers direct access to water-based activities.

To get there, drive north roughly 4.5 hours from Christchurch up State Highway (SH) 1 toward Picton. Kaikoura will be the first major town you hit; as you near it, be prepared for queues—construction has been underway on stretches of the road since a 7.8-magnitude earthquake rattled the area in 2016. (Check the NZTA website for live updates.) From Kaikoura, it’s less than two hours to Blenheim.��

What to Do While You’re There��

Walk the Queen Charlotte Track.��One of the most popular tramping routes in the country, this 45-mile trail, part of the larger 1,860-mile Te Araroa Track, follows the bays and inlets of the Marlborough Sounds, a huge network of sea-filled valleys off the coast.��You’ll need to book boat transport from Picton to get to the walk’s starting point in Ship Cove, a remote bay at the north end of the sounds that’s only accessible from the water. Over the next three to five days, you’ll walk your way back to civilization; the track’s end point, in the village of Anakiwa,��is near the small settlement of Linkwater and has ferry service back to Picton. Designed for all skill levels, the track traverses lush coastal forests of ferns and nikau palms and offers sweeping views of the Pacific. You can camp at one of DOC’s six designated self-registration sites along the route, or combine it with kayak or mountain-bike excursions to vary up the scenery.��Those who prefer to travel light can hire an outfitter such as to transport gear from lodge to lodge (packages start from $240).��

Tramp in Mount Richmond Forest Park.��If you’re looking for more of a challenge, this densely wooded region just southwest of Picton might be more your speed.��Hikes range from a few hours to days, but the most challenging is the five-to-eight-day Alpine Route. Steep and rugged, the track isn’t well-formed, so you’ll need navigation skills, a good level of fitness, and up to four days to conquer it.��It will take you 5,577 feet above sea level, where you’ll be rewarded with views over the Waimea Plains��and, farther northwest, the neighboring Kahurangi and Abel Tasman National Parks. The walk starts from the picnic area at the end of Hacket Road,��18 miles south of Nelson, and heads southeast, ending at the Goulter Road near SH 63. There are five DOC huts available along the way; they don’t require online booking, but you will need hut tickets.

Kayak with seals in Kaikoura.��While technically in Canterbury, Kaikoura is worth a stop on your way up to Marlborough from Christchurch, from which it’s two and a half hours northeast.��Spend your day sea kayaking in the place where the viral “seal slaps kayaker with octopus” was filmed. You’re unlikely to get a tentacle to the face, but a day out on the water with (from $36)��will get you close enough to whales, seals, and dolphins that it’s not entirely outside the realm of possibility.��

Where to Stay

Scenic Hotels Marlborough: ��(from $125) was fully renovated a few years ago, enhancing��it with eco-friendly features such as electric-car charging stations.��The main selling point, though, is its location;��the modern lodge is walking distance from Blenheim’s downtown��and only a short drive to Picton’s adventures.��

Lochmara Lodge: As is the case with much of the Marlborough Sounds, there are no roads to Lochmara Lodge—the only way to access it is via kayak or boat across Queen Charlotte Sound or��mountain bike or walk from the Queen Charlotte Track. Located two miles from the trail, in Lochmara Bay, range from motel-style units to high-end chalets opening to panoramas��of the bay��(from $66).��

Whatamango Bay Campsite:��A 20-minute drive northeast of Picton will land you in Whatamango Bay,��where 50 campsites sit a stone’s throw away from the ocean. ($5 per person) are recommended for the high season, and there’s no filtered water available, so you’ll need to treat your own.��

Detours

Renowned for its production of sauvignon blanc,��Marlborough is home to 140 wineries and around 30 tasting rooms.��Most are an easy bike ride from Blenheim. Two must-stops include , which sells wine-infused beers and has a food truck serving burgers on-site, and the award-winning . The latter’s Rieslings are featured in Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants,��but the vibes here are more rock and roll than dinner party (the house rock band rehearses in the wine cellar).��

Nelson Tasman

Located just west of Marlborough at the northern tip of the island, the Nelson Tasman��region is rapidly becoming one of the most popular vacation destinations for residents and visitors alike. At its epicenter��is the city of Nelson, which is worth a quick stop to check out its numerous breweries. Farther northwest is Abel Tasman National Park and��Golden Bay, where you’ll find New Zealand’s best climbing,��rappelling, and canyoning.��

With around 2,600 hours of sunshine per year��(compared to national averages between 1,672 and 2,098 hours), Nelson Tasman is also one of the few places that isn’t perpetually covered by the “long white cloud.” But be warned: while its winters are mild,��many operators and accommodation providers in its��rural areas still close for the months of July and August.��

From Picton, it’s about a two-hour drive west to Nelson.��From there, getting to the towns of Kaiteriteri or the much-smaller Marahau—both at Abel Tasman’s south entrance—is easy. Both are about an hour’s drive northwest of Nelson. Be sure not to miss the turn right after Riwaka.��

Driving to Takaka, Golden Bay’s main town at the north end of Abel Tasman, is another task altogether. Takaka Hill��is a 2,595-foot mountain pass, which one New Zealand journalist described as “less a road than a rickety goat track hewn into the side of a mountain.” Give yourself extra time here, and enjoy the views. The trip from Nelson to Takaka takes two hours, hugging the coast along SH 6 before heading inland on SH 60.��

What to Do While You’re There

Walk, canyoneer, and paddle through Abel Tasman National Park. At 37 miles, the hugs the shoreline��from Marahau at the south end of the park to Totaranui in the north��and typically takes three to five days to complete.��Despite this, it’s one of New Zealand’s easier Great Walks, thanks to the region’s relatively mild weather.��Much like Marlborough’s Queen Charlotte Track, it’s best combined with a sea kayak for a multi-sport expedition, which allows you to shortcut across bays while getting up close with fur seals.��If you’re short on time and can’t do the full route, the four-hour walk from Marahau to Anchorage Bay—where a prebooked water taxi will pick you up—offers a good glimpse. Or��join outfitter (from $160)��to rappel, zip line, and swim through the park’s backwaters and waterfalls. Then��head out on��in a traditional outrigger canoe with (from $63) to Split Apple Rock, a geologic formation off the coast that looks exactly as it sounds. New Zealand’s Māori first arrived in the country about 1,000 years ago via��waka, and this excursion is more about the cultural experience than the paddling, while offering a great chance to see the park from the water.��

Rock-climb in Golden Bay.��Just outside Takaka, past Abel Tasman’s northern reaches, ��(sometimes spelled as Paynes Ford)��has over 250 single-pitch routes and more than 20 limestone crags. It doesn’t hurt that they’re almost all directly beside the Takaka River’s best swimming holes.��Most climbers stay at nearby , which offers cheap and cheerful accommodation (from $9) a ten-minute walk down the road from the crag. (The owners will also give you the inside scoop on where to find less developed walls that are hidden elsewhere in the area.) Nearby Pohara also has over 100 bolted routes directly beside the ocean.��They’re not only more picturesque��but longer, ideal for intermediate climbers looking to build their endurance.��

Go caving in Golden Bay.��An hour and a half north of Nelson, ,��which plummets 577 feet straight down from the top of Takaka Hill,��is probably the region’s most famous cave. Rappelling��into its depths is only advised for the most experienced and technical of cavers,��but if you want to get your feet wet, there are other caverns for unguided newbies nearby. The , starting from a parking lot just outside Motupipi, less than ten��minutes east of Takaka, is a short but steep walk that will take you to the mouth of a massive cave with an impressive display of rare phytokarst stalactites. It takes about two to three hours round-trip, depending on track conditions.��Alternately, head 20 minutes north toward��Collingwood for the , another half-day hike that will bring you to the cavernous Ballroom Cave, which was supposedly used by miners for dances in the 1800s. Come equipped with a headlamp and proper footwear.��

Where to Stay

Awaroa Lodge:��Set in the bush on the edges of the Abel Tasman Coast Track, ��(from $166) is only accessible by foot or boat from Kaiteriteri and various spots along the coast. The 26-room hotel is a bit glossier than some of its counterparts on Marlborough’s Queen Charlotte Track, with a spa,��pizza bar, and library. Kayaking trips and guided bushwalks are also available directly from the lodge.��

Abel Tasman Lodge:��Owners Jocelyn and Scott��Hendry were living overseas when they bought this five years ago (from $146). They arrived home to discover it was in need of an overhaul. Their renovations—which included adding a shoe-washing station for dirty boots, a��massage studio for sore post-hike muscles, and a revamped shared kitchen area with top-end barbecues—paid off. In 2019, this lodge in Marahau was named the country’s best small hotel by TripAdvisor.��

Old MacDonald’s Farm: A short walk from the entrance��to Abel Tasman Coast Track, in Marahau offers a range of options, from tent sites ($15) and dormitories ($23) to self-contained cabins ($119).��As the name implies, it’s a working farm, and a nearby river is a popular post-adventure spot for guests.��

Detours

If you’ve been hankering for one of Queenstown’s legendary��,��from a restaurant known for its unusual meat choices such as lamb and venison (everyone from to claims they’re among��the world’s finest), try the first. This little food truck in Marahau is quietly pumping out what some consider the best (and biggest) burgers on the South Island—all without the hourlong line or the hype.��

The West Coast��

A long, narrow stretch of coastline reaching from Karamea in the north to Haast in the south,��the South Island’s West Coast��lives up to its wet and wild reputation, receiving up to 32 feet of rain per year.��Most tourists will only drive through on their way to see the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, some of the island’s biggest attractions,��which is good news if you’re looking for relatively untouched mountain-biking and hiking trails in native rainforest. Just remember to bring your rainjacket‚ even during the less rainy winter months.��

From Nelson, take SH 6 southwest for three hours until you hit Westport, your first major stop on the West Coast.��The road to get there—like many in New Zealand—is winding and long, so stop in Murchison, about 80 miles in, to fuel up and grab lunch.��

Karamea is 90 minutes��farther north via SH 67,��while Greymouth, Punakaiki, and Hokitika are all to the south on your way to the glaciers.��

What to Do While You’re There

Hike the Paparoa Track.��The first Great Walk built in New Zealand in 25 years,��this 34-mile one-way track was completed in December.��It’s the only purpose-built route for both hikers and mountain bikers in the country and offers��access to the remote Paparoa Range, a stunning environment of limestone karst, rainforest, and high-alpine tussocks.��It can be walked in either direction, northwest from Blackball or southeast from Punakaiki, and takes three days to complete on foot and two by bike. There’s no trailside camping, and huts must be booked in advance through DOC.��Before starting your walk, stock up on supplies in nearby Greymouth, as there are only small, limited grocery stores in the walk's terminus towns.

Cycle through��rainforest and along the ocean.��Built for cyclists, the 75-mile ��from Greymouth to Ross follows paved and gravel routes originally carved out by gold-rush miners.��Although it’s pretty beginner-friendly—the New Zealand Cycle Trail system��rated it as grade two, with some grade-three��on-road riding—it’s still a ride for the intrepid, given the amount of rainfall.��Best completed over four days, it follows bush railway lines��and ocean shorelines��and passes by the remains of former gold-mining towns. Looking for a more advanced challenge that will take you through forgotten valleys and across tussock-covered mountaintops? Try the , a 52-mile,��grade-four��trail. Also accessible to trampers, it starts in Lyell (an hour inland from Westport) and connects to the Mokihinui River in the north near Seddonville. If you plan to complete it in its entirety—a journey that takes two to five days—bookings for the track’s huts, campsites, and private sleepouts next to the huts��must be made in advance.��

Explore Kahurangi National Park.��Just northeast of Karamea, Kahurangi is blissfully free of the crowds you might find in other national parks. It’s New Zealand’s second largest��and is best known for the , a four-to-six-day Great Walk that connects this��region to Nelson Tasman. (It’s also open to mountain bikers during the winter months.)��If you’re looking for a place to chill out after your trek, the tiny township of Karamea is the place to do it. Connect with Mark Cloughley of to find out where the best surf breaks are; paddle or tube through the Karamea Gorge with (from $49); or explore the Honeycomb Hill Specially Protected Area, an expansive cave system that’s (from $62)��due to the delicate environment, in the national park’s Oparara Basin.��

Where to Stay

Theatre Royal��Hotel: Popular with cyclists on the West Coast Wilderness Trail, ,��20 minutes southeast of Greymouth, was built as a gold miners’ lodge and dance hall in the late 1800s.��It was all but abandoned for several years��but has been fully restored to its former glory. It offers��plenty of storage for bicycles��as well as e-bike charging stations. Rooms start at $85 per night, but if you’re on a budget—and comfortable sleeping in a place that’s almost guaranteed to be haunted—check in to Theatre Royal’s Undertakers��Backpackers, where beds start from��$16��a night.��

Punakaiki Beach Camp: The new beachside cabins at ��(from $54), located on the coast at the north end of the Paparoa Track, are your go-to if you’re walking or cycling the trail. The camp will take care of gear transfers and transport your car to the start or end of the track in Blackball. Powered and tent sites are also available��(from $12).��

Otago

Otago’s biggest municipality, Queenstown,��likely needs no introduction. This is where bungee jumping��and jet boating were invented. It’s also where you can whitewater raft, parasail, canyon swing, skydive, snowboard, heli-hike, mountain bike… you get the idea.��

If you’re happy to drop all your money doing outlandish things and (hopefully) living to tell about it, go hard. However, venture beyond the city’s limits—even if it’s just over to nearby Wanaka—and you’ll find wide-open spaces and trails with fewer crowds and plenty of free outdoor activities.��

It’s a long drive over��Haast Pass to Queenstown, so break it up into several days if time allows. From the town of Hokitika, it takes about 5.5 hours, not including the stops you should make along the way, including hiking at the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers��and exploring waterfalls like Fantail and Roaring Billy Falls.��

After the pass, it’s about an hour to the region’s first major town, Wanaka. From there, Queenstown is another hour south through the Crown Range,��the highest main road in New Zealand, reaching an��elevation��of 3,677 feet. If you plan to take��on this pass in the winter, you’ll need to come equipped with snow chains for your tires.��

What to Do While You’re There

Tramp high into Mount Aspiring National Park.��Hiking in this national park will take you deep into New Zealand’s Southern Alps.��Although most of the park is technically in the west-coast region, its tracks can be accessed from the Otago��towns of Makarora, Wanaka, Queenstown, and Glenorchy, as well as Southland’s Te Anau.��Most people in the park just do the roadside one-hour Blue Pools walk to peer into their crystalline depths, but the 36-mile —which starts in Makarora, about an hour north of Wanaka,��and takes around four days to complete—is worth the time and effort. Best for experienced trampers, the second day of the track will take you over a 5,250-foot pass, with impressive views of the aptly named Mount Awful.��While the track takes as little as three days to complete, spend an extra night to do the lung-busting, 5.3-mile trail to Crucible Lake, a bright blue pool of glacial runoff situated beneath the icy peak of Mount Alba. The circuit has three first-come, first-served DOC huts along the way that require hut tickets or passes.��

Go whitewater��stand-up paddleboarding in Wanaka.��Wanaka is one of only two places on the South Island where you can whitewater kayak or SUP (the other is on the West Coast near Karamea). Lake Wanaka empties into the Clutha,��the second-longest river in New Zealand, where it forms Class I–II��rapids and whirlpools. Even at depths of 65 feet, it’s so clear that you can see trout swimming along its bottom.��With a flow fluctuating between 7,000 and 21,000 cubic feet per second,��the entire river can be paddled southward from its start near Queenstown to the sea (ending near Dunedin on the east coast) in about a week.��Outfitter (from $119) offers a four-hour whitewater SUP tour, as well as multi-day kayaking and lake excursions.��

Heli-ski in Queenstown.��With five areas (Cardrona, Treble Cone, the Remarkables, Coronet Peak,��and the exclusive Soho Basin) and a long season that lasts from June to October��(granted with plenty of help from snow cannons), Queenstown (day tickets from $78)��is the most popular skiing destination in Oceania. Got a bit of extra cash to splash out? It’s a great place to try heli-skiing. Compared to other mountain��destinations, you don’t have to be an expert to do it here, with outfitters��catering to both intermediate and advanced levels.�� (from $660) and (from $697) are two of the largest operators and group guests according to skill level, while (from $660) has access to more skiable terrain.��

Where to Stay

Kamana Lakehouse:�� in Queenstown is set high��in Fernhill, with stunning views of the towering Remarkables Range and Lake Wakatipu. Its��après-ski room is probably the most luxurious you’ll see in the region, with heated cupboards for ski boots.��The view doesn’t come cheap though, with 73 rooms starting at $210, but the private outdoor hot tubs make it worth it.��

Oasis Yurts:��When Jo Day and Rusty��Downham decided to open , they had three nonnegotiables: access for those with disabilities��(having had friends seriously injured in whitewater-rafting accidents), family-friendly, and communal, with a common space and kitchen that even they would love to cook in.��With six yurts set beside the river��just outside Wanaka (from $116), the resulting space easily earns its name.

Camp Glenorchy:��There is absolutely no greenwashing at .��The sustainable lodge and campsite,��two hours west of Wanaka, is designed so that 100 percent of its energy is generated on-site.��The Routeburn Track, another premier Great Walk, is only 11 miles away and e-bike rentals are available on-site (bunks from $30; powered sites from $36).��

Detours��

If you can’t get a table at Wanaka’s acclaimed restaurant,��mosey over to instead. It will feel like you’ve wandered into someone’s living room, because you have. The owner, Pedro, lives here, and the service is highly dependent on his mood. Menus change regularly and are posted on chalkboards throughout the room. The one thing that is guaranteed? Pedro’s son, Jacques Scott, will churn out a hearty helping of delicious Mediterranean meals with fresh ingredients.��

Southland

New Zealand’s biggest national park, Fiordland,��is also its most famous for good reason. Every year��around 400,000 tourists travel to Fiordland’s isolated Milford Sound to catch a glimpse of waterfalls that plummet down into the ocean off sheer cliff faces.��

However, it’s not the only thing that Southland has to offer. In the country’s southeast corner,��the rugged Catlins, where dense forest extends to the sea, are home to a few endangered species of birds,��including the rare yellow-eyed penguin. The penguins can also be found on Stewart Island, 18 miles off the southern coast,��alongside kiwis and albatross.��

Starting in Queenstown, head southwest on SH 6 until you reach the 97, which turns into SH 94 at Mossburn.��It will take about two hours to reach Te Anau, the midpoint of Fiordland, where you’ll find the .��

Driving all the way to Milford Sound takes an��additional two hours northwest on SH 94,��but check the NZTA website before you depart—the road closes frequently during the winter and spring.��If traveling in the winter, you’ll also need snow chains, which are available for rent in Te Anau. Finally, if you want to avoid the thousands of other tourists also making the drive, check out of when the tour��buses typically stop at lookout points along the way.��

From Te Anau to Invercargill, your��jumping-off point to Stewart Island, it’s a two-hour drive southeast starting on SH 94.��

What to Do While You’re There

Explore Fiordland National Park.��Called the “world’s finest walk,”��Fiordland’s 33-mile packs all of New Zealand’s superlatives into four days. Starting at Glade Wharf, at the head of Lake Te Anau, and traversing north to Milford Sound,��this intermediate walk passes through ancient rainforests, past gushing waterfalls, and into valleys carved by glaciers. In order to complete it without a guide, you’ll need to book DOC huts far in advance, as there’s no trailside camping.��It’s also one of the more expensive Great Walks, costing $46, with an additional fee for boat transportation from Te Anau to the starting point. Its popularity comes with another cost: it sells out quickly, so you’ll have to book it up to ten��months in advance.��Another option is the , which starts at the signed parking lot east of the Homer Tunnel, about 60 miles north of Te Anau on the road to Milford Sound. Not to be attempted in wet or winter weather, the challenging six-hour tramping route will see you crossing rivers and rock scrambling��but will reward you with views of the valley below and parts of Milford Sound.��

Take the ferry to Stewart Island.��If you’ve traveled this far in New Zealand, you’ve likely already seen a��kiwi, the country’s��most famous endemic bird,��in a wildlife sanctuary. , however, may be your best bet to see them in the wild.��The crossing from Bluff, near Invercargill, to the island’s port of Oban via express catamaran costs $106 round-trip��and takes roughly one hour. Once on the island, there are countless walking paths, but the best way to see it is via the , another Great Walk. A 20-mile loop, it takes about three days to complete,��starting from the Lee Bay Road End, two miles north of Oban, and ending near the in Oban. There are two huts along the path and three campsites that must be booked in advance.��

Where to Stay

Milford Sound Lodge:�� isn’t just the place to stay in Milford Sound—it’s the only place to stay. (And if you plan to visit between October and April, book well in advance.) Luckily, having a monopoly on the area hasn’t resulted in subpar accommodation at inflated prices. The food is highly rated, as are the rooms. The boat terminal from the Milford Track is only a 30-minute walk away, though the lodge also runs a guest shuttle.��Accommodation ranges from a camper-van park (from $20 per person) to private chalets with riverside views (from $262).��

Aden Motel:��It’s the small touches, like colorful comforters, graphic wall murals, and updated bathrooms,��that make this 12-unit one of the top rated in Te Anau. If you’re self-catering, most rooms (from $83)��have full kitchens, and in the summertime, a barbecue is available for use.��

Te Anau Lakefront Backpackers: Only a five-minute walk from the shops, this is in a prime location, directly on Te Anau’s shorefront.��Sick of staying in the standard shared dorm rooms ($23)? Opt for a shared glamping tent instead ($19). For those looking for a bit more privacy, new cabins ($80) are also available, as are tent sites��($17).��

Detours

Endemic to New Zealand, yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho)—identified by the pale feathers surrounding their��eyes—use the Catlins to breed.��Your best bet to see them year-round without shelling out for a tour is to head to Curio Bay or Nugget Point Totara Scenic Reserve on your way back north when the sun is starting to set, which is when they come in from feeding at sea.��To avoid disrupting the endangered birds, use the available public viewing hides.��

Canterbury��

It’s been nearly a decade since a 6.3-magnitude earthquake all but destroyed the South Island’s largest city. But disaster has given Christchurch a chance to reinvent itself.��Just two years ago, I wouldn’t have recommended staying in the city for more than a couple of nights, but now��every week marks the opening of a new restaurant or attraction.��

Christchurch has been transformed into an ideal base for day trips to explore the rest of Canterbury. Arthur’s Pass,��Mount Cook, and Akaroa are all short drives away, while the city itself has prime mountain biking in its hills and surfing on its shores.��

From Invercargill, Christchurch is a long 7.5-hour drive up SH 93 and SH 1—but take the extra half-hour and hug the coast by linking various state highways that wind through the Catlins and past scenic lookouts like the Nugget Point Lighthouse. Break up the trip with an overnight in the university town of Dunedin,��about five hours south of Christchurch, known for its Gothic architecture. Alternatively, cut back inland on SH 8 toward Queenstown and hit Lake Pukaki, Lake Tekapo, and Aoraki, or Mount Cook��on your way back north.��

To access Mount Cook, the closest places to overnight are in Mount Cook Village or nearby Twizel or Lake Tekapo.��Start by driving southwest from Christchurch on SH 1, then turning onto the 79 in Geraldine. At Fairlie this will turn into SH 8. At Lake Pukaki, drive north on the 80 to reach Mount Cook Village. In total, this journey should take you four hours.��

What to Do While You’re There

Trek in Arthur’s Pass National Park.��An easy day trip from Christchurch (but well worth an overnight) is the alpine valley of , a two-hour drive northwest from Christchurch on SH 73,��where you’ve got a good chance of seeing endangered keas. The country’s cheeky native alpine parrots are known to hang out near cafés and campsites. (As is best practice with all wildlife, don’t feed them or leave food out.)��There are a number of overnight tramps to DOC huts that start from the village, but if you have less time, the best day hike in the area is the 3,609-foot vertical , which can be done in six to eight hours. However, if travel is inadvisable due to poor visibility or high winds, there are several other challenging half-day walks in the area. Be prepared though: accommodation in Arthur’s Pass is very limited, although there may be some homes available for rent��in nearby Castle Hill Village��and there are DOC campsites along the main road. Just down the street is the , where properly equipped cavers can make their way through the twists and turns of a 1,948-foot cavern truncated by a ten-foot-high waterfall. Bring a headlamp, dress in warm layers, and prepare to get very wet.��

Visit the Banks Peninsula.��A volcanic landmass just outside Christchurch, the Banks Peninsula has some of the best mountain biking and tramping in the region, thanks to its rugged, hilly terrain.��Akaroa, a small French��village about an hour’s drive south of Christchurch, is the start of the three-day Banks Track, a moderate hike that winds past dramatic cliffs and farmland and is guaranteed to be uncrowded: only 16 walkers are allowed on the track each day.��The coastal Port Hills, a 15-minute drive from the city center, is where the 12.5-mile , known for sweeping coastal views over grassy plains, begins. It will take you along the high ridgeline of the extinct Lyttelton Volcano. You can also mountain-bike on well-established routes across the crater, including at the , which has 21 trails forming about 50 different combinations.��

Climb the trails at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.��North of Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki is New Zealand’s highest peak,��12,218-foot Mount Cook (Aoraki, or “cloud piercer,” in Māori). The most popular stroll from Mount Cook Village is the three-hour Hooker Valley Walk, but the Sealy Tarns Track, with 1,968 feet in elevation gain,��is a much better way to spend an afternoon. It’s not the most exciting of climbs—called the Stairway to Heaven, it’s basically a never-ending StairMaster made up of 2,200 steps—but the payoff is epic views of Mount Cook, the freshwater lakes of Sealy Tarns, and the Hooker Valley.��If you have more time and the weather allows, the 5.2-mile one-way —which branches off from Sealy Tarns and includes a rock scramble near the top—is worth an overnight; the star-strewn vistas��of New Zealand’s tallest mountains are hard to beat. The most recent hut, built in 2003, was opened by famous Kiwi mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary in the shadow of Mount Ollivier, the first peak he ever climbed.��

Where to Stay��

SkyScape: If you have a bit of money left at the end of your trip, the architecturally stunning near Twizel,��50 minutes south of Mount Cook, is the place to spend it. Isolated high among��the tussocks of a family-owned sheep station,��its three rooms have all-glass ceilings and outdoor baths, which allows you to stargaze from your bed (from $400, including breakfast).��

French Bay��House:��After years spent working in hospitality projects abroad, Jacqui and Tim��Richardson took over in Akaroa (from $146) in 2017,��which was the town doctor’s residence in the 1800s. The hot breakfasts are reason enough to say, with hand-rolled croissants, fresh lemon curd, and eggs from the couple’s own hens.��

Camping near Lake McGregor:��On the shores of Lake Alexandrina, near Lake Tekapo,��this basic site has toilets but no running water or electricity (from $3). What it lacks in amenities, it makes up for in stunning views of the surrounding peaks reflected in the lake’s glassy waters.��

Detours

Lake Tekapo, a less than an hour’s drive south from Mount Cook,��is located at the heart of the —the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.�� offers stargazing and observatory experiences at the University of Canterbury’s Mount��John Observatory, the Church of the Good Shepherd, and Cowan’s Observatory.��

How to Be Conscious While Visiting New Zealand

Remember that you are just one of four million.��Overtourism is a serious concern in New Zealand,��where the country’s population of 4.9 million will soon be exceeded by its annual��international arrivals, which are projected to reach 5.1 million by 2024.��Tourism puts extreme pressure on the country’s already vulnerable natural environment, as well as its infrastructure and public services such as health care. (If you’re injured while in New Zealand, you’ll be covered by the government’s ,��although supplementary travel insurance is still necessary to cover illness or trip disruptions.) Abide by , a new national initiative that asks all visitors to drive carefully, be prepared, show respect, and protect nature.��

Don’t underestimate New Zealand’s wilderness or weather.��No, there aren’t any bears or snakes to be concerned about.��And yes, many DOC-maintained routes are technically open in the winter months. But that doesn’t mean you should use them. Take the advice of locals, tourism-information staff, and DOC seriously, and don’t allow optimism bias to prevail. In addition to avalanche risks and high-wind conditions, weather can shift quickly in New Zealand’s alpine environments. Always notify people of your plans, and pack emergency supplies. Personal-locator beacons, which can be rented��from most outdoor outfitters and some DOC info centers, are a wise investment, because cell-phone service doesn’t exist in most national parks—and nobody wants to be that tourist who has to be airlifted out.��

Help prevent the spread of invasive species.��When you’ve spent 15-plus hours flying across the world, encountering strict biosecurity guidelines in the customs hall can feel, well, exhausting. However, it’s necessary. Incoming tourists are one of the biggest threats to the country’s biodiversity, with unwanted insect hitchhikers potentially devastating to��native flora and fauna. Once you’re across the border, be sure to clean your boots before and after heading into the bush, which can help protect kauris (a type of native tree). Any gear that’s been used in or around waterways should also be cleaned and dried to prevent the spread of didymo algae.��

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The post The Ultimate New Zealand South Island Travel Guide appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

New Zealand’s Great Walks are legendary in the backcountry world. Since launching in 1993 to protect some of the country’s most beloved trails, the three-to-five-day treks have attracted millions of hikers, all eager to traverse the island nation’s iconic landscapes, from the s alpine passes on the South Island to the ’s active volcanic fields on the North Island. Many lie in remote, untouched corners. All are bucket-list worthy.

So when I heard about the —the first Great Walk to open in more than 25 years—I knew I had to be one of the first on it. It wasn’t just because of its novelty or the fact that it crosses the South Island’s pristine west-coast wilderness. It was because this trail is completely unlike its predecessors.

While the nine original Great Walks were based on existing trails, the 35-mile Paparoa is purpose-built, cutting southeast to northwest through difficult, previously inaccessible terrain in Paparoa National Park, from the inland town of Blackball to the coastal village Punakaiki. It’s also the first Great Walk designated for dual use by hikers and mountain bikers. Designed to be walked over three days (or ridden over two days), the track gently meanders upward��through rainforest to exposed ridges and past waterfalls, limestone caves, and relics of the area’s gold-mining past. On clear days, views stretch across alpine tussocks to the Tasman Sea.

Securing my spot wasn’t as simple as showing up, though. The Great Walks are some of the most popular backpacking trails (or tramps, as they’re known in Kiwi slang) in New Zealand. They’re easy to follow and little gear is needed, since hikers typically sleep in huts along the way, which come equipped with amenities like sleeping pads and stoves��and��are staffed by��rangers.��The Paparoa Track features three huts: the previously existing Ces Clarke Hut and the brand-new Moonlight Tops and Pororari��Huts. Some tracks allow trailside camping in designated sites;��on others, like the Paparoa, huts are mandatory��and must be reserved in advance. Typically, the booking system for huts and campsites opens in June for the summer season, which runs from November to April. Not unlike a Taylor Swift concert, spots for peak periods on the most in-demand tracks sell out .

So when I scored two of just 40 opening-day spots on the Paparoa, it wasn’t luck��but the result of reloading my browser every three seconds until the site opened at 9:30 A.M.

Then��all that was left to do was spend the next six months telling anyone who would listen that I’d scored a coveted first spot on the trail. But��there was one thing I didn’t account for: that the West Coast, which fully lives up to its , might have other plans.

Although the Paparoa Track can be hiked in either direction, the suggested starting point is Blackball, a small inland village of 300 about 15 miles northeast of Greymouth, the West Coast’s largest city. Its main drag is lined with historic mining cottages in various states of disrepair,��physical specters of the last 130 years of booms and busts. Since the late 1800s, the residents of Blackball have played witness to countless promises of improved economic prosperity. The Paparoa Track is the latest.

The Great Walks are an identifiable brand that’s put some of the country’s most remote areas straight on to . Every year��around 110,000 hikers, more than half of which are international arrivals, complete one of the walks. For communities that might not otherwise be on the map, it’s a lucrative industry. The average international hiking tourist vacations longer—more than twice as many trampers stay for at least 20 nights��compared to non-hiking international visitors—and spends nearly on accommodation, food, and services. In some regions, this has equated to millions in tourism dollars; it’s estimated that the most famous Great Walk, the Milford Track, generates $13.2 million for .

Blackball is already showing signs of what’s to come. There are new public toilets, five different transfer services that deliver walkers from nearby Greymouth or Punakaiki (where there are more accommodation options) to the start of the track, and, for the first time ever, Airbnbs. However, for the residents of the area, it’s impossible to talk about this latest economic promise without thinking of the last one��11 years earlier. When the Pike River coal mine opened in near Blackball in 2008, it was predicted to bring in around $112 million annually. But only two years later,��explosions in its shaft left 29 men dead and 114 without jobs. In the years that followed, more than 1,000 additional people lost jobs��due to falling coal prices.

For the families of the 29 men, the tragedy was only further incentive to find a sustainable alternative to mining. Inspired by the nearby cycling area—which��after opening five years ago, now sees��10,000 visitors per year—the families proposed building a track in Paparoa National Park in 2015. The park’s proximity to the Pike River mine meant that there could also be a side trail to a memorial at the disaster site.

The clincher was making it a Great Walk. The designation comes with a marketing push from Tourism New Zealand��and would help firmly establish the region as more than just a pit stop on the way��to the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, two of the South Island’s biggest attractions. For the first time in the region’s history, it would be a way to capitalize on the area’s natural resources without exploiting them.

But building a trail��through the mountainous terrain wouldn’t be easy. The Paparoa range sits directly in the pathway of some of the South Island’s wildest weather. Part of the Southern Alps, the range is the first to receive strong westerly airstreams, resulting in up to 20 feet of rain per year.

For over two years, three teams of track builders—many of them former miners—weathered the wet and wild conditions. In 2018, ��Fehi and Gita hit with such force that even heavy machinery was tossed aside. The planned opening date of April 2019 was to September, then to December.

When I asked Mark Nelson, project manager of the Paparoa Track, if there were ever any concerns about the area’s suitability for a Great Walk, he didn’t pause before responding. “We always understood that the Paparoas have a really unusual weather pattern. Turning up on a bad day is about embracing where you are. The place changes—you get this magnificent smell of the moss and trees, and the cloud formations, creeks, and waterfalls come alive.” Despite the odds, the $8 million project was finally completed last��December.

“Kia ora,” the email read. “We are very sorry to inform you that due to a recent slip, you will not be able to walk the full track.” Slip. It’s the ever so polite word that Kiwis use to describe everything from a few fallen rocks to a catastrophic landslide. In this case, it was the latter. Just beyond the Moonlight Tops Hut, where I was booked to spend my first night, the path had been washed away, making the middle 11 miles of the track between the Moonlight Tops and Pororari��Huts impassable. Only two weeks before I was supposed to leave, my plans had literally come crashing down.

But after months of anticipation (and bragging), I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. Instead of conquering the trail over three days, I decided to spend a night at Moonlight Tops before retracing back to my starting point in Blackball. If I was lucky and the weather held out, I could then drive to Punakaiki, the town on the opposite end of the track, and do part of the last third��of the trail toward��Pororari��Hut in reverse.

The first day of the track is arguably the most difficult, with 12.5 miles to cover and 2,600 feet in elevation gain. I barely noticed the incline—instead, I was fixated on the call of tuis, one of New Zealand’s endemic birds, ringing through rainforest and the way the mist gently caressed��the tops of the nikau palms. My friend Alexis, who had agreed to join me, and I crossed swinging bridges over rushing creeks, every surface dripping with electric green moss.

That all changed seven miles later��when we got above tree line. Exposed, we ducked into Ces Clarke, an already existing hut that had served a former trail, to shelter from an incoming storm. ���ϳԹ���, the wind screamed. We watched as five cyclists raced past. Having already been to the Moonlight Tops Hut, they didn’t bother to stop on their way back down.

We decided to continue on. At first��it was manageable. But then we turned a corner and the wind swirled, grabbing at us in unpredictable gusts. I clung to the closest tussock, rain pelting sideways at my face. Beneath me��the track turned into a creek bed. But because we were at an equidistant point in the six-mile slog, we pushed on.

Despite the rain—or perhaps because of it—there was a kind of sublime beauty to the Paparoas. Dozens of impromptu waterfalls rushed over the track’s edge. Although we couldn’t see the advertised views, there’s something transcendent about crossing narrow ridgelines and disappearing into fog. It felt adventurous, a quality that’s��hard to achieve on a path designed to be well-trodden.

Alexis and I were the first hikers to reach the brand-new Moonlight Tops Hut, where we started a fresh page in the shelter’s journal, our names inked proudly at the top.

The next morning, not able to go any farther due to the slip and not wanting to backtrack, we opted to return by way of the 13-mile Croesus Track. Previously, it was one of the park’s only trails and the pathway to the Ces Clarke Hut.

Like most of the trails in Paparoa National Park before the Great Walk was built, the Croesus is little more than vague goat tracks on the side of the mountain, accessible only to those with wilderness experience. We scrambled over loose rocks, eager to get down before the next storm arrived. At points��we lost the path, only picking it up again when we spotted an orange trail marker through the fog.

By the time we reached my car, I was barely able to stagger another step. We had timed it perfectly—the moment I put my key in the ignition, the heavens unleashed.

Looking back up at the mountaintops, I couldn’t help but feel somehow cheated. As much as I was ready to get down, part of me couldn’t wait to go back up.

I was determined to see the other end of the track, so five days later, my hiking boots still wet, I drove 150 miles south to Fox Glacier to wait out the wet weather and check out the glaciers. While the middle section of the Paparoa remains��closed, the part from Punakaiki is��open and reportedly stunning, taking hikers nine miles through the Pororari River’s gorge of limestone karst up to the Pororari��Hut. I planned to hike in a few hours to get a glimpse of the trail before turning around.

Overnight, the storm intensified. By morning, the power was out. Bleary-eyed, I trudged over to the front desk at the Bella Vista��motel, where I was staying.

“You might as well go back to bed,” the manager, Sue Bergquist, said. “There’s been slips on both the roads in and out—it might be days before they’re open again.” She delivered��the��news with the matter-of-fact authority of someone who has grown accustomed to a landscape where slips are a part of daily life.

The roads weren’t the only casualty of the weather. Repair work on the Paparoa Track has also been delayed. Now it’s estimated that the full walk won’t open until March, with the Pike 29 Memorial expected to open sometime later in the year. In order to return, which I’m eager to do,��I will have to be patient, a skill I’m getting better at since moving to New Zealand last year. Because in a place ruled by��nature, slips are merely a setback, not an end.

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