Here are the dates you can book your next NZ Great Walk
Tuesday, 30 April 2024
The Department of Conservation has announced bookings for the Great Walks will open from May.
Milford Track is up first and sold out on the first day last year.
The bookings systems for Great Walks and other huts and camp sites have been combined this year to make booking more straightforward.
Bookings for New Zealand’s Great Walks will open from May 28 to June 6 for the next season.
Milford Track booked out on opening day last year and is the first track to open its bookings this year.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) said while the most popular tracks such as Milford and Routeburn book out very fast, walks such as Abel Tasman, Heaphy and Lake Waikaremoana have greater capacity.
There are often cancellations following the bookings opening dates, it said.
Last year, by the end of July the number of people who’d booked a Great Walk had reached pre-pandemic numbers, said director of heritage and visitors Cat Wilson.
“This year we have combined the bookings systems for Great Walks and other huts and camp sites to make booking more straightforward for users. This means people will only need a single account to book the Great Walks and all other accommodation next season.
Users who don’t already have an account on DOC’s existing huts and camp sites booking system will need to create a new login and account.
Bookings for other facilities on non-Great Walks for 2024/25 opened earlier in April.
In 2023, the booking system for the first of the Great Walks crashed due to “extremely high traffic”.
When the Milford Track went on sale at 9.30am, 10,000 people logged onto the system at the same time.
In the past, the system has dealt with 6000-7000 customers on opening days.
New Zealand’s Great Walks are hugely popular and spaces have been limited to prevent overcrowding and protect biodiversity.
“Great Walks are a big driver for international visitors,” said Wilson.
“In a pre-pandemic survey one in 10 visitors to New Zealand said they did a Great Walk on their holiday.
'However, even with international visitors returning over the past year, the Great Walks continue to attract high levels of New Zealanders, who accounted for 70% of bed-nights booked last year.
“2023/24 statistics show total Great Walk bed-nights were up 7.7% on the previous year with 128,115 bed-nights compared to 118,921 in the previous year.
“The numbers were also up 7.1% compared to the pre-COVID summer of 2019/20 of 119,581 bed-nights.
“Abel Tasman Coast Track bed-nights were up 11.2%, Tongariro Northern Circuit was up 10% and the Heaphy Track bounced back to 88% of pre-COVID levels despite only reopening as a full walk in October 2023 following storm damage.
“This year, we recommend people have their online login sorted in advance to book their preferred walks on ‘bookings open’ day, so they’re all ready to go.”
Here’s when bookings open:
May 28 Milford Track, Lake Waikaremoana Track at 9:30 am.
May 30 Abel Tasman Coast Track, Rakiura Track, Whanganui Journey at 9:30 am.
June 5 Routeburn Track, Paparoa Track at 9:30 am.
June 6 Kepler Track, Heaphy Track, Tongariro Northern Circuit 9:30 am.
Hump Ridge Track will become a ‘Great Walk’ in October 2024 and can be booked in advance through the Hump Ridge Trust.
Remember to always follow the NZ Land Safety Code when exploring our great outdoors:
Choose the right trip for you– l earn about the route and make sure you have the skills for it.
Understand the weather– it can change fast. Check the forecast and change your plans if needed.
Pack warm clothes and extra food– p repare for bad weather and an unexpected night out.
Share your plans and take ways to get help– t elling a trusted person your trip details and taking a distress beacon can save your life.
Take care of yourself and each other– e at, drink and rest, stick with your group, and make decisions together.
Are you planning a Great Walk next season? Which one do you plan to book and why?