Department of Conservation (DOC) - NZLive.com

Cape Brett Lighthouse

Visit the historic lighthouse, cottage and settlement ruins at Cape Brett, at the entrance to the Bay of Islands. Fully installed on the 21st of February 1910, the lighthouse was manned until 1978 when it was equipped with an automated light. Accommodation is available at the lighthouse keepers cottage providing visitors with an idea of what it was like to live as a lighthouse keeper in this remote site. Accommodation costs: $12 per night for adults; $6 per night for children under 15 years. Cape Brett is of particular spiritual and traditional importance to local and Northland Maori. For access details, see the website or contact the Russell Visitor Centre, phone 09 403 9005.

Dates: Wed Aug 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Northland
Cost: tbc

Mansion House and Kawau Island Historic Reserve

Mansion House was the home of former Governor Sir George Grey and is situated on Kawau Island, now a historic reserve. Sir George Grey purchased the house and island in 1862 and spent the next 26 years developing his collection of exotic and native plants and animals. Among these were wallabies, zebra, kookaburras and monkeys. The House is listed as a Category 1 Historic Place and is open to visitors, for a small entrance fee - adults $4, children $2. The gardens surrounding the house are also open to visitors and are currently being restored. The Mansion House jetty is thought to be the oldest remaining jetty in New Zealand. Kawau Island is the site of one of New Zealand's earliest copper mines. You can also visit the original copper mine engine house and smelting house built in 1854. For information on how to get to Kawau Island, contact the island's Visitor Information Centre, phone 09 9 422 8882 or email kawauislandfc@doc.govt.nz

Dates: Wed Aug 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Auckland
Cost: Variable

Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway

The Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway passes several historic gold mining sites. The sites are located at both ends of the walkway. In the 1890s, several gold mining companies erected batteries and cyanide plants. You can see the impressive structural remains of these, as well as several rail heritage sites along the route. Access to the Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway is via State Highway 2, between Paeroa and Waikino. The walkway is an easy walking track that will take you between 45 minutes to 3 hours return, depending on the section you walk. The loop track isn't suitable for wheelchairs. Check the website for entry points to the walkway and the different tracks you can walk. Time: 2 hr one way (allow 45 min for the loop section) Distance: 7 km (incorporates 2 km loop walk) What to expect on a walking track: -- Easy to moderate walking from a few minutes to a day -- Track is mostly well formed, some sections may be steep, rough or muddy -- Suitable for people with low to moderate fitness and abilities -- Clearly sign posted. Stream and river crossings are bridged -- Walking shoes or light tramping/hiking boots required Image credit: Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway, Coromandel. Photo: Graeme Conway.

Dates: Wed Aug 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Waiorongomai Valley Historic Area

Waiorongomai Valley has many old goldmining sites and the Piako County Tramway built in 1882-83. It is New Zealand's oldest known railway with the original rail still in place. It was built to support a historic gold mining site, and features three self-acting inclines, of which Butlers Incline is 400m long and at a steep 25o angle. The area has a number of other historic sites to explore following old mining trails. See the website for access and walking track details. Image: Equipment at Hardies Mine.

Dates: Wed Aug 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Bay of Plenty
Cost: Free

Waipoua Forest

Waipoua Forest is a remnant of the ancient subtropical rainforest that once grew on the North Auckland Peninsula. Covering 25 square kilometres, it preserves three quarters of New Zealand's remaining kauri trees. It is notable for having two of the largest living kauri trees, Tane Mahuta and Te Matua Ngahere. Tāne Mahuta (Lord of the Forest) is the most massive kauri known to stand today. It is 51 metres (169 feet) in height, and has a circumference of 13.8 metres (45 feet). There is no proof of the tree's age, but it is estimated to be between 1250 and 2500 years old. Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest) has a circumference of over 16 metres. It possibly has the greatest trunk circumference of any tree in the Southern Hemisphere, and is estimated to be close to 2000 years old. The forest contains a great number of other plant types and is a vitally important refuge for threatened wildlife. NZ pigeons, fantails, pied tit, tui, grey warbler, shining cuckoo and kingfisher are common. It has the largest population of North Island brown kiwi in Northland. Populations of the endangered North Island kokako can be found in the high plateau country. Good walking tracks give easy access to the giant trees Tane Mahuta and Te Matua Ngahere. A few tramping tracks and routes are also available for those who wish to venture deeper into the forest.

Dates: Mon Jan 01 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Northland
Cost: Free

Putangirua Pinnacles Scenic Reserve

The Putangirua Pinnacles, also known colloquially simply as The Pinnacles, are a striking geological formation consisting of a large number of earth pillars located at the head of a valley in the Aorangi Ranges. The “badlands erosion” of Putangirua Pinnacles is a spectacular landscape feature attracting many visitors to the southern Wairarapa. Part of the Paths of the Dead sequence in the film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was filmed on location here. Putangirua Pinnacles Scenic Reserve is 13 km along Cape Palliser Road from the Lake Ferry turn-off, approximately one hour’s drive from Martinborough. The turn-off and campsite are 500 metres past the Department of Conservation caretaker’s residence. Three routes take you to the spectacular Pinnacles,- along a streambed, through the bush, or on a loop track. See full walk descriptions on the carpark signboard. Walks range from 1-4 hours return. Image credit: Touko Maksimainen - Wikipedia.

Dates: Mon Jan 01 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Wellington
Cost: Free

Kapiti Island Nature Reserve

Kapiti Island It is a small but visually prominent island about 8 km (5 miles) off the west coast of the lower North Island of New Zealand. Kapiti is one of New Zealand’s most valuable nature reserves, and it is the only large island sanctuary for birds between Hauraki Gulf in the north and NZ’s southern outlying islands. The island is home to a number of native birds (mostly re-introduced), including takahe, kokako, brown teal, stitchbirds, and tieke (saddleback), miromiro, piwakawaka, ruru, weka (hybrid of North and South Island subspecies), hihi, and toutouwai. The Brown Kiwi and Little Spotted Kiwi were released on the island between 1890 and 1910, and the island is now the stronghold for the latter species. Rat eradication has led to increases in Red-crowned Parakeets, North Island Robins, bellbirds, and saddlebacks, and the island is considered one of New Zealand's most important sites for bird recovery, as well as a major breeding site for sea birds. In April 2005, the critically endangered short-tailed bat was introduced to the island from a threatened population in the Tararuas, providing them with a separate, safer habitat. Due to the proximity of Wellington, there are regular tourist trips to the island. Each day, fifty people may visit Rangatira, approximately halfway along the eastern shore of Kapiti Island, and eighteen may visit the north end of the island. A permit must be obtained from the Department of Conservation. Overnight stays are not allowed within the nature reserve or public land on the island. Private boats may not land at Kapiti Island Nature Reserve. You must arrange your own transport using one of the licensed launch services. Kapiti Marine Charter Ph: +64 4 297 2585; Mobile: 0274 424 850 Freephone: 0800 433 779 Web www.kapitimarinecharter.co.nz Kapiti Tours Ltd Freephone: 0800 527 484 Web: www.kapititours.co.nz Having no natural mammalian predators, New Zealand birds are trusting, and a visitor to the island is likely to be rewarded by seeing a number of species.

Dates: Mon Jan 01 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Wellington
Cost: tbc

Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve

The Poor Knights Islands are a group of uninhabited islands off the east coast of the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. They are located 50 kilometres to the northeast of Whangarei, and lie 22 kilometres offshore half way between Bream Head and Cape Brett. The chain consists of two large islands (Aorangi and Tawhiti Rahi) with a group of smaller islets between the two, the largest of which is called Motu Kapiti. The name Tawhiti Rahi is also used as a name for the entire chain by Māori. The islands are the eroded remnants of a 4 million year old rhyolitic volcano. The total area of the chain is 24 km². The islands are protected as a nature reserve and a permit is required to land or tie boats up. Permits are usually granted only for scientific research. In 1981, the ocean surrounding the Poor Knights Islands was established as New Zealand's second marine reserve. The marine reserve extends for 800 metres offshore around the Poor Knights Islands. In a marine reserve it is prohibited to disturb marine life or remove rocks or shells. No commercial fishing is permitted within one nautical mile (1,852 metres) and long lining is the only commercial fishing permitted between one and three nautical miles. Diving and snorkelling are one of the best ways to enjoy the underwater world of the Poor Knights. However kayaking lets you explore the caves and arches and the clear water allows everyone to observe the marine life. Image: Two clown nudibranch, taken in the Poor Knights Islands of New Zealand by Jon Radoff.

Dates: Tue Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Northland
Cost: tbc

Castlepoint

Castlepoint is a small beachside settlement on the Wairarapa coast north-east of Masterton. Castlepoint is famous for its lighthouse, annual horse races on the beach, and 160-metre-high Castle Rock. It is popular for holidays and fishing, and has a safe swimming beach and tidal lagoon. The reef, lagoon, sand dunes, and Castle Rock are all part of Castlepoint Scenic Reserve. The staggering geography has been shaped by high winds whipping at the limestone. The area is frequently visited by dolphin and small whales. Fur seals can be often found jumping up onto the rocks. The Scenic Reserve is the only location in the world of a rare shrubby daisy, Castlepoint daisy Brachyglottis compactus. The Castlepoint lighthouse began operating in 1913. It is New Zealand’s third highest lighthouse, and sends three flashes every 45 seconds, visible for 30 kilometres.

Dates: Tue Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Wellington
Cost: Free

Fort Jervois - Ripapa Island

Fort Jervois was built on Ripapa as one of the four defences set up in World War I to protect Lyttelton Harbour, and as part of the nationwide coastal defences. The walled fort, built in 1886, had been re-militarised as a result of a perceived 'Russian scare' and is the most complete Russian scare fort left in New Zealand. The fort was occupied by the New Zealand army from the Russian scare till the end of World War I and was again garrisoned during World War II. The fort is currently the home of two extremely rare guns. One an 8 inch calibre cannon, of which there are only 12 left in the world which remains to be in working order though there are of course no shells left for such a weapon. It also holds a smaller 6 inch calibre cannon that had been commissioned to be in active service but as the first test shot was fired the recoil system failed and has cracked the barrel and most of the rest of the gun. The 6 inch calibre gun can not be fired again. The island has been under the control of the Department of Conservation since 1990. Ripapa Island is classed in category one by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. The island has been considered 'actively managed' by Canterbury conservancy. Future plans have been made to return the island to how it was during the Second World War. Fort Jervois, Ripapa Island. Photo: RNZAF Official, via Air Force Museum, Chirstchurch.

Dates: Thu Feb 01 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

North Head Historic Reserve

North Head is a small strategic headland at the mouth of Auckland's Waitemata Harbour. Its commanding views over the Hauraki Gulf and inner harbour have made it an important lookout and defence site for centuries, first for early Maori inhabitants and later for European settlers. North Head was one of a number of defence forts that were rapidly set up in the late 1800s to defend Auckland from a feared Russian attack. The fort was later expanded as part of Auckland's coastal defence system during World Wars I and II. A complex of tunnels, guns, searchlights and other fortifications make this a fascinating area to explore. It is now a historic reserve managed by the Department of Conservation. North Head (named Maungauika by Maori) is a taonga with many special places. The tangata whenua have a spiritual, cultural and historical relationship with their taonga.

Dates: Fri Feb 02 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Auckland
Cost: Free

Nga Taonga Tuku Iho - Treasures from the Past

Nga Taonga Tuku Iho is the first exhibition gallery at DOC Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre, Lake Waikaremoana. The gallery houses and displays many of the taonga or treasures of Waikaremoana hapu. Built in 1976, it was designed by architect John Scott to give visitors the feeling of being inside a traditional Maori wharenui (meeting house). It is an ideal place to safeguard the cultural history of the Urewera Maori. The 'Urewera Mural', a commissioned work by Colin McCahon, is in the gallery.

Dates: Wed Feb 07 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Jack's Hut

For an insight into the days of the roadmen who maintained the coach roads before the motorised age and the rail tunnel opened, visit Jack's Hut. Stationed below the summit of Arthur's Pass, Jack's Hut is a surviving symbol of the era roadmen lived with their families alongside the different sections of the coach roads they looked after. A rare delight, built in 1879. The hut was at one time owned by well-known New Zealand artist Grace Butler (1886-1962), where she regularly stayed on painting expeditions.

Dates: Sun Feb 11 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Ruapekapeka Pa Historic Reserve

Ruapekapeka is the site of the last battle in the north in 1845-1846. The pa was built by Te Ruki Kawiti with complex and cunning defence systems to deter British firepower. Still visible on site are the earthen defences of the advanced British position. It is a site of national and international importance. Image: Impression of Ruapekapeka Pa

Dates: Mon Feb 12 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Northland
Cost: Free

Weka Pass Historic Reserve - Rock Art

This historic reserve contains early examples of Maori rock art. The drawings, located in a limestone overhang shelter, are thought to have been made by Maori between 600–1,000 years ago, while they were in the area gathering food. Some of the drawings show human figures, fish and dogs and were done in charcoal and red ochre. Although some of the 150 or so figures were 'freshened' with house paint in the 1930's, the majority remain in their natural state. Weka Pass Historic Reserve is an hour's drive from Christchurch, off state highway 7 towards Culverden. The site of the rock art is a 40-minute walk both ways across farmland. Check the website for details about the walkway and access.

Dates: Mon Feb 12 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Asbestos Cottage

If the cottage walls could talk, they would tell a story of love and heartache. Love between a man and woman and the heartache of how they came to be there. Escaping from an abusive relationship, Annie Fox met Henry Chaffey around 1914 and went to live with him in the secluded cottage miles from anywhere until Henry's death 40 years later. The pitsawn timber cottage also has a rich link to the mining community and to asbestos workers for whom the cottage was originally constructed in 1897. The cottage is set in a grassy bush clearing with some of Chaffeys’ domestic plants (currants, gooseberries, hellebores etc) remaining around it. It is used as a category 4 tramping hut. Asbestos Cottage. Photo: Steve Bagley - DOC.

Dates: Mon Feb 12 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Nelson
Cost: Free

Dominion Observatory

Built in 1907 to track New Zealand standard time, the Dominion Observatory kept the country on time and played an international role as part of a global network of timekeeping observatories. From 1916 the first official seismological observations from within New Zealand were recorded here. Automated equipment continues to measure local seismological activity. This Edwardian Baroque style building has an unusual orientation because it was built over the magazine of the Garden Battery (1896). The battery’s underground concrete bunker remains intact and was adapted to house seismological equipment. Take a walk through the Botanic Gardens or catch the cable car up to the Observatory where you will be rewarded with fantastic views over Wellington City and Harbour. Pack a picnic or stop at the nearby café. While there why not take the opportunity to view the nearby Garden Battery.

Dates: Mon Feb 12 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Wellington
Cost: Free

Kauaeranga Valley

The Kauaeranga Valley is steeped in history. Kauaeranga – the original name for the Thames area, is best known for its Maori battles and its productive kauri timber businesses of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Much of what remains in Kauaeranga today bears the marks of the extensive logging of the area, including the kauri dams that held the logs before they were sent down the river in massive log drives. There are well-maintained trails through lush native bush, and plenty of excellent swimming spots in the Kauaeranga River.

Dates: Mon Feb 12 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Northland
Cost: Free

Cook Landing Site National Historic Reserve

This site commemorates Captain James Cook's first landing on New Zealand soil and the first meeting of European and Maori. Cook and his crew arrived at the site in 1769. The area was also the landing place of the Horouta and Te Ikaroa-a-Rauru waka around 1350. A memorial was built in 1906 to acknowledge the importance of this site to the history of New Zealanders. Image: Cook Landing Site National Historic Reserve in Gisborne. Photo: Jamie Quirk.

Dates: Mon Feb 12 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Gisborne
Cost: Free

Macetown Historic Reserve

Macetown was first settled in the early 1860s as a result of the discovery of gold in the Arrow River and its catchment. The village owed its existence solely to the mining industry; when that failed the town slowly died and by the 1930s Macetown was a ghost town. Macetown's major historic structures have all been restored in a project completed in 2008, and marked by a plaque, unveiled by the Rt Hon. Helen Clarke in March that year. Andersons Battery, Needhams Cottage, and Smiths Bakehouse were the main recipents of attention along with building remnants such as the old schoolroom and stone fences. Some of the housing sections can still be seen and several of the original fruit and shelter trees survive in and around these. Of industrial significance, Andersons battery is the only known all-metal stamping battery in Otago. Located approximately 16km up the Arrow River from Arrowtown, you can get there independently on foot, mountain bike and 4x4, or on a guided tour. Check the website for more details about access and what you can do around the site.

Dates: Mon Feb 12 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Otago
Cost: Free

Bridge to Nowhere

This bridge is the unofficial flagship of Whanganui National Park, an iconic symbol for New Zealand adventure tourism and a major visitor destination on the Whanganui Journey. Nestled among forest and fern, the Bridge to Nowhere essentially became that: a bridge to nowhere. It was built in the mid 1930s to give road access to the people of the Mangapurua Valley Soldiers Settlement. But by the time the bridge was finished the valley was uninhabited. Today it acts as a platform on which tourists can stand and admire the Whanganui River and its surrounding beauty. The Bridge to Nowhere can be accessed by a gentle 40 minute walk from the Mangapurua Landing (Whanganui River) or by a two day tramp from Whakahoro Hut (lower Retaruke Valley) via the Kaiwhakauka and Mangapurua Valleys. Image credit: Markus Koljonen - Wikipedia.

Dates: Mon Feb 12 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Manawatu Whanganui
Cost: Free

Otatara Pa Historic Reserve

Known throughout the country for its rich history and huge size the Otatara Pa Historic Reserve is visited by tourists and locals all year round. The Pa is one of the largest and most ancient Maori pa sites in the Hawke's Bay. Earthworks of many of the terraced dwelling sites and food pits can still be seen today. As the place where Ngati Kahungunu first established themselves, it is the cultural and archaeological hub of the Hawke's Bay. Image credit: The entrance to Otatara Pa, Pam Bain - Department of Conservation.

Dates: Mon Feb 12 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Motutapu Island Recreation Reserve

Motutapu Island is a 1,509 hectare island in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. It is a recreation reserve administered by the Department of Conservation. This island bears the footprint of our ancestors dating back over 600 years - from the Maori who arrived on the Tainui canoe to British settlers hundreds of years later. Ash from volcanic activity on Rangitoto created fertile soils and archaeologists have uncovered numerous sites of kainga (villages), pa (earthwork fortifications), kumara storage pits, former gardens, and middens (food refuse deposits) - all evidence of intensive Maori settlement before and after the Rangitoto eruption. An early farmhouse is preserved from the European farming settlements that grew up after the 1840s. During World War II the island was a fortified military base to protect Auckland harbour against enemy invasion. See the website for details about access and what to do on the island. Image: Copyright DOC

Dates: Tue Feb 13 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Auckland
Cost: Free

Matiu/Somes Island

It is evident from its bilingual name, Matiu/Somes Island has had a rich Maori and European history. Once a traditional pa site of Te Whanganui-a-Tara Maori, through periods of being a quarantine station, an internment camp, and a military defence position, it now seeks to protect and preserve New Zealand native flora and fauna. Te Atiawa has maintained kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of the island and manawhenua (primary authority over the land) of the region since the early 19th century. Check the website for details about access to the island. Image credit: Wikipedia user Hamedog

Dates: Thu Feb 15 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Wellington
Cost: Free

Turnbull House

One of Wellington City's finest heritage buildings, Turnbull House was built in 1918 as Alexander Turnbull's private residence and to house his extensive collection of maps, pictures, documents and over 55,000 volumes. Turnbull died later that year and bequeathed his entire collection to the Crown. The Alexander Turnbull Library officially opened in the house in 1920 and remained there until 1973. It is now located in the National Library of New Zealand building on Molesworth Street. The Alexander Turnbull Library collection is regarded as New Zealand's largest collection of early printed books and fine printing with a collection policy to cover every period and aspect of our history. Turnbull House is now used as a function and conference centre. Photo: Richard Nester - DOC.

Dates: Fri Jul 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Wellington
Cost: Free

Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse Settlement

As one of New Zealand's oldest working lighthouses, the Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse is a heritage site with a difference. Built in 1864 of pre-fabricated cast iron, it was transported from Britain and erected in the spot where it stands today. Over the years the lighthouse has changed and adapted many times to the point where it is now solar powered and fully automated. The settlement has the two houses built in 1918 to replace the original cottages built for the lighthouse keepers in 1864. Other buildings were added over the years as technology and requirements changed. Tiritiri Matangi Island lies in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, 4 km east of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula in the North Island and 30 km north east of Auckland. The 2.2 km² island is a nature reserve, noted for its bird life, including the kiwi and the takahe. A ferry service runs from Auckland, and guided tours are available. It is a popular destination for daytrippers, attracting some 33,000 visitors annually, who enjoy an intensity of birdsong rarely heard on the mainland. See the website for details about access to the island. Image credit: Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse by Wikipedia user gerald.w.

Dates: Fri Jul 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Auckland
Cost: Free

Staveley Lime Kilns

The two lime kilns of Staveley are fascinating examples of an important industry in the region prior to the turn of the century. The kilns are constructed from limestone quarried in the area. The 'pot kiln', is believed to have been built prior to 1890. The second, the 'Langdon kiln' was built in 1898 by William Langdon. Coal, discovered nearby, was used to fire the kiln. The kiln was worked by the Springburn Lime and Coal company and operated until about 1911. Signposted from Staveley on State Highway 72. To reach the kilns, informal walking access crosses farmland from a carpark at the end of Boyds Road, behind the township of Staveley. Follow the white markers to both kilns from the carpark. Viewing during daylight hours. The Langdon Kiln is used for rock climbing and abseiling. Image: The 'pot kiln' near Staveley. Courtesy of DOC.

Dates: Fri Jul 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Tongariro National Park

The Tongariro National Park was the fourth National Park established in the world and the first in New Zealand. Its dual World Heritage status recognises the park's cultural and spiritual associations for Maori and its outstanding volcanic features. It has a rich cultural and scientific history. Tongariro National Park is located in the central North Island of New Zealand. The nearest towns are Turangi, National Park and Ohakune. The park has active and extinct volcanoes, a diverse range of ecosystems and some spectacular landscapes. There are a range of walks available for all levels of fitness. Winter routes to the mountain summits are suitable for experienced trampers/climbers only. Two of New Zealand's largest ski fields, Whakapapa and Turoa, are located within the park. Image: Tongariro Mahuia River by James Shook. This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.

Dates: Wed Jul 25 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Manawatu Whanganui
Cost: Free

Molesworth Station

Conservation, farming and recreation go hand in hand at Molesworth, New Zealand's largest farm. The 180,476ha Molesworth Station is a key area of high country owned by the Crown. It is New Zealand's largest farm, but also a very strong conservation area. Almost half of the over 60 endemic plant species found in South Marlborough grow on Molesworth. The vast tussock lands of Molesworth Station were abandoned to the Crown in the 1930s and 1940s, after rabbits and overstocking had reduced the land to desert, and after years of economic recession. Reconstruction began during the 1950s. Fifty years on, cattle are back grazing the lands. The station bustles with tourists and locals enjoying the remoteness, the fresh air and beautiful scenery. There is a well-travelled network of tramping tracks accessible from the Hanmer-Rainbow Road. Good trout and salmon fishing are available in the rivers, streams and lakes of Molesworth. Fishing permitted only during the open season (October 1 to April 30) and requires a license from Fish & Game New Zealand. Contact their Marlborough office, +64 3 578 8421. Goats, chamois, pigs, deer and rabbits are hunted at Molesworth. Hunting and taking dogs onto public conservation land requires a permit from DOC South Marlborough. Historic cob houses that accommodated 19th century travellers on the inland route from North Canterbury to Nelson and Marlborough, are representative of the human history of Molesworth Station

Dates: Wed Jul 25 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Marlborough
Cost: Free

Stony Batter Historic Reserve

Built during the 1930s as part of a larger coastal defence system to protect Auckland Harbour during WWII, Stony Batter has become an internationally-recognised engineering site of historical significance. Not only for its hilltop counter-bombardment batteries, it is significant also for its spider-web of hand-dug tunnels that weave their way underground. The site is kept in pristine condition, and even without the guns it is a staunch reminder of the real threat New Zealand came under during the war. See the website for access details to Waiheke Island and to the Stony Batter Historic Reserve. Bring a torch to explore the tunnels.

Dates: Wed Jul 25 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Auckland
Cost: tbc

Ohakune Old Coach Road

The old coach road started as a horse track, was widened and cobbled to take coaches from 1906, and now it is the route of SH4 through the centre of the North Island. Marvelled at by engineers worldwide for its advanced road-making craftsmanship, this historical road carried men and materials throughout much of the 19th century. It was the critical thread linking the small towns dotted through the central north island. Fortunately, the section of the road between Ohakune and Horopito was abandoned for another route, so it has been preserved. There are plans to reopen it as a walking attraction - so you can take a stroll on one of New Zealand's oldest roads.

Dates: Wed Jul 25 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Manawatu Whanganui
Cost: Free

Tongariro Crossing

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing track passes over varied and spectacular volcanic terrain. In the presence of active volcanoes you can experience some of Tongariro National Park’s special gifts. A cold mountain spring, lava flows, an active crater, steam vents, emerald-coloured lakes and magnificent views combine to make this an enjoyable and memorable trip. The hike from Mangatepopo to Ketetahi takes approximately 7-8 hours, and is 17km long. It is not a round trip so transport at either ends needs to be prearranged. This rugged alpine trek is exposed and climbs to 1900m. The mountain is subject to unpredictable weather, appropriate clothing and footwear are essential. Time: 6 to 8 hr Distance: 19.4 km Be sure to visit the Department of Conservation website for more details and up-to-date information.

Dates: Wed Jul 25 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Manawatu Whanganui
Cost: Free

Aoraki - Mt Cook

At 3754 metres (12,316 ft), Aoraki/Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. It is part of the Southern Alps range, which runs the length of the West Coast of the South Island. According to Maori legend, Aoraki was a young boy in the canoe Te Waka a Aoraki, which was stranded on a reef and tilted to one side. Aoraki and his brothers climbed to the high side and sat on the wreckage. The south wind froze them and turned them into stone, creating the Southern Alps/Ka Tiritiri o te Moana. The English name, Mount Cook, honours Captain James Cook, who first surveyed and circumnavigated the islands of New Zealand in 1770. The mountain is in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park which is one of the United Nations World Heritage Parks. The settlement of Mount Cook Village (also known as The Hermitage) is a tourist centre and base camp for the mountain. The park is a popular scenic location for walking, tramping, skiing and mountaineering.

Dates: Wed Aug 22 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Arthur's Pass National Park

Arthur's Pass National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand. Established in 1929 it was the first national park in the South Island. Arthur's Pass is a mountain pass over the Southern Alps, 140 km from Christchurch and 95 km from Greymouth. The pass is named after Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson, who led the first party of Europeans across the pass in 1864. The small hamlet of Arthur's Pass village is located about 5 km south of the pass on State Highway 73. The National park is a popular destination for tramping, skiing and mountaineering. The mountains around Arthur's Pass contain some very challenging terrain the tracks are often very steep and exposed to the weather. Safely traversing the terrain requires at least a moderate level of experience, knowledge and equipment as it is true 'back country'. Image by Karsten Sperling.

Dates: Wed Aug 22 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Lake Matheson

Lake Matheson is located near the Fox Glacier township on the West coast of the South Island. It is famous for its near-perfect reflected views of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. Lake Matheson was formed about 14,000 years ago when the Fox Glacier retreated from its last major advance and left a depression which filled with Water. The lake is a dark brown colour, caused by organic matter from the forest floor. The lake is surrounded by native kahikatea (white pine) and rimu (red pine) trees, as well as flax and a variety of New Zealand fern species. The lake contains long finned eel as well as being home to many water birds. It was a traditional food gathering place for local Māori people. There is a popular, easy walk through ancient forest to the lake which is suitable for wheelchairs as far as the Jetty Viewpoint. Lake Matheson is located in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park. Image credit: Mark Oude Alink.

Dates: Wed Aug 22 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Mount Aspiring National Park

Mount Aspiring National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand. Established in 1964 the park is a wonderful mixture of remote wilderness, high mountains and beautiful river valleys. The park covers 3,555 km² at the southern end of the Southern Alps, directly to the west of Lake Wanaka. The Park features some amazing alpine and sub-alpine scenery and attracts many visitors for tramping, walking and mountaineering. Popular tracks in the park include the Gillespie Pass circuit, the Matukituki Valley, the Routeburn Track and the Rees-Dart circuit. Mount Aspiring (3033 m) is the mountain which gives the park its name. The Haast Pass, one of three principal road routes across the Southern Alps, is found in the northeastern corner of the park.

Dates: Fri Aug 24 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Otago
Cost: Free

Queen Charlotte Track

The Queen Charlotte Track runs almost the entire length of the Queen Charlotte Sound. From Ship Cove through to Anakiwa, the 71km track passes through historic sites, secluded bays and lush coastal bush, with spectacular views of the Queen Charlotte and Kenepuru Sounds. For walkers the trip can be done in 3-5 days. There are several campsites along the way. The Queen Charlotte Track is also open to mountain biking from March 1 to November 30 each year. The trip takes about 13 hours. Track category Plan and prepare for a walking track. Walking track time: 3-5 days one way Distance: 71 km Please check the Department of Conservation site for full information. Photograph by James Shook.

Dates: Sun Aug 26 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Marlborough
Cost: Free

Whanganui National Park

The main features of the Park are the Whanganui River, which the park surrounds, and forest. It is easy to see why tramping and river trips are among the most popular activities for visitors to the park. The area has a unique Māori and colonial past. Historically the river was once the only route into the interior and part of the Wellington to Auckland ‘highway’. Located in the central North Island between Taumarunui and Wanganui, the Park and River can be accessed through the towns of Pipiriki, Ohinepane, and Whakahoro.

Dates: Wed Aug 29 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Manawatu Whanganui
Cost: Free

Franz Josef Glacier

The Franz Josef or Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere is a glacier located on the West Coast of the South Island, 5 kilometres from Franz Josef township. The glacier descends from the Southern Alps to just 240 metres above sea level. The glacier area is one of the main tourist attractions of the West Coast. Guided walks up to and onto the glacier are possible. Franz Josef offers visitors a rare opportunity to experience a constantly changing glacial environment, within easy driving and walking distance from the main highway. Accommodation is available in the nearby town of Franz Josef. The Westland National Park area surrounding the glacier is designated a World Heritage Site.

Dates: Thu Aug 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Fox Glacier

The Fox Glacier/Te Moeka o Tuawe is a glacier on the West Coast of the South Island. It was named in 1872 after a visit by the then Prime Minister of New Zealand, Sir William Fox. Fox Glacier falls 2,600m from the Southern Alps ending in lush rainforest only 300 metres above sea level. At 13 km long, the Fox Glacier is one of the longest glaciers within Westland Tai Poutini National Park. It has been advancing since 1985 at an average of about a metre a day. The Fox Glacier Valley has a number of walks each with spectacular views of the glacier. Like the nearby Franz Josef Glacier, it is a major tourist attraction and one of the most accessible glaciers in the world, with its face an easy 6km walk from Fox Glacier village. The Westland National Park area surrounding the glacier is designated a World Heritage Site.

Dates: Thu Aug 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Farewell Spit

Farewell Spit or Tuhuroa is a narrow sand spit at the northern end of the South Island. It is made from fine golden sand and stretches for about 26 km above sea level eastwards from Cape Farewell. Attractions include a historic lighthouse, Puponga Farm Park, Maori pa sites, a seal colony and spectacular views of Wharakiki Beach from cliff top viewing platforms. Farewell Spit is particularly important area for migratory birds. 83 species of wetland birds have been recorded and large flocks migrate south to spend the summer on the spit. Part of the spit forms the Ramsar Wetland site, managed by the Department of Conservation as a Nature Reserve. The spit is home and breeding grounds to colonies of Australasian gannet, Caspian tern, seagulls and South Island pied oystercatcher. Guided nature tours of this internationally-renowned bird sanctuary are available.

Dates: Thu Aug 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Tasman
Cost: Free

Rakiura National Park

Rakiura National Park on Stewart Island opened in 2002. The park covers about 85 percent of the island. It is made up of a network of former nature reserves, scenic reserves, and State Forest areas. From dense coastal rainforests and freshwater wetlands to vast sand dunes and granite mountain ranges, the park provides an excellent opportunity to see native wildlife and untouched landscapes. Many different native birds species can be found in the park, and Rakiura offers perhaps the best opportunity anywhere in New Zealand for viewing Kiwi in the wild. The popular Rakiura Track is located within the national park. It is a 29 km track which suitable for walking all year round. It takes around three days and provides a good introduction to the scenery of Stewart Island.

Dates: Thu Aug 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: Free

Hollyford Track

The Hollyford Track is one of New Zealand's best known walking tracks, located at the northern edge of Fiordland, in the South Island. It is one of the only major Fiordland tracks that is mostly flat and accessible year-round. The track is 56 kilometres long, and takes four days to walk. It starts from Hollyford Road, near the Darran Mountains and ends in Martins Bay, on the Tasman Sea coast, near Milford Sound. For most of the walk, the track follows the Hollyford River through lowland forest, with views of surrounding mountains. Features of the track include two lakes, Lake Alabaster (Waiwahuika) and Lake McKerrow (Whakatipu Waitai) and the historic site of the now abandoned Jamestown which was established in 1870. A variety of Native trees and birdlife can be seen on the track and the remote coastline is inhabited by seals and penguins. The Department of Conservation maintains six huts on the Hollyford Track. Each is supplied with mattresses, running water, wood burning stoves and toilet facilities. Using the huts requires a Ticket, which can be purchased in advance from the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre in Te Anau or any DOC office or approved outlet. Track category Plan and prepare for a Tramping track. Time: 4 days one way Distance: 56 km Please check the Department of Conservation site for full information.

Dates: Thu Aug 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: Free

The Otago Central Rail Trail

The Otago Central Rail Trail is a 150 kilometre walking and cycling track in the South Island. It runs between Middlemarch and Clyde, along the route of the old Otago Central Railway line. The trail can be accessed throughout the year. The Rail Trail is a public reserve so motor vehicles are not permitted on the trail. Walkers and cyclists will have no traffic concerns as they travel the level, graveled surface. The full Rail Trail takes about 4 days and passes through some spectacular scenery not seen from the highways. Through hills and gorges, across the vast Maniototo plain and through old gold mining towns before finishing in the fruit growing areas of Central Otago. The trail is well maintained and signposted The heritage of the old railway line has been preserved, with the retention of viaducts and bridges, three tunnels and some of the old Railway Stations.

Dates: Fri Aug 31 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Otago
Cost: Free

Abel Tasman National Park

The Abel Tasman National Park is located at the north end of the South Island. The park was founded in 1942 and is the smallest of New Zealand's national parks. It is named after Abel Tasman, who was the first European explorer to sight New Zealand in 1642. The Abel Tasman National Park is renowned for its golden beaches, sculptured granite cliffs, and its world-famous coastal walking track. Popular activities in the park include: The Abel Tasman Coast Track, a walking track which follows the coastline and the Abel Tasman Inland Track, which travels inland through regenerating forest with occasional rock outcrops, which offer excellent views of the coast. Sailing and sea kayaking tours allows visitors to access some of the sheltered coves within the park. Guided tours can be arranged locally. The park is home to many species of native bird including bellbirds, fantails and tuis. The nearest large town is Motueka, 20 kilometres to the South.

Dates: Fri Aug 31 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Tasman
Cost: Free

Heaphy Track

The Heaphy Track is a popular walking track, located in Kahurangi National Park at the north-west corner of the South Island. The track is 82km long and is usually walked in four or five days. Classified as one of New Zealand's 9 Great Walks by the Department of Conservation, the track crosses through a variety of landscapes. Beautiful native forest, nikau palms, the Heaphy River mouth and the red tussock covered, Gouland Downs. The rocks here are among New Zealand’s oldest. Several plants found on the Gouland downs occur nowhere else, including a yellow-flowered lily and a small native foxglove. There are several huts on the track, maintained by the Department Of Conservation, which can be used for a fee. Many native bird species are commonly found including weka, pipit, tui, bellbird, pigeon and robin. With luck it is possible to see, or at least hear, the great spotted kiwi, morepork and blue duck. The nearest towns are Nelson, Takaka, Westport and Karamea. Great Walk/Easy tramping track Time: 4 - 6 days Distance: 78.4 km

Dates: Fri Aug 31 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Nelson
Cost: Free

The Marlborough Sounds

The Marlborough Sounds are a network of sounds, islands, and peninsulas at the top of the South Island. The Marlborough Sounds are renowned for their scenic blend of native bush-clad hills and tranquil bays. Many of the small inlets are very isolated and only accessible by boat. The main large port is Picton. The Interislander passenger ferry service runs between Picton and Wellington, passing through the sounds. The main sounds are the Queen Charlotte Sound, the Pelorus Sound and Kenepuru Sound, they isolate the hills of Arapawa and D'Urville Island from the mainland. There are a wide range of recreational opportunities available in the sounds including; swimming, boating, diving, fishing and kayaking on the water or walking, mountain biking and hunting on the land.

Dates: Sun Sep 02 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Marlborough
Cost: Free

Lake Waikaremoana

Lake Waikaremoana is one of the jewels of Te Urewera National Park – the largest untouched native forest reserve in the North Island. The 'sea of rippling waters' covers an area of 54 km² and is of great spiritual significance to the local Tuhoe people. Surrounded by mountains clad with untouched native forest, it is widely regarded as the North Island's most attractive lake. Many native bird species scarce in most other parts of the North Island can be found in the area. There are more than 650 species of native plants present in the area near the lake. Lake Waikaremoana is popular as a holiday destination by people who use the lake for fishing, tramping and other recreational activities. Lake Waikaremoana Track, one of New Zealand's Great Walks and one of the most significant attractions of the Lake area, takes walkers through 43 kilometres of forest and grassland, and offers great views over the lake. The track is a three to four-day tramp and follows about half of the lake's circumference.

Dates: Mon Sep 03 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Te Angiangi Marine Reserve

Te Angiangi Marine Reserve is located on the Central Hawke's Bay coast and covers about 1.3 square nautical miles, between Blackhead and Aramoana beaches. The reserve features a host of distinct plants and animals such as the golden limpet, as well as beds of Neptune's necklace, pink coralline seaweed and eel grass. Fish, crabs, paua and kina can be found in surrounding rock pools and you can also see a huge range of bird-life in the area. Snorkeling, diving, boating and swimming are popular activities and provide a fantastic way to get to know another side of the Hawke's Bay coastal region. How to get there: Turn off SH2 at Waipawa or Waipukurau. From Waipawa, turn east into Tamumu Road. Approximately 2km down this road the name will change to Pourerere Road. Just before Pourerere Beach on the right is Aramoana Road. It is a no exit road. Head southeast from Waipukurau on Tavistock Road which becomes Farm Road, and follow the signs from there to Blackhead Beach. Te Angiangi Marine Reserve runs between Blackhead and Aramoana Beaches.

Dates: Tue Sep 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

A Walk in the Park - Palmerston North Area Walks

Looking for something to do closer to home? Then why not explore some of the many Department of Conservation areas right on your doorstep. A few suggestions to whet the appetite. Wharite Peak: Drive to the Wharite Peak transmitter and enjoy the views from the southern tip of the Ruahine ranges. Narrow, windy, gravel road (1 hour to TV transmitter from Palmerston North, via Woodlands Road near Woodville). Alice Nash Memorial Heritage Lodge: Stay overnight at Alice Nash Memorial Heritage Lodge in the Oroua Valley (1 hour 30 minutes return). An easy first tramp for the kids. Hut sleeps 8. Track to the river from the hut leads to some great camp spots (30 minutes). Makiekie Creek: Picnic at Makiekie Creek (2 hours return). Head to Limestone Roadend near Apiti and walk Deerford/Knights Track to picturesque Makiekie Creek for a paddle in the shallow pools. Kawhatau Field Base: Holiday at Kawhatau Field Base – drive right to it! Book a stay in DOC’s Field Base up the Kawhatau Valley. Rangiwahia Hut: Take the family to Rangiwahia Hut (2 - 3 hours one way). A popular tramp to the tussock tops of the Whanahuia Range – an ideal first overnight hike. Takapari Road: Have a 4WD or mountain bike adventure up Takapari Road on to the tops of the Ruahine Range. Suitable for 4WD vehicles and mountain bikes only. (1 hour 45 minutes to end of public road from Palmerston North). No. 1 Line Lookout: Take in the view from the No. 1 Line Lookout (2 - 3 hours return). Track climbs (steeply in places) from the end of No. 1 line in the Pohangina Valley. Purity Hut: Climb to Purity Hut (3 - 4 hours one way) on the Hikurangi Range Inland from Mangaweka. Mangaweka Scenic Reserve: Explore Mangaweka Scenic Reserve (1 hour loop track) and enjoy views of Mangaweka Village, the Ruahine Ranges and the spectacular cliffs of the Rangitikei River Valley. Bruce Park Scenic Reserve: Stroll around Bruce Park (Loop Track - 20 to 40 minutes), an easy walk through lowland forest near Hunterville. Manawatu Gorge Scenic Reserve: Hike the Manawatu Gorge Track (3 - 5 hours one way). A popular walk, steep in places, above the Manawatu River with excellent views of the gorge and surrounds. A different start and finish point. Take the kids for an easy walk around the Totara Loop track (15 minutes) at the Woodville end of the Gorge track, and check out the forest interpretation signs made by school children. Kahikatea Walk: Amble around the Kahikatea Walk (20 minutes) in the picturesque Pohangina Valley. Beehive Creek Walkway: Splash along the Beehive Creek Walkway in the Pohangina Valley (2 - 3 hours one way). Fantastic creek walk for the children in summer. Different start and finish points. Pukaha Mount Bruce: Discover some of New Zealand's most threatened species and learn about the Department of Conservation's national breeding programme. For more information visit the website.

Dates: Wed Aug 27 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Manawatu Whanganui
Cost: Free

Hidden Treasures of Rodney

A unique opportunity to explore the Rodney area, every Monday for seven weeks during the school term. Each week will involve a trip to see a bush or coastal area of natural beauty and interest, including covenanted private bush, wading bird areas of the Kaipara Harbour and out-of-the-way DOC reserves. Led by local outdoor enthusiast Linda Cole, the trips will involve a walk and talk, often assisted by local experts from DOC or community groups to enhance the experience. Hidden Treasures of Rodney is run through Orewa College Community Education. For further information contact Linda. Phone: 09 421 0812. To enrol contact Jennifer Kipfer. Phone: 09 426 8244.

Dates: Wed Aug 27 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Auckland
Cost: $95 for seven days

Curio Bay

Curio Bay, located in the Catlins, near the southern end of the South Island,is best known for its petrified forest, some 170 million years old. The fossil forest is recognised as one of the best examples of Jurassic fossil forest in the world. The fossilised logs, from ancient conifers closely related to modern Kauri and Norfolk Pine, were buried by volcanic mud flows and gradually silica has replaced the entire woody structure of the trees. The fossilised wood has a remarkably good texture – it looks much like real wood yet feels like stone. The sea has gradually eroded the rocks around the fossil impressions leaving them visible. On occasion, trunks over 50ft in length have been measured and some have even exceeded 100 ft long. The Catlins is a rugged, sparsely populated area, noted for its scenic coastal landscape and is home to many endangered species including the rare Hector's Dolphin and the yellow-eyed penguin. The exposed location of the bay leads to some wild weather and heavy ocean swells, which are an attraction to big-wave surfers.

Dates: Mon Sep 01 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: Free

Abel Tasman Coast Track

The Abel Tasman Coast Track, located in Abel Tasman National Park on South Island’s northern shores. The Coast Track is a Great Walk and extends for 52 km. All streams are bridged but there are tidal crossings which can only be crossed within a few hours either side of low tide. The track takes an average of three to five days to complete. There are huts and campsites where you can stay for a fee. Bookings are required. There is no charge for day walks. Visitors can walk into the park from the roadend carparks, catch water taxis to beaches along the track or kayak along the coast. The nearest towns of Nelson, Motueka and Takaka have i-SITES, accommodation and shops catering for tramping and kayaking needs. Kaiteriteri has a petrol station, small grocery shop, accommodation and café. Marahau has accommodation, a shop and cafés. Takaka is the last place for petrol before Totaranui. Plan and prepare for a Great Walk/Easy tramping track. Time: 3 - 5 days Distance: 52 km Image supplied by Department of Conservation.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Tasman
Cost: tbc

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

Aoraki/Mount Cook (70,696 hectares) is New Zealand's great alpine park. It has the highest mountains and the largest glaciers. Aoraki/Mount Cook Village and all visitors to the park are dwarfed by the immensity of the landscape that surrounds them. Aoraki/Mount Cook was formally established as a national park in 1953 from reserves that were established as early as 1887 to protect the area’s significant vegetation and landscape. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: tbc

Ball Pass Crossing

Ball Pass Crossing is a demanding two to three-day alpine route, crossing the Mount Cook Range between the Hooker and Tasman Valleys. The route provides spectacular views of Aoraki/Mt Cook, Mt Sefton, the Copland Pass and the Hooker and Tasman Glaciers. The trip can be started from either valley but, for safety reasons and in order to gain the best views, the recommended route is to start at the White Horse Hill camping area and travel up the East Hooker, over Ball Pass (sidling around under Mounts Rosa and Mabel) and down the Ball Ridge to the Tasman Valley and Ball Shelter. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: tbc

Mueller Hut Route

Mueller Hut makes a mountain experience possible for anybody with moderate tramping ability, so long as care is taken. At 1800 metres on the Sealy Range (nearly half as high as Aoraki/Mount Cook’s summit), the hut provides a 360-degree panorama encompassing glaciers, ice cliffs, vertical rock faces and New Zealand’s highest peaks. It’s a great site for hearing and viewing ice falls, alpine sunrises and equally unforgettable sunsets. Climbing to the hut through alpine scrub, herb fields and scree slopes can be an achievement in itself, or the start of further opportunities for the more experienced. Whatever the aim, careful adherence to these instructions will help make your trip safe and memorable. Plan and prepare for a route. Distance: 5.2 km Image supplied by the Department of Conservation.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: tbc

Egmont National Park

Egmont National Park cover 33,534 hectares. Here the volcano Taranaki (or Mt Egmont as it is also known) rules supreme standing tall above the surrounding landscape. Beside it are two volcanoes of an earlier era: Kaitake and Pouakai. In good weather it is a challenging climb for the fit and well prepared. For those wanting a more relaxing experience there are beautiful walks through verdant forest to waterfalls, wetlands and excellent viewpoints. Standing as it does in isolation from other mountains it is one of the best parks from which to get an elevated view of another New Zealand - the rural heartland. It was established as a national park in 1900, the second in New Zealand after its not too distant neighbour, Tongariro. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation. Photographer: John Spence.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Taranaki
Cost: tbc

Pouakai Circuit

The Pouakai Circuit is an awe-inspiring chapter in the New Zealand landscape and geology story. The turmoil of centuries of volcanic activity is apparent as soon as you cross the active erosion scar of the Boomerang slip and pass beneath the towering columns of the Dieffenbach cliffs. The circuit traverses lowland rain forest, sub-alpine and alpine vegetation zones, and crosses the unique Ahukawakawa wetland and the headwaters of the Stony (Hangatahua) River. Tramping track Time: 2 - 3 days Distance: 25 km Image supplied by the Department of Conservation. Photographer: John Spence.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Taranaki
Cost: tbc

Fiordland National Park

Fiordland National Park (established in 1952) is a vast, remote wilderness and the heart of Te Wāhipounamu - South West New Zealand World Heritage Area in New Zealand's South Island. Southwest New Zealand is one of the great wilderness areas of the Southern Hemisphere. It is an area where snow-capped mountains, rivers of ice, deep lakes, unbroken forests and tussock grasslands produce a landscape of exceptional beauty. Some of the best examples of animals and plants, which were once found on the ancient super-continent of Gondwana, still exist here. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: tbc

Kahurangi National Park

Created in 1996, Kahurangi is one of New Zealand's newest and the second largest national park. At 452,002 hectares it is also one of the largest. Translated its name has a number of meanings including ''treasured possession', an apt description of its wonderfully diverse natural and recreational values. In places it is an untracked wilderness, elsewhere a wonderful network of tracks lets you explore wild rivers, high plateaux and alpine herbfields, and coastal forests. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation. Photographer: Les Molloy.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Tasman
Cost: tbc

Greenstone and Caples Tracks

The Caples and Greenstone Valleys are linked by McKellar Saddle, a sub-alpine pass, to make a moderate four to five day round trip. The Greenstone Valley is a wide, open valley with tussock flats and beech forest. In comparison, the Caples Valley is a narrower valley filled with forest interspersed with grassy clearings. Either of these tracks can be linked with the Routeburn Track, or they can be walked as a one way track starting or finishing at the Divide. The grassy river flats of the Caples and Greenstone Valleys are private farmland. Please respect this, and stay on the tracks which follow the forest edge. Do not disturb stock. The forest is a Stewardship Area managed by the Department of Conservation. Fiordland National Park begins at the southern end of Lake McKellar. The superb diversity of natural features in this area was recognised internationally with the establishment, in 1991 of the Te Wāhipounamu-South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. World Heritage status means this part of New Zealand has been recognised as being among the world's foremost natural landscapes. Plan and prepare for a Great walk/Easy tramping track. Time: 4 - 5 days Image supplied by the Department of Conservation.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Otago
Cost: tbc

Nelson Lakes National Park

Nelson Lakes National Park (established in 1956) is situated in the north of New Zealand's South Island. This park protects 102,000 hectares of the northern most Southern Alps. The park offers tranquil beech forest, craggy mountains, clear streams and lakes both big and small. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Nelson
Cost: tbc

Travers-Sabine Circuit

The 80 km Travers–Sabine Circuit reaches deep into the heart of the mountains of Nelson Lakes National Park. Tranquil beech forests, fields of waving tussocks, 2000 metre-high mountains and clear rushing streams are highlights of the journey. The circuit requires 4–7 days to complete and involves a crossing of Travers Saddle, an alpine pass subject to freezing conditions at any time of year. Most of the track is classified as a tramping track. It is well marked and although most rivers and streams are bridged, after heavy rain there are a number of streams which may not be safe to cross. Sturdy boots and a good standard of fitness are recommended and warm, waterproof clothing is essential. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Nelson
Cost: tbc

Paparoa National Park

Luxuriant coastal forest, limestone cliffs and canyons, caves and underground streams, and an absolutely spectacular coastline, are all packed into one national park. Established in 1987, Paparoa National Park is perhaps most famous for the Pancake Rocks and blowholes of Dolomite Point, near the little settlement of Punakaiki. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation. Photographer: John Mazey.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: tbc

North West Circuit Stewart Island/Rakiura

Separated from the South Island by Foveaux Strait, Stewart Island/Rakiura is New Zealand’s third largest island and home to its most southern national park. The North West Circuit provides for challenging tramping around the island’s northern coast. Rakeahua Valley and Doughboy Bay on the Southern Circuit Track can be added to the Northern Circuit. Alternatively the separate Southern Circuit Track incorporating these areas can be walked by utilising boat transport on Paterson Inlet. Plan and prepare for a tramping track. Time: 9 - 11 days Distance: 125 km Image supplied by the Department of Conservation.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: tbc

Southern Circuit Stewart Island/Rakiura

Separated from the South Island by Foveaux Strait, Stewart Island/Rakiura is New Zealand’s third largest island and home to its most southern national park. The island's Southern Circuit Track is regarded as a remote, challenging tramping experience and requires a high level of fitness and good route-finding skills. It can be accessed from the North West Circuit Track or by utilising boat transport on Paterson Inlet. Plan and prepare for a Tramping track. Time: 4 - 6 days round trip from Freshwater Distance: 71.5 km round trip Image supplied by the Department of Conservation.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: tbc

Rakiura Track

Just a 20 minute flight from Invercargill or an hour by ferry from Bluff, Stewart Island/Rakiura is home to New Zealand’s most southerly and newest national park, Rakiura National Park, and the Rakiura Track. Although the Rakiura Track is a 29 km tramping track, suitable for anyone with moderate fitness, the entire circuit is actually 36 km in total, including road walking. It takes three days, provides a good introduction to the scenery of Stewart Island and is suitable for tramping all year round. Plan and prepare for a Great Walk/Easy tramping track. Time: 3 days Distance: 36 km Image supplied by the Department of Conservation. Photographer: Neville Peat

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: tbc

Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk

The Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk (located in the south-west corner of the 212,673 hectare Te Urewera National Park) is a 46 kilometre 3 to 4 day tramping track which follows the shore of the lake for most of its length. It is one of a network of great walks managed by DOC throughout New Zealand. Before you go you must book huts and campsites for everyone who is intending to do the walk. This includes those children and young people under 17 years who do not have to pay fees. Find out about fees and bookings. The walk traverses a range of terrain with many types of vegetation from the montane beech forest of the Panekire Bluffs to dense rainforest. Podocarp mixed broadleaf forest is dominant in many areas. Bird life in the area is abundant. A moderate tramp, with magnificent scenery and plenty of opportunity for swimming and fishing ensure the walk is well used throughout the year. Plan and prepare for a Great Walk/Easy tramping track. Time: 3 - 4 days Distance: 46 km Image supplied by the Department of Conservation. Photographer: C Rudge.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: tbc

Mt Ruapehu Crater Climb

On Mt Ruapehu amazing volcanic terrain is combined with permanent snow and glaciers to provide for a rare and beautiful climb. One of the highlights is a climb to the Ruapehu crater from where you can gaze down into the geothermal waters of the crater lake. On your way up and down take time to enjoy the truly spectacular views. Alert/Important notice - Safety Information -- Mount Ruapehu is an active volcano. -- An eruption occurred on September 25th 2007. -- Climbers are advised that the area within 700 metres radius of the crater is a High Risk Zone. -- The volcanic Alert is at Level 1. To view the latest information on the alert level, visit the website of GNS Science. -- Climbers approach this area at their own risk. -- There is deep snow still on the upper mountain, with crevasses and waterfall holes forming on the mountain. Ice axe and crampons are strongly recommended. -- Check avalanche report. -- Climbers must be well prepared with warm and windproof clothing and boots. -- Do not climb in poor visibility or high winds. Time: 5 - 7 hr Distance: 7 - 10 km Image supplied by the Department of Conservation.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: tbc

Tongariro Northern Circuit

Winding its way over Mt Tongariro and around Mt Ngauruhoe is the Tongariro Northern Circuit, one of the Great Walks of New Zealand. This walk passes through unique and stunning landforms which include volcanic craters and glacial valleys. Alert/Important notice: Hut water shortages -- Due to the prolonged dry weather there are water shortages at most of the huts on the mountain. Users will need to take care to conserve water use. At some huts there will be no drinking water available during the day until sufficient rainfall to replenish supplies. Plan and prepare for a Great Walk/Easy tramping track. Time: 3 - 4 days Image supplied by the Department of Conservation.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: tbc

Westland Tai Poutini National Park

Westland Tai Poutini National Park (established 1960) extends from the highest peaks of Kā Tiritiri o te Moana/Southern Alps to the remote beaches of the wild West Coast. It is an area of magnificent primeval vistas; snow-capped mountains, glaciers, forests, tussock grasslands, coast, lakes, rivers and wetlands. This world-class scenic landscape has been recognised as such with World Heritage status. It is part of the Te Wāhipounamu South-West New Zealand World Heritage Area, along with Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park to the east, and Fiordland and Mt Aspiring National Parks further south. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation. Photographer Bruce Postill.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: tbc

Rees-Dart Track

The Rees-Dart Track is a four to five day tramping circuit which follows the Rees River and the Dart River, through leasehold farmland and the southern part of Mount Aspiring National Park. It is a moderately demanding tramp, and most days average 6-8 hours of walking. Spectacular mountain scenery, forest and alpine vegetation, rivers and the Dart Glacier are all significant features of the walk. Plan and prepare for a Great Walk/Easy tramping track. Time: 4 - 5 days Image supplied by the Department of Conservation. Photographer: Keith Springer.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Otago
Cost: tbc

Routeburn Track

The Routeburn Track traverses 32 kilometres of Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks, part of Te Wāhipounamu – South West New Zealand World Heritage Area and is administered by the Department of Conservation on behalf of the New Zealand public. Located in the southwest of the South Island the track extends between the head of Lake Wakatipu and S.H. 94, the Te Anau – Milford Road. The nearest townships of Queenstown, Te Anau and Glenorchy have a full range of accommodation. Shops in Queenstown and Te Anau can cater for all your tramping needs, including equipment hire. Plan and prepare for a Great Walk/Easy tramping track. Time: 3 days Distance: 32 km Image supplied by the Department of Conservation. Photographer: Jimmy Johnson.

Dates: Fri Jan 30 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: tbc

Bream Head Archaeological Sites

Te Whara or Bream Head is a rich archaeological landscape resulting from more than 500 years of Maori occupation. Archaic middens (food refuse or rubbish dumps) at Smugglers Bay and elsewhere reveal a wealth of information about how people existed in the area hundreds of years ago. As well as fish and shellfish remains and charcoal which can be radiocarbon dated and identified to species, the midden sites also contain burned and cracked hangi stones, and cutting tools made from flaked stone, such as obsidian imported from other parts of the North Island. Please be careful where you walk and refrain from interfering with sites and archaeological features. Help us protect these important places. All archaeological sites are protected under the Historic Places Act 1993. It is an offence to destroy, damage or modify sites without an Authority from the Historic Places Trust.

Dates: Mon Mar 16 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Northland
Cost: Free

Bream Head Gun Emplacement, 1942

In 1941 the advance of Japanese forces throughout the Pacific prompted the New Zealand Government to construct heavy defences around the main harbours, and in 1942 smaller defences around the coast to protect secondary ports from Whangaroa to Bluff. They included gun emplacements, observation posts, radar stations, airfields and mine stations. The Bream Head gun remained operational until November 1943, and only ever fired 3 shots, none of them in anger. The longest shot travelled 12 miles over Ocean Beach, and the shockwave was enough to knock down the adjacent ammunition shed. The Bream Head gun battery has local significance as the only remaining example of WWII defence structures, in the Whangarei area. Unlike the Bay of Islands, Whangarei was considered less likely to be attacked and did not rate “fortress” defence status and so only required a single gun. One of the last military murals left in the country, it is nationally significant.

Dates: Mon Mar 16 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Northland
Cost: Free

Mimiwhangata

Mimiwhangata was once the territory of Ngati Manaia who came to Taitokerau on board the waka Mahuhu ki-te-Rangi. They are the ancestors of Ngatiwai, whose rohe now extends from Cape Brett, down the east coast as far south as Great Barrier Island. Mimiwhangata also has a rich and varied European history, having been broken in for farming from the 1860s, a site of a short-lived shore-whaling venture in the 1870s, a haven for remmitance men and eloping lovers, a picnic spot for Queen Elizabeth II, and a coastal retreat for "Beer Barons" and politicians, and now the public. The park contains a rich and diverse archaeological landscape, which indicates intensive pre-European occupation. Recorded sites include 12 pa, numerous undefended settlements or kainga, agricultural evidence and extensive midden. Photograph by Jonathan Carpenter

Dates: Mon Mar 16 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Northland
Cost: Free

Motukiore Island

Motukiore Island is a 5-ha recreation reserve located in Parua Bay, approximately 8 km east of Whangarei, 400 m east of the end of Manganese Point. Motukiore Island has a fascinating history, being both an important vantage point for Maori in prehistoric times, and a focus of early European industry in Whangarei Harbour. Maori occupation of the island is evidenced in the form of the impressive terraced Maori pa at the southern end. European involvement with the island began in 1839 when Glbert Mair senior landed men on the island to establish a pit-sawing venture to provide spars of native timber for ships plying New Zealand waters. Since 1987 Motukiore has been managed by the Department of Conservation. Photograph by Jonathan Carpenter

Dates: Mon Mar 16 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Northland
Cost: Free

Motuopao Lighthouse

Motuopao (also Motuopau or Motu Opou) Island is located 200m off the tip of Cape Maria Van Diemen in the Far North. Following the realisation in the 1870's that New Zealand needed a network of lighthouses to protect shipping from natural hazards, Motuopao was chosen as the site best suited as the location of a light to protect shipping using the dangerous waters at the northern tip of the country. Today Motuopao Island is a Nature Reserve and the only visitors are DOC staff undertaking occasional management activities, including the preservation of the lighthouse structure and settlement. Currently engineers are preparing plans to strengthen the base of the lighthouse. The remaining ruins associated with the lighthouse settlement have been mapped and recorded so that other DOC management activities on the island do not interfere with the historic heritage.

Dates: Mon Mar 16 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Northland
Cost: Free

Urupukapuka Island

Urupukapuka was described by du Fresne, in 1772, as containing villages fortified by palisades. It was occupied by Ngare Raumati before and after European settlement and was taken over by Ngapuhi in the early 19th century. Several kaainga were located on the island at this time. Late in the 19th century the island was developed for grazing. In 1927, the author Zane Grey began to use it as a base for game fishing and it subsequently became a world-famous fishing resort. The Crown acquired the island in 1970. Urupukapuka Island is the largest island in the Bay of Islands and is historically important with a rich archaeological landscape. A total of 66 archaeological sites have already been identified on the 208ha island and there are many more on adjacent islets. Most date from hundreds of years of Maori settlement prior to European arrival. Sites relating to Maori include eight pa, village sites, gardens, and food storage and generally most are in good condition. The ‘Urupukapuka Island Archaeological walk’ allows visitors to view and interpret some of the island’s more dramatic archaeological sites.

Dates: Tue Mar 17 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Northland
Cost: Free

Whangaruru

This area is of particular significance to Ngatiwai, who are the tangata whenua. Puhimoanariki, the first ancestor of Ngapuhi, named this place "Whangaruru" while sailing up the coast. It took Puhi a long time to find a good sheltered place to settle, so when he did he named it "Whangaruru" Whanga (to wait), ruru (to shelter), or alternatively the sheltered harbour. Sixty-three archaeological sites are recorded in the Whangaruru Recreation Reserve, mainly along the western and southern shore, but also along the high ridges that run through the center. Ten of these recorded sites are pa while the rest are either undefended terrace sites or midden. The 100 recorded pits associated with living sites are disproportionate to the area of fertile land on the peninsula. It is possible that produce stored in these pits was grown on the sand spit, where an extensive area of agricultural channels are visible on early aerial photographs. Whangaruru North Head is also significant as the site of the first permanent European settlement of the Whangaruru Harbour. Photograph by Jonathan Carpenter

Dates: Tue Mar 17 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Northland
Cost: Free

Fort Takapuna Historic Reserve

Fort Takapuna, built between 1886 and 1889, was part of a chain of new defences around Auckland harbour. Other forts were built at North Head, Bastion Point, Point Resolution (above the Parnell Baths), and later in 1899 on Mount Victoria. This fort housed two 6 inch disappearing guns which controlled the approaches to the Rangitoto Channel. These guns were mounted in the two circular gun pits in the underground part of the fort. Fort Takapuna Historic Reserve, one of the most significant new additions to the conservation estate, was opened by the Minister of Conservation Sandra Lee on 18 June 2000.

Dates: Tue Mar 17 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Auckland
Cost: Free

Hauraki Gulf Defences

Fort Takapuna, North Head, Stony Batter on Waiheke Island, Motutapu Island, Rangitoto Island and Motuihe Island all played a key role in the defence of the Hauraki Gulf. These sites are now cared for by the Department of Conservation. North Head's commanding views over the Hauraki Gulf have made it an important lookout and defence site for centuries, first for the early Maori inhabitants and later for European settlers. Its complex of tunnels, gun emplacements, searchlights and other fortifications, date back to the late 1880s and early 1900s when North Head was a major military fort - defending Auckland from enemies who never came. It is the most visited Department of Conservation reserve in the country.

Dates: Tue Mar 17 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Auckland
Cost: Free

Mangere Mountain

Mangere Mountain is one of the least modified of the big cone pa sites which once dominated the Auckland - or Tamaki Makaurau - skyline. The 50 volcanic cones in the area were sought-after Maori settlement sites. Their warmer, friable volcanic soils were more suitable in New Zealand's temperate climate for growing tropical crops like kumara, taro and gourds and they offered a clear view of potential attackers. A series of cast iron and basalt sculptures placed around the mountain show what life was like there, including what foods were eaten and how they were cultivated, caught and stored. A one hour 'land marker' walk follows the sculptures (see the self-guided walk brochures on the DOC website).

Dates: Tue Mar 17 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Auckland
Cost: Free

Otuataua Stonefields

The landscape is desolate and rocky - a stark reminder of Auckland's volcanic past. Walking through Otuataua Stonefields is like stepping into another world, yet just a 10 minute drive away, one million people go about their daily lives. Otuataua Stonefields Historic Reserve, created in 2001, is managed by the Manukau City Council. Otuataua is an important archaeological site and educational resource where one can see clearly how people used to live and interact with their environment. Apart from signs of successive human habitation, visitors can also see examples of the native cucumber and the last remnants of Auckland's forests of titoki and kanuka. Photograph by A. Dodd, DOC.

Dates: Tue Mar 17 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Auckland
Cost: Free

Great Barrier Island Aotea

Spectacular pa and other archaeological sites survive throughout the island, evidence of its long Maori history. Maori named the island Aotea (white cloud). When Europeans arrived, they found a rich bounty of resources to exploit: whales which migrated along the coast were hunted for their meat and oil; copper, gold, and silver ore were mined from the island's rocks; the huge kauri trees which covered the island were felled for their superb timber and then raided for their valuable gum; other trees were logged for the firewood trade. Relics of all these exploitive industries can be seen today, including impressive timber dams once used to drive kauri logs down the Kaiarara River. Image: DOC

Dates: Tue Mar 17 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Auckland
Cost: Free

Kakepuku Mountain

As Kakepuku Mountain emerges from the landscape it is easy to understand how it got its name. According to several accounts the full name of the mountain is ‘Kakepuku-te-aroaro o Kahu’ or the swollen stomach of Kahu. It was so named some six centuries ago by Rakataura, a tohunga of the Tainui canoe. The name referred to the advanced pregnancy of his wife Kahurere (referred to in some accounts as Kahukeke). The remains of four pa sites are found under forest canopy or regenerating bush so it is necessary to walk around them to appreciate their extent and features. Photograph by John Greenwood

Dates: Tue Mar 17 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Meremere Redoubt

The redoubt was one of 22 earthwork forts built between Auckland and Pirongia, a distance of 110km. Initially a Maori stronghold, it was occupied by Colonial forces during the campaign when the Maori forces abandoned it overnight to regroup at Rangiriri. Many physical features of the sites associated with the Waikato Campaign have been damaged and lost over time. However Meremere redoubt has been well preserved, and is an outstanding example of its type, in an easily accessible location. Photograph by Kevin L. Jones

Dates: Tue Mar 17 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Te Teoteo's Pa

Te Teoteo’s Pa was built in a hurry by Te Huirama on the site of an old pa to repel the advance of British troops from Queens Redoubt. After several skirmishes resulting in the death of 30 Maori warriors, Te Huirama’s men retreated south. British forces occupied the abandoned pa and built the nearby Whangamarino Redoubt from where they bombarded the Maori position at Meremere. The pa, situated on the end of a ridge overlooking the Waikato River, affords magnificent views. To the south behind the former Meremere power station you can see Meremere Redoubt, and visualise the opposing forces readying for battle. Photograph by Melanie Charters

Dates: Tue Mar 17 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Broken Hills

Puketui was a bustling gold mining settlement established around the turn of the century in the Broken Hills. A campground now occupies the site of the township. Several walks lead to historic relics including the Broken Hills battery site, an underground jail, and underground mine tunnels such as the 500m long Collins Drive (Golden Hills Mine area) which you can walk through– remember to bring a torch! Photograph by Lloyd Homer.

Dates: Wed Mar 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Cuvier Island Light Station

Lit in 1889, the Cuvier lighthouse was the first cast iron light tower manufactured in New Zealand. This represented a significant advancement for New Zealand industry. Cuvier is the most distant of the offshore lighthouses and contact with the outside world was restricted to the delivery of mail and supplies – every three months. DOC maintains all the historic sites on the island including a WW2 radar station, and the structures associated with the light station. In the bush on the higher parts of the island there are several Maori sites including a pa, garden terraces and pits. Cuvier Island is in the eastern approaches to the Colville Channel between Great Barrier Island and the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula. Access is by boat only. Photograph by Neville Ritchie

Dates: Wed Mar 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Kauaeranga Kauri

The Kauaeranga Valley was once adorned with magnificent kauri trees. Favoured for its thick, straight trunk and durable knot-free timber, kauri was highly sought after by early settlers. When all but the most inaccessible kauri within the valley had been logged, the tramline was pulled up and the dams, bush camps and other relics gradually fell into ruin as the forest slowly began to recover. In 1970 the remaining sections of native forests were protected as part of the Coromandel Forest Park. The kauri trail follows original pack tracks once used by bushmen and spans a spectacular landscape of pinnacles, bluffs and gorges. The various tracks take in relics such as the kauri dams and the spectacular Billygoat Incline. Campgrounds and huts within the area provide opportunities for overnight stays. Photograph by Neville Ritchie

Dates: Wed Mar 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Opera Point Historic Reserve: Opera Point Pa and Craig’s Sawmill

The pa is one of several Maori sites that occupy Te Rehutae, the north head of Whangapoua Harbour. While the features are somewhat obscured, it is a good example of a headland pa site in a fantastic coastal setting. The track up to the pa makes its way through dense bush, nikau palms, and ancient pohutukawa. Near the highest point on the headland the track crosses some terraces and the ditch and bank defences of the pa. At the summit you will be rewarded with excellent coastal views. Please note that this is not an official DOC track. DOC is planning to upgrade the track as currently it is steep in sections and becomes muddy and slippery after rain. Opera Point is off State Highway 25 between Coromandel and Whitianga on the Coromandel Peninsula. At Te Rerenga take the turn off to Whangapoua and proceed to the DOC car park. Photograph by Melanie Charters

Dates: Wed Mar 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Opito Point Pa

The pa at Opito Point is a good example of a medium sized headland pa. It occupies the whole of the point at the eastern end of the Kuaotunu Peninsula. Like most headland pa, the site relied on the steep cliffs of the headland to thwart attackers. Access on to the pa is via a staircase-track at the east end of Opito beach. Much of the earthworks remain intact and are clearly visible. The site is off State Highway 25 between Coromandel Township and Whitianga. At Kuaotunu take the sign posted turn to Otama Bay and Opito Bay down Black Jack Road. Follow this unsealed road to the car park at Opito Bay. The site is a 10 minute walk along the beach from the car park. Photograph by Kevin L. Jones.

Dates: Wed Mar 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Sailors Grave

This grave is thought to be the oldest sailor’s grave in New Zealand. Surrounded by a white picket fence, the lonely grave occupies a small part of the historic reserve and is maintained by the N.Z. Navy. Sailors, sealers, and whalers were among the first Europeans to frequent New Zealand waters. They played a significant role in early European settlement, the development of trade and industry, and in shaping New Zealand’s cultural identity. Set against the spectacular backdrop of the Coromandel, numerous trees within the adjoining Pohutukawa Grove Recreation Reserve provide shaded picnic areas. A track leads down to the historic reserve and the gorgeous Te Karo Bay which is perfect for swimming and kayaking. At low tide a scenic one hour walk will take you around the headland to Otara Bay. Photograph by Melanie Charters

Dates: Wed Mar 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Te Pare Historic Reserve: Hereheretaura Pa & Hahei Pa

At the southern end of Hahei Beach Te Pare Historic Reserve encompasses the remains of two prominent Ngati Hei pa sites. A nearby spring and the remains of several midden suggest the site was a good location for both freshwater and shellfish. Hereheretaura Pa is perched on the tip of the headland and surrounded by steep cliffs. The cliffs, coupled with a ditch and bank on the landward side, created a very good defensive position. You can still see the remains of the ditch and bank, several terraces, storage pits, and the living platforms. Hahei Pa is on the ridge above the track leading to Hereheretaura Pa. Steep cliffs on the south drop down to a bay, while on the north side seven terraces fan out around the main platform. Unlike Hereheretaura Pa defensive earthworks appear to have been minimal. Photograph by Melanie Charters

Dates: Wed Mar 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Whitianga Rock

An impressive pa once stood on the narrow rocky headland that juts out into Whitianga Harbour. A well fortified Ngati Hei stronghold; rock bluffs and water provided natural defences on three sides while ditches, earth banks and scarps protected the pa on the landward side. Despite the defences, in the mid eighteenth century it was ransacked by a war party of Ngai te Rangi. At low tide the remains of a stone structure can be seen at Back Beach. The stone which once formed the high defensive walls on the pa was reused to build a kauri boom. Used to collect logs for transport, this boom dates from the 1880s when kauri logging expanded in the area. Photograph by Kevin L. Jones

Dates: Wed Mar 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Bog Inn Hut

Brimful of character, this small hut was built to house scientists studying the nearby mountain mire known as ‘The Bog’. DOC has undertaken preservation work on the hut over time while maintaining its heritage value. Adaptation and repair work includes a flue, wood burner, exterior cladding, roof, and the addition of a front porch and a water tank. The interior of the hut remains largely original retaining its unique character. The park lies between Te Kuiti, Taumarunui and Lake Taupo and is easily accessed by State Highways 30, 32 and 4.

Dates: Wed Mar 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Ongarue Tramway and Spiral

The Ellis & Burnand operation at Ongarue was a major Central North Island timber industry operation in both scale and longevity.They were one of the largest native timber companies in the country, and almost certainly the leading producer of rimu timber. DOC is working to develop the full length of the tramway into a Central North Island Rail Trail which visitors can walk or bike. Eventually this will be over 65km long. At present only one section, the Waione Tram Mountain Bike Track, is open. Access to this route is from Piropiro Flats which can be accessed from either State Highway 30 (Te Kuiti-Whakamaru), or State Highway 4 between Te Kuiti and Taumarunui.

Dates: Wed Mar 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Opapaka Pa

Opapaka Pa was a small defensive pa built and used by Ngati Hia in the late eighteenth century. The Ngati Hia people lived in the valley to the south and would withdraw to the safety of the pa in times of trouble. From the site there are fantastic views over the area, including other Maori fortifications, the mountain ranges of Rangitoto, and more distant Ruapehu. Informative panels along the track to the pa tell you about traditional uses of many of the plants seen along the way. On the highest part of the ridge is the pa site where a panel outlines its history.

Dates: Wed Mar 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Pureora Forest Park

In 1840 around two thirds of New Zealand was still covered in virgin forest. Over the next 140 years this provided the basis for a strong indigenous timber industry. In 1946 Pureora Forest was one of the last native forests to be opened up for logging. DOC manages several historic attractions within the park including: The treetop protest site – One of New Zealand’s most significant conservation battles took place at Pureora in 1978 The former mill village – a range of workers houses dating from 1947 Logging machinery – such as a steam log hauler and an early crawler tractor.

Dates: Wed Mar 18 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Te Toto Gorge

The three natural coastal amphitheatres at Te Toto were once the site of extensive Maori gardens. Remnants of stone rows which would have outlined garden plots can still be seen in places, as well two small pa, storage pits and terraces. The track starts at the car park and leads to a viewing point with views of the stunning coastline and into the amphitheatre where the gardens once flourished. The site is located on the coast south of Raglan on Wainui Road. Note after Whale Bay is reached the road is called Whaanga Rd. Image: View from Te Toto Gorge

Dates: Thu Mar 19 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Waikato
Cost: Free

Rogers Hut

Almost perfectly square in form (4m2) Rogers Hut is constructed of matai studs and plates with interior walls of slab beech, (exterior is flat iron) and has a tongue and groove floor. The pitched gable roof, with stained glass window at the peak of the elevation, was originally covered in flat iron but this was replaced with corrugated iron pre-1976. Remedial work undertaken in 1995 included replacing the rear wall, installing a new veranda floor, and putting plastic spouting on the veranda and rear elevation. The hut, part of the Whirinaki track network, is located amidst outstanding scenery - close to the river and surrounded by native bush. Used by recreational trampers and hunters, estimated visitor numbers are approximately 1500 per annum.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Bay of Plenty
Cost: Free

Waitawheta Bush Tramway

Identified in Paul Mahoney’s book ‘Era of the Bush Tram’ as an important heritage site, Waitawheta is one of the most spectacular bush tramways ever built. A relatively lengthy (14 km) section survives in near pristine condition in a magnificent gorge and bush setting. This is a ‘must visit’ bush tram route, second only to Charming Creek in terms of ‘wow’. In October 2004 DOC opened a new 26 bunk hut at the top of the tram, which makes the overnight option very comfortable. It is located on the site of the Waitawheta Sawmilling Co cookhouse. Guest of honour at the hut opening was 92 year old Ruth Murray, who began work here as a cookhouse waitress aged 12 in 1922. Photograph by K. Knill

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Bay of Plenty
Cost: Free

Ferguson Cottage

Ferguson's Cottage is a simple gable-roofed structure with a verandah across the front elevation (north), and projecting wing with a pitched roof on the back elevation (south). It is timber famed with vertical board and batten sheathing; the rear wing is rusticated weather-boarding on the south and east walls. The roof is corrugated iron and there was once a brick chimney at the east end which served the fireplace in the living room. A small gable roofed laundry, again clad with vertical board and batten, sits next to the cottage. Fergusson Cottage was the third structure built at Whakapapa and it is now the oldest remaining building. It provides a tangible link with the early recreational development of Tongariro National Park . The cottage is registered as a category II historic place by the Historic Places Trust Photograph by Dave Wakelin

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Manawatu Whanganui
Cost: Free

Glacier Hut

Located at a height of 1740 m at Hut Flat, Whakapapa Ski field, Glacier Hut is a small, one-roomed, timber framed hut clad in corrugated iron, with a porch attached. The interior has six bunks and a stove and is lined with malthoid. The hut contains skiing memorabilia, interpretative panels and a glass viewing screen. Centrally located on the ski field with more modern buildings close by, this hut will continue to be used as a skiing museum. A conservation plan was completed in 1992. Ruapehu Ski Club manage this building.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Manawatu Whanganui
Cost: Free

Hapuawhenua Viaduct

The awesome Hapuawhenua Viaduct was built in 1907-1908 as part of the final works to finish the North Island main trunk railway. The viaduct consists of 13 concrete piers and four 4-legged steel towers resting on concrete foundation blocks. There are four steel plate girder tower spans of 11 metres, five 20 metre lattice truss spans and thirteen 11 metre plate girders. In total the viaduct is 284 metres long and at its maximum it stands 45 metres high. It is unique in that it is built on a 10-chain radius curve, reflecting the difficult landscape through which it passes. The Hapuawhenua Viaduct was in use until 1987 when the line was realigned and a new viaduct was built. It is mostly in original condition, and is currently being restored by DOC and Tongariro Natural History Society to allow visitors to again enjoy this spectacular piece of railway engineering heritage. Photograph by Paul Mahoney

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Manawatu Whanganui
Cost: Free

Waihohonu Hut

This is the oldest example of a typical early two-room mountain hut in New Zealand. It employs the innovative, and possibly unique use of pumice infill for insulation. It is also an attractive vernacular building on a splendid site. This hut was completed in 1904 by the Tourist and Health Resorts Department for park visitors and tourists travelling by coach from Waiouru or Tokaanu. Intensive tourist use dropped off in 1908 with the opening of the Main Trunk railway on the other side of the park. It was nevertheless used by early skiing parties and was the base for the first alpine skiing epxediition in July 1913 by William Mead and Bernard Drake - the founding members of the Ruapehu Ski club. Its use ended in 1968, when it was replaced by a new Waihohonu hut. After 1979 the then Tongariro National Park Board discouraged its overnight use. It has been maintained as an unused historic hut since then. Historic themes are mountain recreation, and tourism. Photograph by Dave Wakelin

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Manawatu Whanganui
Cost: Free

Manganuku Stream Bridge

Built in 1928 the bridge is a Public Works Department standard design, single-lane, single-span truss road bridge built of Australian hardwood. It is in good condition with high integrity. The bridge has a modified Howe truss span of 24.8 metres and one 9.5 metre land span of rolled steel joists. The deck is 4.7 metres wide. Near the right bank a concrete pier supports the truss and land span. Setting is lowland forest, mainly tawa, on steep hill country. The bridge spans the Manganuku Stream. Image: Sheridan Gundry/GEMS Communications

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Manawatu Whanganui
Cost: Free

Tauranga Bridge

The Tauranga Bridge is a harp suspension bridge with a 57.8 metre centre span built in 1922. It carries a single lane of road across the Waioeka River in a scenic ‘bush and gorge’ setting. Most structural members are Australian hardwood. There are six suspension cable on each side. In 1995 Historic Places Trust registered the bridge as category one heritage. It is of national significance for its sophisticated engineering design and outstanding aesthetic qualities. It is the sole surviving harp suspension bridge in NZ. Nationally, Tauranga bridge represents the many remote bridges that provided vital access for farmers. It is also an important monument to failed land development policies. Photograph by Pam Bain

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre and Museum

The dramatic landscape of Te Urewera has attracted people for centuries. Settlers and visitors have left a legacy of artefacts, photos, paintings and archival materials which gives clues to following generations of how people have lived in the area over the years. As well as being an information centre the Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre is also a museum so it contains a wide range of artefacts from the area. The visitor centre is registered as a collector of artefacts under the Antiquities Act 1975 to keep taonga (treasures), and this ensures that artefacts from Te Urewera National Park can remain within the park. Taonga held at Aniwaniwa have been donated or lent to the museum.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Te Totara Hut

Te Totatara Hut is a small, single storey timber building 4.2m x 4.2m in size, with one door, two windows and a fireplace. It has a low verandah on the eastern side and has a gabled pitched roof. The hut is primarily constructed from split totara slabs and framing members which are clearly visible on the interior. The roof and verandah are sheathed in corrugated iron, and the building in flat galvanised sheeting. It is located in a small clearing, beside Parahaki Stream, in the south-west of Te Urewera National Park and is managed by the Aniwaniwa Area Office. The hut has its origins in efforts to control deer which were released into Te Urewera between 1898-1920 and protected until 1930. Tentative deer control was begun by the government in 1932 around Lake Waikaremoana. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) recommenced operations in 1938 with four men hunting in the Horomanga-Galatea area. World War II intervened, but after WWII the efforts to control wild animals intensified e.g. in 1955 ten hunters killed eight thousand deer. Photograph by Dave Thompson

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Ellis Hut

Ellis Hut is a timber frame building sheathed in pit sawn weatherboards and lined inside with hand worked beaded tongue and groove boarding. The roof is corrugated iron. The hut is situated in the Ruahine Forest Park amidst grass and developing pine forest with regenerating native forest nearby. Ellis Hut is managed by the Hawke's Bay Area Office. Ellis Hut was built in 1884 by Bill Marsh and Jack Curtis for Jock Anderson who owned Poporangi Station, and wanted a hut to serve the back of what was then a vast run. It was first named after Bill Whitnell, shepherd and hunter, who lived in it for many years.Historical themes for this hut are farming, recreation and wild animal control

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Former Napier Courthouse

The former Napier Courthouse is a timber framed structure clad with weatherboards; it has a roof structure support by heavy timber trusses with galvanised iron sheathing, and it is set on timber pile foundations. It is a two-storied building characterised by the use of simple classical elements for timber construction and is a fine example of colonial public architecture of the 1870’s. The Napier Courthouse was designed as a Supreme Court House but it was used by the Justice Department to house a variety of services throughout the period 1875 to 1988. It was the centre of Justice in Hawke’s Bay. The police, the Registrar of Pensions, the births, Deaths, and Marriages department, the Bailiff, Lawyers, the Magistrate’s Court, the Maori Land Court, the Law Library, the Law Society, and the Custodian were all accommodated in, or closely associated with, the Courthouse at different times. The building is a category 1 classification under the Historic Places Act 1993. This is the highest level of recognition under the Act, and ensures the building's protection. Photograph by Pam Bain

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Fulcher's Cottage

Fulcher's Cottage in the Ruahine Forest Park is a three-roomed cottage with a covered porch. It was built of timber felled from the surrounding bush and cut and split by hand. The roof was partially clad with malthoid and sheets of flattened tin. The walls were lined with newspapers - some dating back to 1930's. The fire had an iron chimney. The cottage is managed by the Hawke's Bay Area Office. George Fulcher built this hut in 1931. He and his family, a wife and two daughters lived there for three years. Even by the 1930s prospective farmers were still trying to break in difficult back country blocks allocated by the Government and the Fulchers were typical of these late pioneers. They may have been driven there by the circumstances of the depression. In January 1983 George aged (85), daughter Ngaire and husband, 3 sons and 1 daughter-in-law stayed in the hut for 4 days. The whare was destroyed by fire in 1996.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Iron Whare

The Iron Whare is a small hut in the Kaweka Forest Park constructed from vertical slab totara, with a corrugated iron roof and dirt floor. The original chimney was made of sods, now there is no chimney. Missing slabs have been patched with new ones. There is a door and openings for windows. Unusually, for a mountain hut, Iron Whare is sited on a relatively steep slope and surrounded by forest. The hut is managed by the Hawke's Bay Area Office. Iron Whare is the oldest hut in the Kaweka Forest Park and possibly the earliest remaining in the mountain regions of New Zealand. It is a very early and important link with inland pastoral farming in Hawke’s Bay. Its remote location enhances its significance and makes its survival even more astounding. It is not registered with the Historic Places Trust.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Manson Hut

Manson Hut in the Kaweka Forest Park is built of split slabs, possibly beech, cut from nearby trees, and it has a malthoid roof. It is built into the hillside in a good sheltered position beside the Tapahiwhenua stream making it an ideal place for back country accommodation. This is the second hut in this area and was built by Les D’Ott and Jack Wire in 1946-1950 as musterers’ accommodation for Jack Robert’s father when he owned Ngamatea Station. The first was built by the Lumsden family of Kuripapango, who had the lease of the block between c.1906 and 1920s. A third hut was built further up the ridge within 200 metres of the original hut by the Forest Service in 1972.It was conserved in 1995. Historic themes are farming and wild animal control. The hut is managed by DOC's Hawke's Bay Area Office.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Robson's Lodge

Robson’s Lodge is symmetrically designed with a hip roof and timber framed with totara piles. The walls and roof are clad in corrugated iron. Interior walls are lined with tongue and groove panelling covered, in some places, by sheets of hardboard. Since the 1970s it has been used as overnight accommodation and base for school trips and camps. Robson's Lodge is located in the southern Kaweka Forest Park. From Napier follow the Napier-Taihape Road to Kuripapango and turn left just before the bridge over the Ngaruroro River into the DOC Field Base. Robson’s Lodge is situated approximately 500m past the field base. Photograph by Pam Bain.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Shute's Hut

Shute's Hut in the Ruahine Forest Park is a rabbiter’s hut (4.0m x 2.4m) built, unusually, of local stone and cement mortar which was laboriously packed in. It has a gabled roof with corrugated iron cladding. There is a fireplace at one end and it has a concrete floor. Shute’s Hut is backed by mature trees to the south and open grass to the north. Shute’s Hut was built in 1920 for the owners of Big Hill Station, Vautier and Hewitt, by E Smith and Alex Shute. It served as a musterer’s hut on the station in a backcountry grazing area then carrying 1000 sheep. Photograph by Dave Yule

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Hawke's Bay
Cost: Free

Dawson Falls Power Station

Dawson Falls is one of the few small fully operational generating plants left in New Zealand. It was built to service remotely located Dawson Falls Mountain Lodge in the Mt Egmont National Park. It’s continued survival is directly linked to the cost of getting mains power from the national grid to Dawson Falls.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Taranaki
Cost: Free

North Egmont Camphouse

The Camphouse is located on the north-eastern slopes of Mt Egmont/Taranaki with the mountain as a striking backdrop.The Camphouse's historic importance is conspicuous and the building has a Historic Places Trust Category I registration. It is one of the few surviving purpose-built structures from the New Zealand Wars and certainly the only remaining military barracks. It has had over 100-years association with mountain recreation, the longest of any building, and is easily the oldest building in any national park in New Zealand. It is almost certainly the oldest remaining example of a prefabricated, corrugated iron clad building in the country. The half round shape of the building has no surviving parallel in New Zealand from last century. The original metal sheathing of the barracks building, corrugated galvanised wrought iron, is of incredible strength. Photograph by K. Matthews

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Taranaki
Cost: Free

Cone Hut

Cone Hut is the second oldest hut in the Tararuas. Built by New Zealand’s first tramping club, the Tararua Tramping Club, it is one of the best surviving examples of a ‘slab hut’ in New Zealand. People have been visiting the Tararua Forest Park for a long time and the huts they built and used are an important link to the Park’s history. Cone Hut is in the upper Tauherenikau Valley, in the South-eastern section of Tararua Forest Park. The Tararua Range is north of Wellington, off SH 2, just south of Carterton. Photograph by Richard Nester

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Wellington
Cost: Free

Rimutaka Incline

The Rimutaka Railway was built as part of an ambitious 1871 Government policy to construct a national railway network to attract immigrants and to help improve New Zealand’s economic base. The aim was to link agricultural hinterlands with major ports like Wellington. Building this railway across the rugged Rimutaka Ranges threw up a technological challenge much greater than found anywhere else in New Zealand. A tunnel was the preferred option but could not be afforded. So the 'temporary' solution was a steep mountain railway. Turn off SH 2, 9 km north of Upper Hutt, the turn off is signposted to Pakuratahi Forest. The carpark is 1 km along a metal road. Photograph by Derek Cross/NZ Rail and Locomotive Society Archives

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Wellington
Cost: Free

Field Hut

Field Hut was one of the first purpose built tramping huts in the country and is the oldest surviving recreational hut in the Tararua Ranges. People have been visiting the Tararua Forest Park for a long time and the huts they built and used are an important link to the Park’s history. Field Hut was built in 1924 by New Zealand’s first tramping club, the Tararua Tramping Club, to accommodate the increasing popularity of the Southern Crossing between Otaki and Kaitoke. Field Hut is located North of Wellington, between Otaki and Waikanae off SH 1, and is best accessed via Otaki Forks. Photograph by Wayne Boness.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Wellington
Cost: Free

Chatham Islands

The Chatham Islands are regarded as being the last islands in the Pacific to be permanently settled by people. Moriori, Maori and European settlement in the Chatham Islands has left a variety of historic resources representing the cultural occupation of the lands by these people. Examples of this occupation are common on land managed by the Department, and include the remaining two major concentrations of Moriori tree carvings in J.R. Barker (Hapupu) National Historic Reserve and Taia Bush Historic Reserve. Photograph by Allan Jones

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Chatham Islands
Cost: Free

Whariwharangi Hut

Whariwharangi Hut was built as a farmhouse in about 1896 by John Handcock who lived in the valley with his family for 15 years. Whariwharangi was last inhabited in 1926, but farmed until 1972. During this later period the homestead served as a stockmans hut. The farms in this northern end of the Park, although the last to be retired, eventually succumbed to the impoverished granite soils. In 1980 Whariwharangi hut was restored by the Abel Tasman Park Board making significant modifications to suit its new use as a tramping hut. Historic themes are pastoralism and farming. Great walk hut pass required. Booking required all year. Photograph by Steve Bagley

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Nelson
Cost: Adults: $30 (peak) $12 (off peak). Child/youth free but bookings still required.

Cecil Kings Hut

Kings Hut is built from slabs and battens of red beech split from local trees and dressed with axe and adze. It has always been a four-bunk hut, beech pole framed, clad in wooden slabs and roofed with shingles (later covered with iron). In 1991 Max Polglaze repaired the hut using silver beech. He replaced the rotten pieces of exterior cladding and floorboards and reinstated the internal framing to straighten the hut’s lean. The hut is located on a grassy clearing in the beech forest on the Wangapeka Track at the junction of the Wangapeka with its South Branch. This clearing is traditionally known as ‘The Forks’. It is a category 4 Backcountry Hut. Steve Bagley

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Nelson
Cost: Free

Ship Cove

Ship Cove holds key cultural heritage stories told in a beautiful sheltered cove with a lush coastal forest backdrop. Totaranui (Queen Charlotte Sound) was visited by the great Polynesian explorer, Kupe, during his exploration of this country which his wife named Aotearoa. This site is internationally recognised as Captain James Cook’s favourite New Zealand base during his three wide-ranging voyages of exploration. Ship Cove has strong synergies with other Marlborough Sounds tourism opportunities; coastal lodges, concessionaires, Long Island Marine Reserve, Motuara Island Nature Reserve, Blumine Island World War II forts. New visitor facilities reflecting the cultural themes of the site and new interpretation covering the Maori and Cook stories of Ship Cove and the surrounding sound were installed in 2006. Photograph by Steve Bagley

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Marlborough
Cost: Free

Black Spur Slab Hut

This well built, 6 metre by 3 metre, hut is of split and axe-dressed poplar slabs over a poplar pole frame. The slab joints are battened with poplar poles and packed with clay. A corrugated iron roof has replaced its original canvas one. Similarly corrugated iron has replaced the original stacked stone chimney which collapsed in the 1960s. It has one four pane window and door in the eastern wall. The hut was substantially repaired in the 1970s at which time the earth floor was replaced by concrete and bunks reduced from ten to four. Black Spur is cleverly sited on a small flat in a grove of old Lombardy Poplars on a tight bend of the Black Rock Stream 200metres above its junction with the Seymour Stream. It is hidden from the Seymour by a low volcanic spur (Black Spur). Photograph by Steve Bagley.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Marlborough
Cost: Free

Bluff Dump Hut

This hut is a simple rectangular 6 metre by 3 metre structure built of corrugated iron over a timber frame and concrete floor. It has a single tongue and groove door and four pane window in the north wall and a corrugated iron chimney. A small panel of corrugated Perspex has been fitted in this wall. Inside there are six bunks and a fireplace. The hut is set in pasture beside the Clarence Reserve pack track half a kilometre below the junction of the track and the Seymour Stream. Image: DOC

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Marlborough
Cost: Free

Horse Flat Hut

A small 3.5 metre by 2.5 metre hut of corrugated iron over skilfully constructed split Willow/Poplar framing. It has an earth floor. Bunks are also framed from split timber. The hut sits on wooden piles and its exterior is painted in red oxide. It’s chimney has gone and the hole was recently closed off with corrugated iron. There is a single window in the north wall and the tongue and groove door at the eastern end. Situated amongst old willows on a lower river terrace at Horse Flat 4 or 5 kilometres down the Clarence River from the main station buildings at Quail Flat. The site is undeveloped and appears to have no features associated with the hut. Photograph by Steve Bagley

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Nelson
Cost: Free

Molesworth Cob Homestead

This was the original Molesworth homestead built as a one-roomed hut by the third runholder John (Cornelius) Murphy in 1866 and later extended by his successor William Atkinson. Murphy was the first runholder to over winter which he later described "as a sort of Esquimaux’s life; we were shut up sometimes for four or five weeks". This building remained the homestead until 1885 when the present, larger, cob homestead was built. This original cottage was then used to accommodate musterers and rabbiters. Historic themes are pastoralism, animal pests and farming. The cottage sits on the edge of the Molesworth road on a grassed terrace above the Molesworth Stream. Photograph by Steve Bagley

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Marlborough
Cost: Free

Old Willows Hut

According to a reliable source the hut was built by Wattie Hedgeman in the early 1920s. Wattie Hedgeman was a rabbiter and general farm hand who worked the large South Marlborough runs in the early years of last century. This spot had traditionally been an old mustering camp and the building of the hut provided a more permanent base for the musterers and rabbiters working this western end of the Clarence Reserve. It sits on the toe of a low spur at the junction of the Willows and Gore Streams in the northern end of the Clarence Reserve. There is an old grove of Willows immediately below the hut which has provided the building material and were originally planted to provide fuel and shelter for an old mustering camp The more recent (1980s) forest service hut is immediately behind the old hut. Photograph by Steve Bagley

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Marlborough
Cost: Free

Tent Pole Hut

From the 1860s until 1968 access between Kaikoura and the Warden and Tytler Runs (now known as the Clarence Reserve) was via a pack track over the Seaward Kaikoura Range. The road now follows this route. Of the several huts built to provide accommodation along the track only Tentpoles and Bluff Dump survive. Tentpoles was the final stop for musterers and pack-men before crossing Blind Saddle to the ‘front’ and had an associated holding paddock for the sheep. Although its date of building is not known it is of similar construction to Bluff Dump which was built in 1928 or earlier. Photograph by Steve Bagley

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Marlborough
Cost: Free

Booth's Cottage

This cottage was built by Sid Booth and Ray Clarke in 1933 during the Depression when both were on the government Gold Prospecting Subsidy Scheme. It was the family home of Sid and Eva Booth and their son Teddy for over 10 years. Sid was often away mining or doing other work for months at a time and Eva and Teddy stayed at the cottage. A telephone line was connected to the hut in the 1940s. Bulbs and other plantings from the family’s garden and a variety of artefacts including old footwear and bottles are visible around the clearing. Ted Booth was one of the group to help with remedial work in 1995. It has a historic theme of gold mining and more recently one of recreation although it is not used for overnight accommodation. Photograph by Steve Bagley

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Nelson
Cost: Free

Downies Hut

The date of the building is not known, but it contains graffiti from 1902. Local knowledge is vague, but the Downie family claim it was built by Charles Downie (1843-1939) as a goldmining base. It could also have been a musterers’ hut built by William Hunter, runholder of Matakitaki Station. Both Downie and Hunter were originally pitsawyers. During the 1940s and 50s, it was a cullers’ base as well as a musterers’ hut. Musterers and cullers names are represented in the grafitti on inside walls. More recently it has been used by trampers. Historic theme of pastoralism, mining and animal pests. Photograph by Steve Bagley

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Nelson
Cost: Free

Denniston

For many decades Denniston was New Zealand's largest producing coal mine, yielding a premium quality coal from underground mines. The coal was loaded into railway wagons and lowered by cable down an extremely steep incline railway: a remarkable feat of engineering. Once home to over 1500 people, today Denniston is a ghost town. The rocky plateau offers magnificent views of coastal plains and ocean. Even when shrouded in mist the dramatic landscape is still breathtaking. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Adams Flat Hut

A timber and iron unlined hut, approximately 4m x 3m, with an earth floor, two tarpaulin bunks, a broken table, a bench seat, an iron chimney and open fireplace with various cooking and eating utensils. Although collapsed it is substantially complete. A replica of this hut was built in 1999. The hut’s origins are uncertain. It is the last of numerous huts which were once dotted around the Fenian Goldfield. John Adam had a slab hut on the flat up to 1882, but the earliest memory of the present hut is 1932, when it was occupied by a miner named John Campbell, believed to have been it’s builder. It has been used as a shelter over the years by fossickers, hunters, trampers etc. John Adams died 28 February 1882, aged 49 years, and was buried two days later.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Brunner Bridge

The Brunner Bridge is clearly visible from the road. It never closes and can be accessed from either side via State Highway 7 and Taylorville-Blackball Road, and by rail via Brunner Station. The bridge defines and differentiates the Brunner site and helps to trigger visitors to stop and explore. It also provides an essential link between parts of the site on opposite banks of the river and a great viewpoint to help with interpretation. Added to this, coal trains laden with Paparoa coal still pass through several times daily. Photograph by Kevin Jones.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Croesus Top Hut

A corrugated iron-clad, timber-lined hut with an open fireplace, table and three sacking bunks. It stands beside the Croesus Track just above the bush line, a short distance below the Ces Clark hut. There is no sign of a second hut which stood nearby in the 1930s. The hut is situated above the bush-line in the lee of the prevailing wind, with view to the Grey Valley and the Great Divide.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Garden Gully Hut

A corrugated iron hut with timber framework and floor, and featuring heavy calico side wall sections. It contains bunks and has a large open fireplace with a corrugated iron chimney. There is no trace of four other huts which stood nearby. The hut is set in a grassy clearing with a stream amid beech/podocarp forest. Built during the 1930s slump by men prospecting for the Government or employed on a subsidised gold scheme. Construction was done in stages, men bringing back more materials after every trip to Blackball. Refurbished in 1986, when the board and batten side walls were replaced by original treated calico. Themes of gold mining and historic settlement.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Slaty Creek Hut

A hut built of pit-sawn totara slabs, with an iron roof. It contains four bunks, a bench, stools and has an open fire. The hut stands in a small clearing amid beech trees where Slaty Creek meets the Waiheke River, an upper Ahaura tributary. Built as a winter project by deer cullers, it is believed to have replaced Climo’s hut, which had burned down. Since then it has been used by recreational hunters, trampers and climbers. Photograph by Nia Rowlands

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Downes Hut

Downes Hut is a small, 5 metres x 4 metres, timber framed and clad building. It is just one room with a platform bunk on the left of the door and a bench and fireplace on the right. The entrance and main elevation is sheltered by a verandah.There is an interpretation panel inside the hut. This plum coloured hut sits on a terrace above the Whanganui River facing the river road and is a prominent sight from the opposite bank. It is on the true right bank of the Whanganui River, and can only be accessed from the river or through a difficult overland tramp. It is used as accommodation for national park users, particularly canoeists on the Whanganui River. Photograph by J. R. Lythgoe.

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Manawatu Whanganui
Cost: Free

Government Buildings Historic Reserve

With imposing facades, sweeping staircases, cast iron fireplaces and kauri clad interiors, the Government Buildings are among the finest examples of New Zealand’s architectural heritage. Like many colonial buildings of last century, they were built to resemble an Italian stone palace in an attempt to convey strength and stability in the expanding empire. It is the second largest wooden building in the world, and the imaginative use of kauri, one of New Zealand’s premier native timbers, could never be replicated in any present day building because our remaining public kauri forests are under permanent protection. When Victoria University’s School of Law moved into the Government Buildings Historic Reserve in 1995 it re-established a physical relationship that was initiated in Wellington’s early days. The MPs responsible for passing the Victoria College Act, 1897 could hardly have anticipated that their creation would one day inhabit the very rooms where law drafting and executive government brought it to life! Photograph by P. Blaxter

Dates: Fri Mar 20 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Wellington
Cost: Free

Locke Stream Hut

A timber and iron hut with bunks, fireplace, etc. A notable feature is the floor of adzed timber originally cut from the surrounding forest. Windows, cladding, chimney and fireplace were renewed in 1993, and a removable verandah was added. Locke Stream Hut is set in a small clearing in the Taramakau Valley forest. Built with Department of Internal Affairs funding when the Taramakau-Harper Pass – Lake Sumner route was developed as part of a Government programme encouraging physical fitness. It has been in regular use by trampers, hunters, etc, ever since. Historical themes are tourism and recreation.

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Prices Flat Hut

A slab hut with hand-hewn frame, iron roof and concrete floor. The hut is situated in a small flat between two deep, forested gorges, 5km from the Great Divide and 13km from a major pass. The oldest part of the hut was probably built in 1908. It was either refurbished or completely rebuilt in the 1930s for the first Westland deer culling operation. The concrete floor dates from 1957. The hut was upgraded by the New Zealand Forest Service in 1983. Historic themes of animal pests and recreation. Image: DOC

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Almer Hut

A sturdy iron clad mountain hut. Mountaineering, trekking and ski touring. Normal alpine safety rules apply. The hut is buried in snow in winter. This is the third structure to be known by this name. The building was prefabricated and air-dropped onto the site at the north side of Franz Josef Glacier in 1950. It was upgraded in 1992, and during subsequent staff visits. A new toilet was installed in 1995. Historic themes are tourism and recreation. Photograph by Dave Waters

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Cape Defiance Hut

Components were carried to Cape Defiance to provide a hut for glacier walkers and climbers. Site instability caused it to be re-sited in 1936, but access became more difficult as the site was eroded away the hut was in danger of falling onto the glacier. It was retrieved in 1978 for public display at the Franz Josef Visitor Centre. It has historic themes of exploration, early tourism, and recreation. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Hende's Hut

A small corrugated iron hut with a corrugated iron chimney, a doorway but no windows. Located beside the Roberts Point track. Built by Peter Hende for use as a smithy while forming the wrought iron standards to support Hendes Gallery. Since then it has served as a shelter for walkers on the Roberts Track. Historic themes of early tourism and recreation. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Okarito YHA hostel

The Okarito YHA is the old schoolhouse. The original school was established in 1867 at the wharf due to the gold rush in Okarito. The current building was erected in 1901 on its present site although parts of the building are thought to date back to the original building. Okarito’s population dwindled through the 20s and 30s and the school eventually closed in 1946. DOC, YHA and the local community undertook a huge restoration project in a joint effort in 1990. DOC produced a conservation plan for the schoolhouse in 1988 and further improvements include modern kitchen facilities, repainting and restoring the exterior of the building, financed with money raised by the local community. Today the Okarito YHA offers travellers a unique chance to experience the life of a bygone era, a chance to sample the history and culture of a small New Zealand settlement the way it was. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Chancellor Hut

A simple rectangle plan, vertical corrugated iron 12 bunk mountain hut of early design. The main room has two cooking benches, and an internal door leading to the bunk room, formerly the Women’s Room. In both rooms the timber framing is visible, and on the outside of the framing the patterned congolium is still intact. Located on the Southwest face of Chancellor Ridge, more than 200m above Fox Glacier, with views of some of the country’s highest peaks. Carried in piece by piece and assembled on site, in the days before alpine air lifts, the hut has hardly been modified since. The hut played an important role in the development of mountaineering, ski mountaineering and tramping in Westland National Park. Historic themes of early tourism and recreation.

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Hooker Hut

The hut is situated beside the Hooker Glacier some 16m from the moraine wall. The building is timber framed, with corrugated iron clad walls and roof. The floor is tongue and groove. The hut has two rooms, two entrances and an internal door between the two rooms. As with most other structures in this park this hut occupies an outstanding site, just below the Hooker Glacier. The hut has sheltered climbers and trampers for nearly 90 years and is the oldest purpose built hut in the Mt Cook National Park. It is the "home" of a famous alpine ghost, as recounted by Peter Graham (in Peter Graham: Mountain Guide) and others.

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Sefton Bivouac

This bivouac is situated 1650m below the Footstool, a mountain on the main divide of the Southern Alps. The hut, 2.1m x 3m in area, has a timber frame clad with corrugated iron; the floor is earth. A stone wall surrounds the bivouac. The bivvy has a commanding view from its lookout perch, close to the big ice cliffs of Te Waewae Glacier. Sefton Bivouac has an historic theme of mountain recreation.

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Adderley Head Signal Station

A Pilot and Signal Station was established here in 1867 and began operating on 8 December of that year under the charge of Mr Novis. Initially the signalmen, pilots and their families lived below in Little Port Cooper, moving across the bay in 1874. In 1885 the pilots were relocated to Lyttelton and only the signalmen and their families remained. The schoolhouse, built in 1883, is the only remaining building. Visitors can access the reserve by private boat to Little Port Cooper, Banks Peninsula. Walking access is available from Camp Bay, with permission from the landowner. This access is limited during high fire risk and lambing season.

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Akaroa Head Scenic Reserve

The original Akaroa lighthouse started operation on the precipitous headland of Akaroa Heads on 1 January 1880. One hundred years later, it was moved down to Akaroa Township, after being replaced in 1977 by an automated light. The foundations are all that remain of the lighthouse keeper’s family homes, but the original stonework of the supply road down to Haylocks Bay remains along the cliff face, including an original stone culvert at the junction of the road and the small stream. From Akaroa township on Banks Peninsula, Canterbury, take the Akaroa Lighthouse Road. Warning; this is 11km of steep, narrow, rough road and more suitable for 4 wheel-drive vehicles.

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Godley Head Coastal Defence Battery

This headland is a breathtaking coastal location, only 30 minutes from Cathedral Square, Christchurch. Built in 1939, the fort is ranked in the top ten New Zealand coastal defence heritage sites. Even before the fort was built, the look-out qualities of the headland were used to guide ships around the peninsula, with the help of the Godley Head light. The lighthouse, built in 1865, had to be moved during WWII to make way for the fort. Please note; public access is not available to the lighthouse in its current location.

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Mt Pleasant Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery Battery

Five concrete structures on the hilltop east of Mt Pleasant in Christchurch represent a command post and four gun positions. They are the remains of a World War II (1939-1945) Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery (HAA) battery. The structures are much as they were when they were decommissioned by the army after the war. From Lyttelton take Chambers Track, which starts from the top of Brenchley Avenue. This is a steep climb up a valley through Tauhinu-Korokio Scenic Reserve, to reach the gun emplacements. A more gentle route takes you along an old army 4WD track across city council land. This track starts at lookout point on the Summit Road, (near its intersection with Mt Pleasant Rd).

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Sign of the Packhorse Hut

The hut is built of locally quarried volcanic stone with timber joinery – windows on three elevations – affording remarkable views of the Scenic Reserve, Mount Bradley, Lyttelton Harbour and the Southern Alps in the distant west. This hut contains a porch, lounge with a stove, and two sleeping rooms with four bunks in each. Tank water is available, but not recommended for drinking, and a pit toilet is nearby. Situated on a low saddle on the ridge between Mt Bradley and the Remarkable Dykes, the stone hut can be seen against the skyline from many parts of the reserve and the Lyttelton Harbour basin.

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Dasler Bivouac

Dasler is a 2x3 metre, two bunk hut built on treated wooden piles. It’s exterior is clad in flat tin, with a corrugated iron roof and a flat tin chimney. Framing is dressed timber and the floor is 65mm tongue and groove. All the timber has been treated. The interior lining is melthoid and chicken netting. Dasler has a five pane window on the east wall and a tongue and groove ledged door in the north wall. The bunks are across the south wall and the fireplace is opposite the window. The floor, top plate and ridge board all have joins indicating that the hut was possibly flown to the site in two sections. The hut has not been modified nor has it been subject to vandalism. The bivouac is located beside a small stream at the beech bush line below the Dasler Pinnacles.

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

East Branch Ahuriri (Quailburn) Hut

The hut is located on the true left of the Ahuiri River East Branch below Quailburn Saddle. One roomed hut 4.4m x 2.9m of beech pole construction clad in Comet brand corrugated iron with Lino lead head nails. Between the iron and the beech poles tar impregnated paper lining has been placed. The hut has an earth floor and six-beech pole netting bunks. The chimney in the south wall is iron but is unsafe. The door is cedar. The only modern element is a three-pane louvre window in the west end gable. It is possible that this replaced an earlier window, as it is the only one in the building. Hut is sited in remote river valley setting.

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Red Hut

Built in 1916 for commercial guiding to the Barren Saddle by the Government Tourist Department (R W Wigley), it was used mainly as a mustering hut by the Huxley Gorge Station. In 1956 the station presented Red Hut to the New Zealand Forest Service. Red Hut was fully restored in 2003, thanks to funding allocated to DOC for upgrading of recreational facilities. Fully clad in rust-red ship-clad weatherboards, Red Hut now looks much the same as it would have when it was first built. New windows were specially constructed in a style modelled from the one original window that remained, including authentic window catches made by a forging outfit. The hut is set on a river fan of the Hopkins, with surrounding beech forest, in Ruataniwha Conservation Park. Photograph by Kiersten McKinley

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Acheron Accommodation House

The valleys of the Awatere, Waiautoa (Clarence) and Wairau Rivers, their tributaries and linking passes, were known and used by Māori. Historically the area was visited by small food-gathering parties in times of abundance, generally every 3-5 years. This seasonal activity complemented the well developed coastal economy of early Māori. The cob mixture for the Acheron Accommodation House was made from local clay, tussock, animal dung and water. The roof covering was a tussock thatch supported on 120 black beech beams. The beams were cut from beech trees in Bush Gully. Those travelling through Molesworth Farm Park on the Acheron Road can camp outside Acheron Accommodation House ($6.00/adult and $1.50/child per night). Image supplied by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Bealey Spur Hut

Bealey Spur Hut is a beech sapling-framed; corrugated iron-clad hut with a wooden floor. It has an open fire with a flat tin chimney and there are six spring mesh bunks attached to beach pole framing. These replaced the original uncomfortable diamond-mesh netting and chaff sack mattress bunks that the musterer’s had to endure. These were said to be "almost as hard as a fakir’s bed of nails". There is no window (although there is evidence that there was once one in the south wall) and daylight to the interior is provided by a sheet of corrugated Nova light in the roof. Tank water is available and a pit toilet is nearby. The hut was painted for the first time (by persons unknown) in 1997. The hut is attractively sited in a clearing of beech forest. Photograph by Ian Hill, supplied by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Number Three Hut

This three-roomed T shaped hut is clad in rough sawn vertical board and batten timber with a corrugated iron roof. The tongue and groove floor area is 33 sq. metres. The only lining is painted tar impregnated building paper between the sawn timber framing and the board and batten cladding. The hut has 16 bunks, 12 in the main room and 4 in the small T section. At the rear of the hut there is a small porch storeroom with a metal top bench. The main room had a tin chimney, but this was removed in 1996 and now has a wood burner in its place. Removal of the chimney and placement of the wood burner are the only alterations to the original form. The hut is at 650m above sea level on the Hurunui River (North Branch) valley floor and is surrounded by mixed beech forest. Photograph by Ian Hill and supplied by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Urquhart's Hut

Urquhart’s Hut is built of beech pole framing, corrugated iron cladding and has an earth floor. Although not originally lined parts of the hut has some sacking and plywood lining. It has a corrugated iron fireplace at the south end. The hut has six sacking bunks. Running water is obtained from the river and there is a pit toilet near the hut. The hut is built on a terrace amidst the attractive Wilberforce Valley, which is surrounded by high peaks. Access to the hut up the Wilberforce braided river valley is not difficult, but requires numerous river crossings. Care needs to be taken in Northwest weather conditions as the river can rise rapidly. Photograph by Ian Hill and supplied by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Canterbury
Cost: Free

Alexandra Courthouse

The Central Otago Town of Alexandra was founded after gold was discovered between Clyde and Cromwell in 1862. That discovery led to thousands of miners travelling to the district along the Old Dunstan Road from the Strath Taieri; the same route - Clarks Junction to Alexandra - can still be followed today by 4WD. The old Courthouse in Alexandra's Centennial Avenue is one of the town's oldest stone buildings and had an important role in the life and administration of the Central Otago goldfields. Opened on 16th June 1879, it housed both the Warden's and Magistrate's Courts. Although the Alexandra Courthouse is now over 125 years old it is still being used daily, leased out as a cafe and restaurant, though fully protected as an historic place. Photograph by Colin Perfect and supplied by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Otago
Cost: Free

Bendigo Historic Reserve

The 1085 hectares of Bendigo’s adjoining historic and scenic reserves are popular with visitors. They provide easy and interesting opportunities for day trips in the area. A feature of the historic reserve is the range of relics from Bendigo’s hard-rock, quartz mining days. This has made it an important part of the Otago Gold Fields Park, providing plenty of opportunities to explore what's left of that important and colourful part of the region’s past. Image supplied by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Otago
Cost: Free

Golden Point Historic Reserve

The Donaldson brothers first battery is now marked only by concrete foundations and stone-walling. Remaining from the Callery battery is the original well in which the waterwheel was located and some battery stampers which are possibly original. All the equipment associated with the mineral extraction process is now enclosed in the adjacent corrugated iron shed. A roadway leads up to a hopper and a collection of rusting metal equipment, including a Huntingdon mill from the Bonanza Mine. Callery's wooden house is still in good order; two mudbrick dwellings and their associated outhouses occupy terraces a short distance along the road, and the concrete foundations and fallen brick chimney of another building sit among the tailings on the valley floor. Golden Point is hidden in a deep gully formed by the serpentine course of Deepdell Creek. Photograph by John Greenwood and supplied by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Otago
Cost: Free

Cedar Flat Hut

This unique hut was built as a base for government employed deer cullers. Despite some alterations over the last 50 years, Cedar Flat Hut remains the best surviving example of its type on the West Coast. In 1957 four huts were built to this same design; however Cedar Flat is the only one with hand adzed timbers. This style of hut was built prior to the standard NZ Forest Service national models that became common from 1958. Cedar Flat is a very popular destination. Today visitors can gain an appreciation of the isolated and rugged lives lead by deer cullers by staying overnight in this rustic hut. The old hut is one of two at the site, the other being a later forest service hut. Nearby are the Wren Creek hot pools, a great place to unwind and see blue duck on the river.

Dates: Mon Mar 23 - Thu Jan 01
Region: West Coast
Cost: Free

Mitchells Cottage

Mitchells Cottage is an exceptional example of craftsmanship and is is listed as a Category 1 Historic place. As such, it is one of the best surviving examples of the stonemason's craft. The cottage still stands, with a row of sturdy buildings behind it, including a henhouse and sheepfolds that have been built into, large schist tors. Practically no mortar was used in the house's construction. It has two large rooms and three smaller ones, including the kitchen. The Fruitlands district is located on SH 8, 27 kilometres north of Roxburgh and 13 kilometres south of Alexandra. Turn off the highway onto Symes Road and travel a kilometre to the Mitchells Cottage Historic Reserve carpark on the right. Photograph by M. Simons

Dates: Tue Mar 24 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Otago
Cost: Free

Mount Aurum Recreation Reserve

The reserve begins after crossing the historic Skippers suspension bridge. Opened in 1901 it’s the most spectacular of its kind in New Zealand. On the terrace above is a virtual ghost town, the remnants of Skippers Township, once the largest gold settlement on the Shotover River. The 1862 gold rush lured thousands of miners to Skippers Canyon, closely followed by packers, blacksmiths, butchers and bankers. At its peak, the settlement boasted a post office, hall, hotel, stores and a school. When the school closed in 1927 it became a woolshed, and later left derelict for some 20 years. In 1992 it was restored by the Department of Conservation. Photograph by Neil Simpson

Dates: Tue Mar 24 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Otago
Cost: Free

Naseby Post Office

The imposing brick and plaster Naseby Post Office was constructed in 1900 and for a very long time was the Maniototo's main post office. It served in that capacity until it was closed in 1988 when the Lands and Survey Department took responsibility and it became a reserve. That ended 117 years of post and telegraph activity on this site. The post office prior to that was a large and solid wooden structure; unusual in an area where all the other buildings were either mud brick or had light timber frames. The building contains much of its original fittings and equipment and is currently leased as a craft shop and information centre. Naseby was a major goldmining hub from the 1860s onwards and has many historic buildings dating back to that time, especially the two surviving hotels. Naseby's other claims to fame include the twin distinction, when it had it's own borough council, of being both the highest altitude and smallest borough in the country.

Dates: Tue Mar 24 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Otago
Cost: Free

St Bathans

St Bathans is an historic Central Otago mining town near the foot of the Hawkdun and Dunstan Ranges, 60 kilometres north of Alexandra, off SH85 (Alexandra to Ranfurly). Established in 1863 to service the area’s newly-established goldmines, in the 150 years since, St Bathans has become a special place. The town enables today's visitors to learn about the area’s mining history, see several historic buildings and admire the Central Otago landscape that it nestles in. The St Bathans Hall, now undergoing restoration, is the oldest continually used mud brick hall in New Zealand. It was built in 1892/93 by the local publican as a public hall ‘suitable for theatrical and other entertainment.’ Later uses included a Masonic Lodge, school room, mining company office, picture theatre and dance hall. It is now classified as a Category II historic place and is one of 21 sites in the Otago Goldfields Park. Photograph by Peter Bristow (St Bathans Post Office)

Dates: Tue Mar 24 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Otago
Cost: Free

Clark Hut

A 3.2 metre by 3.8 metre hut with beech sapling framing, split beech cladding, a wooden floor, on broadleaf piles. There is a stone fireplace, flat iron chimney, and corrugated iron roof. It also has a lean-to wood shed which was added later. Internal fittings and furniture such as bunks are also made of pole beech. The original door was constructed from sawn rimu but has been replaced. There is a window in the west wall. Clark Hut is the last remaining split beech log hut, and the last remaining deer culler’s hut in Fiordland National Park. This style of construction was once common but all others of this style and purpose have decayed or been removed. Typical split beech hut of the era and construction methods of the time. The hut is set in the upper Grebe Valley in an open tussock clearing. Photograph by W. Baxter

Dates: Tue Mar 24 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: Free

Enderby Boatshed

Built in 1887 after the ‘Derry Castle’ wreck to station a boat on Enderby Island so shipwrecked survivors could row to the main Erebus Cove, Castaway Depot. The ‘Derry Castle’ survivors had to build a punt from planks to get across to Port Ross. This punt is now at the Southland Museum, where it has been conserved. One of the only boatsheds remaining on the offshore islands. At sites like Disappointment Island, Rose Island, Enderby Island, Ewing Island, a boat and boatshed were built to give access to the main castaway depots. Photograph by G. Adams.

Dates: Tue Mar 24 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: Free

Campbell Island

Campbell Island is about 700 km southeast of the South Island, and is New Zealand’s southernmost sovereign territory. It is now an uninhabited nature reserve and World Heritage site administered by the Department of Conservation. Campbell Island became a reserve in 1954. Many of the feral sheep died out, and from 1970 the rest were progressively culled. The last remaining sheep were eliminated in 1992. The history of the Campbell Island farm has not been fully documented, so contemporary personal accounts and diaries are extremely useful. Alfred Austin’s diary contains a daily record of two years from November 1919 to November 1921. It provides invaluable insight into sheep farming in an oceanic island setting, at the very margins of human settlement. Photograph by Peter J. Moore,

Dates: Tue Mar 24 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: Free

Caswell Sound Hut

This hut is situated in a small clearing on the north side of the mouth of the Stillwater River, at the head of Caswell Sound. It faces north-west and is sheltered from wind coming up the sound. The hut is built of Rimu framing covered with fine chicken wire mesh and heavy-duty melthoid. The cladding is standard corrugated iron. There was once flooring in front of the fireplace, and furniture built of native timber and scraps of sawn timber. There is a large fireplace at one end of the hut, and a single wooden door in the front wall. Four pane windows are in place in both the end wall window overlooking the river and in the front wall. Over years hunters have made minor modifications to the hut to keep it weatherproof and repaired. During the summer of 1993/94 a group of NZDA members and a DOC staff member undertook some maintenance work including replacing the floor and rotted out framing, and repairing the chimney. Recycled native beech was used. Beside the Stillwater River approx. 500m from the Sound. Photograph by R. Edgerton

Dates: Tue Mar 24 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: Free

Freeman Burn Hut

This hut was built in the mid 1930’s to cater for people walking the Bradshaw Sound – Lake Manapouri track which was cut and explored by the Murrell family (Leslie Murrell. The Murrells were one of the first two European families to live at Manapouri). There were three other huts on the track but today they are just sites with few remains. There were several tourist tracks set up in the early 1900’s but few survived. This was an example of private enterprise that didn’t get off the ground. Several Government projects also failed, only the Milford and Routeburn tracks succeeded.

Dates: Tue Mar 24 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: Free

Antipodes Island Castaway Depot

Built as part of the subantarctic islands castaway depots network by the New Zealand Government. It was used by the crew (22) of the French barque ‘Président Felix Fauré’, which was wrecked in Anchorage Cove in 1908. They landed directly in front of the depot. They were luckier than the survivors of the barque ‘Spirit of the Dawn’ which sank off the South West corner of the Island. They stayed close to the wreck site and were unaware of the depots existence and were lucky to be picked up by the ‘SS Hinemoa’ while on depot structure work. The hut has a maritime historical theme. Photograph by J. Carroll

Dates: Tue Mar 24 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: Free

Stella Hut

The Stella hut was built in 1880 by the crew of the Government steamer S.S. Stella under the direction of Captain McKersie, when they found during an inspection visit that the castaway provision depot housed in the General Grant survivors hut had been razed to the ground. It is most likely that it was constructed using whatever materials could be found on the island, as well as timber intended for repairs, stored on board the Stella, as it was not anticipated that it would be necessary to build a depot at that time. It was used as a castaway depot until 1891 when the Enderby Island boatshed was constructed to enable castaways to reach the castaway depot at Erebus Cove on Auckland Island. A small wooden A-frame building with wooden weather boards for weather proofing the roof and end walls. Situated in regenerating rata forest behind Sandy Bay on Enderby Island. Photograph by Paul Dingwall

Dates: Tue Mar 24 - Thu Jan 01
Region: Southland
Cost: Free