Explore 36 write-ups tagged with New Zealand Department of Conservation

Blue Lake, also know as Lake Tikitapu, is a lovely mountain lake just southeast of Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. Blue Lake Track offers a circuit around the lake, passing through native bush to pleasant beaches and scenic viewpoints. The loop is 5.9 kilometers long and extends nicely to 6.15 kilometer (3.8 miles) round trip by grabbing a couple extra views. ...Read more.

Okere Falls Track presents a 3-kilometer round trip walk (1.9-mile hike) in Okere Falls Scenic Reserve near Rotorua, New Zealand loaded with views of waterfalls, cascades, and emerald-colored pools on the Okere River, all encircled by dense native brush. The river can be explored on an exciting whitewater rafting trip, but you'll get a great overview of its finer features and stay dry on this short walk, which is full of beauty and history. ...Read more.

Get ready for a short, colorful walk at Rainbow Mountain Scenic Reserve outside of Rotorua on the North Island of New Zealand. The mountain, which the Māori call Maungakakaramea (mountain of colored earth), has steep red and white cliffs above a crater filled with turquoise water. Crater Lake Walk reaches a lookout above Crater Lake for a 1-kilometer (0. ...Read more.

Kakepuku Track offers a farm-to-summit trek in Kakepuku Mountain Historic Reserve. The track to the summit of Kakepuku Mountain is 8 kilometers (5 miles) round trip with 407 meters (1,335 feet) of elevation change. A lookout tower atop the 449-meter summit garners round-the-compass views above the treetops. A wooden viewing platform and benches along the track provide spots to relax and look out over the mountain's current surroundings, while panels placed at pa sites around the summit allow visitors to appreciate the Māori past. ...Read more.

Above Huka Falls, the Waikato River presses through a ravine of sheer rock cliffs, creating a churning canal of rapids. At the end of this ravine, the water surges out as Huka Falls, where it makes a powerful push into the river below. To see the waterfall and the ravine, visitors can simply walk 200 meters from a car park by Huka Falls. To add a walk along Waikato River to the itinerary, set out on Spa Thermal Park in Taupo. ...Read more.

With scenery that is more verdant than the volcanic landscapes at the center of Tongariro National Park, Lake Rotopounamu Track provides a peaceful walk to a small, forest-cradled lake with inviting beaches. Lake Rotopounamu, which is also know as Greenstone Lake, covers one square kilometer. Lake Rotopounamu Loop Track circles the lake for a hike that's 6. ...Read more.

Silica Rapids Track explores improbable landscapes in Tongariro National Park, where cream-colored streams cascades over terraces of silica. The 5.15-kilometer (3.2-mile) long track starts from Whakapapa Village and ends two kilometers farther up Bruce Road, allowing it to be explored as a point-to-point hike with the assistance of a vehicle or a 7. ...Read more.

Taranaki Falls Track is an impressive 6.45-kilometer (4-mile) loop starting from Whakapapa Village in Tongariro National Park. The track crosses alpine grasslands, beech forests, and other landscapes shaped by incredible nearby volcanoes. Around the midpoint of the loop, the track reaches Taranaki Falls, which plunges nearly twenty meters (65 feet) from volcanic cliffs into a pleasant pool. ...Read more.

It's pretty obvious that Waitonga Falls Track goes to a waterfall, which is actually the tallest waterfall in Tongariro National Park. The track's other offerings may surprise you though, like a boardwalk across alpine wetlands with pools that hold a mirror to Mount Ruapehu, the biggest volcano in New Zealand. Indeed, you'll get big enjoyment from this 4-kilometer (2. ...Read more.

Not all trails in Tongariro National Park cross dramatic volcanic landscapes. At the south end of Tongariro National Park near the town of Ohakune, you'll find a short nature trail through a dense forest, typical of those found throughout New Zealand. Panels along the 0.8-kilometer walk describe the trees and other plants in the area. There are no big views or volcanic features along Rimu Walk, so its real appeal is as a peaceful walk with information about vegetation. ...Read more.