hikespeak

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... 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 6.4 kilometers (4 miles) round trip... 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... Read more.

Nature just seems a bit wilder in Tasmania. On the slopes of Mount Wellington in Hobart's Wellington Park, there's an Octopus Tree that takes its name from thick tentacle-like roots that wrap around a boulder below the tree. It's only a 0.3-kilometer walk to the tree from Shoobridge Bend on Pinnacles Road and the tree can be visited on a loop by incorporating Circle Track for an easy and... Read more.

Russell Falls is likely the most-visited attraction in Mount Field National Park, and one of Tasmania's best-known waterfalls. There is a viewing area at the base of the approximately 50-meter tall (165-foot tall) waterfall that can be reached on a 1.8-kilometer (1.1-mile) round trip hike with 30 meters of elevation gain. Trails travel through an old and well-established rainforest to... Read more.

Saint Columba Falls Nature Walk offers an action-packed 1.2-kilometer (0.75-mile) round trip trek. Without the waterfall, this would be a pleasant hike through a charming Tasmanian rainforest. To put things over the top, this hike ends at a waterfall, and an impressive one at that. The walk terminates at a viewing platform below booming Saint Columba Falls, one of Tasmania's tallest falls... Read more.

Tumbling through an enchanting Tasmania rainforest, Liffey Falls is considered one of the island state's prettiest waterfalls. A 2.2-kilometer (1.4-mile) round trip walking track to the falls descends 70 meters in elevation past three enticing cascades in the Liffey River before reaching the photogenic falls. The trail is located in Liffey Falls State Reserve near the center of Tasmania in... Read more.