IMAGES: GETTY
NEW ZEALAND
MĀORI HERITAGE Following the trail of New Zealand’s green gold
A hiker traverses limestone
karst rocks on Mount Owen in Kahurangi National Park
THE GREAT WALKS: A SNAPSHOT
WHANGANUI JOURNEY NORTH ISLAND. 5 DAYS, 90 MILES A canoe journey rather than a trek, paddle down the revered Whanganui River — one of the country’s longest — on the only waterborne Great Walk.
LAKE WAIKAREMOANA TRACK NORTH ISLAND. 3-4 DAYS, 28.5 MILES Generally flat and gentle on the knees, this trail ambles through the misty ancestral home of the Ngāi Tūhoe tribe in Hawke’s Bay, passing regenerating wetlands, fantastical forests with goblin-like trees and raging waterfalls.
PAPAROA TRACK SOUTH ISLAND. 2-3 DAYS, 34.8 MILES Hike or mountain bike along a track once used by gold miners and settlers. The trail winds its way through subtropical rainforest and limestone gorges as it climbs through the Paparoa Range.
HEAPHY TRACK SOUTH ISLAND. 4-6 DAYS, 48.7 MILES The longest Great Walk follows an ancient trail first used by Māori jade hunters, passing Kahurangi National Park’s stunning mountains, beaches and lowland forests.
ROUTEBURN TRACK SOUTH ISLAND. 3 DAYS, 20 MILES Hike through glacier-carved valleys on a trail that connects Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks, with show-stopping mountain outlooks along the way.
KEPLER TRACK SOUTH ISLAND. 4 DAYS, 37.2 MILES While the other Great Walks all follow historical routes, Kepler was designed solely to celebrate New Zealand’s eclectic scenery. Tramp through mossy forests, tussocked high country, mountains and gaping valleys.
RAKIURA TRACK SOUTH ISLAND. 3 DAYS, 20 MILES Tucked beneath the South Island, Stewart Island is a haven for birdlife and a dark sky sanctuary where you have the chance to see the luminous Southern Lights year-round. The Rakiura Track is considered one of the easiest of the Great Walks.
HUMP RIDGE TRACK SOUTH ISLAND. 3 DAYS, 38 MILES Showcasing the wild beaches and giant fern forests at the bottom of the South Island, the Hump Ridge Track is set to be inaugurated as a Great Walk in October 2024.
Crisscrossing the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island are ancient trails where keen- eyed hikers might chance upon a precious stone. Ranging in colour from cloudy pale green to deep emerald, jade is sacred, imbued with generations of Māori storytelling and spiritual connection. Considered a gift from the gods and prized more highly than gold in Māori culture, jade was traditionally crafted by Māori into swirling necklace pendants, clubs for close combat, and talismans shaped to resemble mythical creature such as the Manaia, a cross between a man, a bird and a fish that was said to guard against evil. However, jade is only found on
the South Island — camouflaged in secluded riverbeds and locked inside boulders. Finding it required Māori hunters to undertake perilous quests into the wilderness, passing over mountains and fording rivers. Over time, these pathways transformed into arterial roads used by tribes for migration, trade and war. Today, many of these ancient tracks are used as hiking trails. Two of them, the Milford Trail and Heaphy Track, are ranked among the country’s greatest walks. Treasured pieces of jade
have been passed down in Māori families for generations. Travellers are not allowed to take it out of New Zealand but can buy it from jewellers, particularly in Rotorua and Hokitika. The catch? Just as the precious stone is a gift from the land, tradition dictates carved jade should only be given as a gift between two people.
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