Overnight hikes are my favourite way to enjoy the outdoors and I love nothing more than spending a night in a great hut. Exploring te taiao (nature) is a passion that began in my late 20s and these days I take every opportunity to get out there. This has included taking on work as a hiking guide on Aotea Great Barrier Island. The majority of my hiking experience has been in the top half of the North Island.
The Tongariro Crossing is a favourite and I finally ticked off the Tongariro Northern Circuit in early 2020. However, my first multiday hike, and Great Walk, was the Waikaremoana. Te Urewera is something special indeed. At the beginning of 2016, I hiked 500kms of the Te Araroa Trail from Cape Reinga to Auckland. This trail exposed me to so many incredible places in Northland. With all this experience I have a lot of comparisons to make and I definitely have my favourites. These are some of the best overnight hikes I have discovered so far…
CAPE BRETT TRACK & CAPE BRETT HUT – BAY OF ISLANDS
The Cape Brett Track has to be mentioned as one of the best overnight hikes. I have been out to the Cape Brett Hut twice now, the most recent time in 2024. The track takes you through some gorgeous native and regenerating bush with a variety of birdlife. There are dramatic coastal views with steep cliffs and drop-offs which are not for the faint-hearted. By no means is this an easy day walk and is rated as an advanced track due to the undulating terrain. The Bay of Islands is a breathtakingly beautiful location to visit and this hike definitely highlights that.
There are parking options in Rawhiti where the track begins at the stunning Oke Bay. I have noticed that parking options can change over time so it is best to use good old Google to discover what is most current. On my most recent visit, friends and I spent the night before at Julie’s Place in Rawhiti where we could leave vehicles while we were away overnight. Visit Bay of Islands is also a useful resource for information. Give yourself a good eight hours of daylight to do this hike. It is worth getting away early so you can stop for lunch and a swim at Deep Water Cove. This cove is past the halfway mark but do not be fooled into thinking you are over the hardest part. There is still a good climb and descent to go. It is a good idea to get to the hut with plenty of daylight left so you can find your bed and explore the area. I would also recommend getting up for the sunrise the next morning. Beside the lighthouse is a great spot to watch the new day dawn.
Hiking in and out with a night at the hut is definitely the best way to experience this incredible location. But if you have time, I would recommend spending two nights because it is such a great place to just hang out. If you are short on time you can organise a water taxi in either direction to or from Deep Water Cove. There is more than one water taxi operator to choose from including Cape Brett Hike & Water Taxi and Bay of Island Water Taxi.
Grade – Hard
Distance & Time – 16km / 8hrs
Fees – $40 for access through Māori-owned land between Rawhiti and Deep Water Cove. $25 for a bed at the hut and bookings are required. Both fees can be booked and paid for on the Department Of Conservation website where you will also find the most up-to-date information.
TE WHARA TRACK & PEACH COVE HUT – WHANGAREI
It was while hiking the Te Araroa Trail that I discovered this amazing track with the most spectacular views. This old track was used by Māori many years ago. Today it is a popular track and one of my all-time favourite overnight hikes. It can be done in one day but I recommend doing it over two days and spending a night at the Peach Cove Hut. Starting from the Ocean Beach end of the track the walk uphill is quite a climb but the views are stunning! As you get higher you get a brilliant view behind you of the coastline to the north. Once you get to the top you have 360 views that include islands as far out as Aotea (Great Barrier Island) and coastlines in all directions. If you venture past the warning sign, you will find a great spot on a rock. Here you can take in and enjoy all the incredible views. It is also a good lunch spot but not such a great place to hang out if heights make you nervous. From here there are a number of stairs up and down with the final descent to Peach Cove Hut. There are about 500 steps down to the hut, so be prepared for the return trip back to the main track. When I discovered this I can’t say I was too excited about hiking back up them the next day. However, it was worth it!
Once in Peach Cove, you will discover a small hut (six beds) and a lovely little beach which was perfect for a swim. Make sure you book to stay here as the hut has a code lock and you will need the code to get in. The real treat that comes with staying in this hut is the kiwi at night. There is intensive pest management in this area, as you will discover by the number of traps you see along the track. This means kiwi are thriving and they may be very vocal at night. Please remember if you ever go out looking for Kiwi at night make sure you use a red light which they won’t notice. Kiwi are precious and deserve not to be disturbed and must be given their space.
Hiking out from Peach Cove to Urquharts Bay includes a lot more stairs but once you get up the first lot it is pretty much all downhill from there. If it is a nice hot day then plan to take a swim once you get to Urquharts Bay, there is a great little spot near the car park.
Grade – Average
Distance & Time – 7.5km / 5hrs
Fees – $20 for a bed at the hut and bookings are required
Notes – This is a one-way track so you will need to organise transport between ends. The other option is to park at one end and hitchhike to the other so you walk back to your vehicle.
For information on the Te Whara Track and the Peach Cove Hut refer to the Department Of Conservation website.
MOUNT PIRONGIA & PAHAUTEA HUT – WAIKATO
The first time I headed up Mount Pirongia was in my early days of exploring hiking trails. Three of us headed up the Mahaukura Track expecting to get to the hut well before nightfall. The recommended 4-6 hour hike turned into a 7-8 hour slog. We watched the sunset from the summit and wandered to the hut in the dark. The next day we returned via the Tirohanga Track completing a full loop in two days. I thought, never again and remember this as being one of the hardest overnight hikes I have ever done. More than ten years later, and with memories fading, I thought it was about time to give this maunga (mountain) another go. I had heard the new hut was pretty awesome, a big improvement from the small 6-bed shack we had stayed in years ago.
Round two saw me a little wiser and I decided to attempt this the easiest way possible. This meant doing the Tirohanga Track starting and finishing at Corcoran Road. With only 6.5kms to cover I thought surely it couldn’t be that bad. The recommended time is 3-5 hours so I thought I would give myself five hours as I hadn’t forgotten what happened last time. It took me the full five hours and was just as hard as I remembered. Dragging myself up every chain and tree root made it an adventure like no other. I can’t compare this hike to anything else I have done. Fortunately, I got amazing clear weather all the way to the summit and hut. This granted me the most amazing views in all directions. However, it wasn’t too long after arriving at the hut that the clouds rolled in and I couldn’t see more than a few meters in front of me. This is the Pironga that people talk about. The fog, dampness, mud and mystery of the mountain. Home to the Patupaiarehe, the fairy-like people who live in forests or on misty mount tops. The Patupaiarehe of Pirongia are well known.
Heading out the next day was a completely different experience with the mist remaining most of the way. I had used my hiking poles going up but decided to put them away coming down as I needed to use both hands for much of the descent. I am really glad I gave this mountain another go but would I do it again? Ask me again in another ten years.
Grade – Hard
Distance & Time – 6.5km / 5hrs
Fees – $10-15 for a hut bed and bookings are required. (camping is free)
Notes – Be prepared for a hard slog whichever way you go. This includes chains on a few steep slopes. There is plenty of parking at the end of Corcoran Road and Grey Road.
For information on Mount Pirongia and the Pahautea Hut refer to the Department Of Conservation website.
KAUAERANGA KAURI TRAIL & THE PINNACLES HUT – COROMANDEL
I have done overnight hikes to the Pinnacles multiple times in both directions and always over two days. To do the Kauaeranga Kauri Trail in just one day does not do it justice. You do not want to miss out on the chance to witness some of the most amazing sunset and sunrise views. However, many do this hike in a day which makes for a bigger more challenging adventure. When I first started hiking here, with school groups, we would go up Webb Creek and down the Billy Goat Track the next day. However, one time I decided to do it in the opposite direction and found I enjoyed this much more. It is a bit longer in distance going via the Billy Goat Track but you don’t get the giant stairs going up. I much prefer tackling the giant stairs going down.
As far as overnight hikes go, this is not a big one. However, there is quite a climb so do be prepared for that. It is worth noting that not too far from the start of the Billy Goat Track is a great swimming spot. Finding the unofficial track to get there is not easy though and you have to keep a lookout for it on your left. The clue is to listen for running water close by not too long after getting to the top of the old rail track. You want to plan to get to the hut at least an hour before sunset because you will want to watch the sun go down. There is still another 40 minutes to the Pinnacles lookout where you will get the best view!
The Pinnacles Hut is what I would call a luxury hut in that it is the biggest hut in Aotearoa New Zealand. It sleeps nearly 80 people in two large bunk rooms. Even though there are plenty of beds they can get booked out weeks in advance. You will need to make sure you plan this one. There is a large kitchen with gas hobs for cooking and cold showers which are nice on a hot afternoon. I always go to the lookout for sunset and have experienced some stunning views. Occasionally, I get up early for the sunrise but have never witnessed an impressive one. Others have been more fortunate than me. I love bringing people up here for the first time, it really is a special hike and hut that I never get tired of doing. Hence, I have been back again and again and as one of my favourites.
Grade – Average
Distance & Time – 10.5km / 4hrs via the Billgoat Basin & 6km / 3hrs via Webb Creek
Fees – $25 for a hut bed and bookings are required
Notes – The kitchen and bunkrooms are locked between 9am and 2.30pm so you need to make sure you are prepared to arrive and leave outside of these times.
For further information on hiking the Kauaeranga Kauri Trail and Pinnacles Hut refer to The Pinnacles Walk.
COROMANDEL FOREST PARK & CROSBIES HUT – COROMANDEL
I finally made my way to Crosbies Hut in 2022, an August winter weekend adventure with friends. I couldn’t believe I had left it so long to discover this gem in the Coromandel Forest Park, and so accessible from Thames. This cosy ten-bed hut includes stunning views over the east coast toward Whitianga. Not something I expected! The hut itself is relatively new, just over ten years old and located on what was known as Crosbies Settlement. European settlers, Thomas and Agnes Crosbie cleared the land in this area and farmed it for many years. The land was abandoned in the mid-1920s and in the 1970s it became part of the Coromandel Forest Park.
When researching this adventure and how to get there I discovered there were several tracks that allowed access to Crosbies Hut. As I was going to be with others and we had the option to leave vehicles at two locations I decided we would head in via the Waiotahi Track and out via the Te Puru Track. We had a great day of weather heading into the hut and the Waiotahi Track was a good choice! Heading out the next day was wet and the Te Puru track was steep! It was a slow scramble downhill which took our group 4-5 hours from hut to car park. I am glad to have done the Te Puru Track but I don’t need to do it again. Going in and out via the Waiotahi Track appears to be the best option if you want the most leisurely walk. However, I wouldn’t mind exploring the track from the Tapu Coroglen Road if I get the chance.
The highlights of this hut include the location, amazing views and quality accommodation. As a relatively new hut, it has everything you want for a comfortable night in the outdoors. This hut is popular which means Saturday nights are often booked out months in advance. However, there is a nearby campsite if you prefer to tent.
Grade – Average
Distance & Time – 13km / 5hrs via Waiotahi Track
Fees – $25 for a hut bed and bookings are required
Notes – This is a cosy 10-bed hut with a fireplace and campsite nearby
For further information on Crosbies Hut and the Coromandel Forest Park refer to Department of Conservation
WAITAWHETA TRAMWAY & WAITAWHETA HUT – COROMANDEL
I was introduced to this place as a twelve-year-old on a school camp. It was many years later that I came back to it and since then have hiked this track many times. This is the perfect trail to introduce young ones to overnight hikes with just under 10kms one way and no hills. You follow the river most of the way crossing it several times. There were no bridges when I first started doing this trail again so it was quite the adventure when it came to the river crossings. However, over the years bridges have been added with the exception of the last crossing which you can avoid by taking a slightly longer detour. If you decide to cross you will get wet feet.
There are so many reasons this is a great hike for the young ones. If you do this in the warmer months you will find loads of great places to stop for a swim. There is also history to be learned with large information panels along the way. It was originally a busy tramline used by kauri timber and gold mining companies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Just before you arrive at the hut you will come across a very cool waterfall and a partial reconstruction of the old sawmill. At night if you wander down the track behind the hut you will find the bank to the left of the path glittering with glow worms. Keep an eye out for the possums though, they can and will surprise you! I have taken children as young as seven on this overnight hike without any complaints that it is too far or too hard.
The hut itself sleeps 26 and must be booked, you can also camp here, which I have also done before when the hut was full. It is a popular place, especially on weekends and during school holidays. It often books out. In the winter it can get cold (below zero Celsius) but the hut does have a fireplace with a good supply of firewood to keep you warm. During the busier periods, you will often find a warden here.
Grade – Easy
Distance & Time – 19km / 8hrs return
Fees – $25 for a hut bed and bookings are required ($5 to camp)
Notes – Parking at the end of Franklin Road is the most popular option for accessing this hut. I have parked here overnight many times with no problems.
For information on hiking the Waitawheta Tramway and the Waitawheta Hut refer to the Department Of Conservation
KAIMAI MAMAKU CONSERVATION PARK & TE WHARE OKIOKI HUT -BAY OF PLENTY
This hut is relatively new, having been completed in 2019. Te Whare Okioki translates to ‘The resting place’ and was built by the Kaimai Ridgeway Trust hunting and tramping volunteers. Such a treat to have it made available to all. As soon as we came out of lockdown in May 2020 and were allowed back into huts I decided to go and check out Te Whare Okioki. I had heard great things about this little 12-bed hut and it is right in my own backyard.
Booking the hut online was easy but choosing a route took a little more research and thought. There are a number of tracks to get there as the hut is located on the North South Track. As I was coming from the Tauranga side of the Kaimai Mamaku ranges I was keen to find tracks near there. I discovered a loop that starts and finishes at Whakamarama Road. The loop includes the Ngamarama track, the North-South track and the Leyland O-Brien track. I headed up Ngamaramara and out via Leyland O’Brien taking an estimated 4 hours to the hut and 5 hours back to the car park.
With the route, I took I expected more of a climb and descent but found the gradient hardly a challenge at all. A couple of steep places but they were short in distance. The forest is lush with small creeks and streams to be found all over.
I really enjoyed this overnight adventure and headed up there again in 2023 taking a different route, this time from the Waikato side, starting and finishing at Te Tuhi Rd. Going to the hut I turned off the Te Tuhi Track and went via the Mangamuka Hut, just a small hut often used by hunters. This took a bit longer than the return which was direct via the North-South Track and then back onto the Te Tuhi Track. Quite a different route from the one I took on the Bay of Plenty side of the Kaimai ranges.
This would be a great overnight for keen kids. Make sure to take the marshmallows to toast over the outdoor fire. Just be sure to check you are allowed open fires as they may be restricted over a hot dry season. Having walked a number of the tracks in the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park I still have many more to tick off.
Grade – Average
Distance & Time – Unknown / 9hrs
Fees – $25 for a hut bed and bookings are required
Notes – There is plenty of parking at the end of Whakamarama Road as there is a large carpark, a toilet and a picnic area. Note that hunters frequent this forest so make sure you stick to the tracks and wear something brightly coloured.
For information on Te Whare Okioki Hut and the different tracks to get there refer to the Department Of Conservation website.
WHIRINAKI TRACK & CENTRAL WHIRINAKI HUT – BAY OF PLENTY
My first time in this stunning ancient forest was in 2019. I don’t know why I hadn’t been there before because it has to be one of the most beautiful forests I have ever explored. My first visit was just a little taste, a day trip walking a few short tracks. I knew I had to go back but it wasn’t until later in 2020 that I finally returned to Whirinaki forest. I decided to do the Mangamate Loop over three days. However, I discovered that there is a great overnight option with a stay at the Central Whirinaki Hut. This is where I spent my first night. The 25-bed hut is impressive for a backcountry hut. Bunks are split between two rooms and there is quite a bit of space in the communal/kitchen area. There is a good fireplace to keep cosy indoors and a good-sized veranda outside to enjoy the afternoon sun or morning fresh air. The river is also close by and there is plenty of room to set up tents nearby. The recommended route by the Department of Conservation is to start at Plateau Road end and finish at the River Road car park. Hiking in this direction means you are walking downhill most of the way. However, you will need to organise transport as it is not a loop track. Having two vehicles is a good option, leaving one at each end. There is also a local shuttle operator in the area, Whirinaki Forest Holidays. They can help out with transfer options including parking your car in a secure location while you are out on your overnight hike. Alternatively, you can park at either end of the track and walk just one section, making it a return trip.
I am yet to complete the whole Whirinaki Track but have hiked from River Road carpark to the Central Whirinaki Hut. I found it to be a relatively easy walk on a well-maintained track with the exception of one major tree fall. This did require some off-track scrambling to get around it. If you start at River Road then you will begin with the Waterfall Loop Track. You can choose which direction to take before turning off in the direction of the Central Whirinaki Hut. The distance is about the same whether you go clockwise or anticlockwise but it is the western side of the loop that has the waterfall on it. It takes about an hour and a half to get to the waterfall if you go anticlockwise. About an hour after the waterfall, you will arrive at Vern’s Camp also the halfway point. This is a great little campsite with a decent shelter and toilet. The perfect place to stop for a rest and snack. In total it is 16km to the hut so give yourself at least 4-5 hours to get there. You don’t want to rush this walk because there is so much to see and take in.
What I love about this untouched forest is how giant the trees are! Rimu, Kahikatea, Mataī, Tōtara and Miro tower above all else and you feel so small and insignificant next to them. You will hear Tui singing, Kākā screeching high above and if you are lucky Kiwi calling at night. But the real treat is finding the Whio (Blue Duck) in the rivers. This forest is home to a good number of breeding birds and a lot of work goes into protecting these very endangered species. In late spring you might be fortunate enough to see Whio chicks which is certainly something very special.
Grade – Average
Distance & Time – 25.6km / 8hrs one way
Fees – $25
Backcountry hut passes can be used with this hut and campsite.
Notes – No bookings are required for the hut, it is first in first served. Therefore it is recommended that you take a tent just in case all beds are taken by the time you get to the hut.
For information on the Central Whirinaki Hut and the Whirinaki Track refer to the Department Of Conservation website.
TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK & WAIHOHONU HUT
Tongariro National Park is home to the Tongariro Northern Circuit Great Walk. I was completing this four-day hike when I first came across the Waihohonu Hut. I soon realised that there were a few different routes to this hut making it a fantastic option for an overnight hike. The shortest option is to take the Waihohonu Track which starts at a car park on Desert Road (SH1), opposite Rangipo Intake Road. The Waihohonu Track is 6km and will take approximately an hour and a half to hike to the hut. This makes it the perfect adventure for kids new to overnight hikes. The other recommended option is to start at Whakapapa Village and take the Northern Circuit track via Tarawera Falls and Tama Lakes. This is a longer route at about 15kms and will take approximately 5 hours. The Waihohonu Hut is also on the Round the Mountain Track. This is a 66km, 4-6 day circuit and a great alternative to the Tongariro Northern Circuit.
The Waihohonu Hut has to be one of the most superior huts I have stayed in. It is also a favourite because there is so much to see and do here. A relatively new hut, with 26 beds, there is loads of space indoors and out for guests to relax and enjoy their stay. This is a hut that I really enjoyed spending a lot of time at as there is so much to see and do in the area. If the weather is warm there is a great little stream down near the campsite where you can take a dip. Really nice after a hot day hiking or rather refreshing if the weather is a bit cooler. A great little side trip is to visit the Waihohonu Historic Hut. This hut was built in 1904 and is the oldest existing mountain hut in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is a 20-minute return walk to this historic hut. Another fantastic side trip is to Ohinepango Springs. The crystal clear water rushes up from beneath the old lava flow into the Ohinepango Stream. Take your water bottles and fill them up from this stream. Water doesn’t get more pure and fresh as it does here. The springs are just off the Round the Mountain Track heading towards the Rangipo Hut. It is a one-hour return trip to the springs.
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