New Zealand is a country that is teeming with great walks across both its North and South Islands. Many of these are proper hikes that take at least three days to conquer, if not more, and even though I am not a hiker, I would have loved to have more time during my trip to experience at least one of them.

However, for those who are on more limited time but still want to experience the beauty of New Zealand’s trails and walks, there are still an endless amount of one-day hikes that have so far blown me away.

Hooker Valley Walk to Mount Cook – South Island

Though I have only been a short time in New Zealand so far, Mount Cook is by far going to be one of the highlights of my trip for so many reasons. The drive from Queenstown to Mount Cook alone is stunning and so far claims one of my best, more awe-inspiring memories.  On our drive we entered the Waitaki district, 970 meters above sea level and jumped off the bus to take some photos. For the first time since getting to New Zealand, I felt the same sense of calm, quiet and in-my-own that I felt when I looked at the white sails of Sydney’s Opera House, my favourite building in the world. “How does the earth even get to look like this?” I asked my friend Tom. “You’re the travel writer – shouldn’t I be asking you that question?” The land looked dried out – yellows and browns and tans – but the way it rolled on, looked so open – the way it sat there in silence. This will forever rank as one of my favourite scenic spots in the world.

Driving into the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is a sight to be seen. The highest mountain in New Zealand and Australiasia, Mount Cook is set against the chillingly bright and mezmerizing turquoise waters of Lake Pukaki, and as you wind around its roads toward the hostels and hotels, your gaze stays strong on the shining white peaks set against the shining glacial waters.

The Hooker Valley walk to the base of Mount Cook is a gentle, three-hour return walk through the valley that crosses several swing bridges. In a way the colors made me reminiscent of my trek through Nepal – the vibrant green hills teamed up with snow-capped mountains – but at the same time made me appreciate how diverse and striking the earth is and how different places truly are.

When we arrived at the base of Mount Cook, my friend that I was walking with let out a “holy shit”. The valley gave way to the overpowering mountain, glaciers and streaked sky. The clouds in the sky looked as if someone had been drag racing with them. They stretched out over Mount Cook, and at the mountain’s base was a lake of small glaciers. We hung around for a while, skipping rocks along the water, before heading back. There was a full moon that night, and it was the first time in a while I stopped to appreciate the stars.

 

Tongariro Crossing – North Island

The white board in our hostel made it seem like we were setting off for a hike with an unknown return: bring litres and litres of water, sunscreen, enough food to last 3 months and every item of clothing you have to your name.

New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park boasts one of the country’s great walks: the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The park was first established in 1887 when the local Maori bestowed the three volcanic peaks – Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe – to the local Kiwis. Tongariro National Park is New Zealand’s first national park and the world’s fourth national park, and it is also a World Heritage site.

Considered the creme-de-le-creme of day walks, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is 19.4 kilometres and takes about six or more hours if travelers stick to the main walking path. I would say it is an easy walk for those who are fit and a moderate walk for those who are not.

However, climbing to the summit of Mount Ngauruhoe, or more commonly known as Mount Doom, is a game changer. My friends and I considered it for a few minutes but decided against it given that the clouds were a thick as chimney smoke and hung low that morning, which would not make for vast sightseeing from the top. Many people like to conquer Mount Doom because it was used in the filming of the Lord of the Rings, and other like the sheer challenge that it presents: There is no path, so hikers make their own trail. From what we were told, they basically slide down from the summit on their backsides.

So instead, my friends and I continued on to the summit of and to cross Mount Tongariro, and along the way it felt ike a tragically beautiful walk. I was not necessarily floored by the bright and captivating beauty that is Mother Nature; instead, with this walk, I was traversing alongside volcanic rock, walking across volcanoes and volcanic land and craters that were hues of deep red, black and tan. The vegetation along the way felt sparse and dry to me, like it was the remains of a bushfire that had ravaged the area.

Along the way we came across old lava flows and bouts of sulfurous steam rising up from the earth, which I stood in front of to warm up for as long as I could before beginning to smell like a rotten egg.

Yet as we descended from the summit of Mount Tongariro, pooled strong and bright before us were the Emerald Lakes. These lakes were something we had most wanted to see but can be difficult to if the weather is poor. The lakes are a colour unlike any blue I have ever seen before – they are like the lightest and brightest shares of aquamarine caused by the minerals leached from the surrounding rocks.

 

We had the slightest bit of rain on our walk, but for the most part we finished the hike with ease once we crossed Mount Tongariro, and the walk eventually gave way to the sweeping sights of neighboring Lake Taupo.

I guess I can officially say I walked across and hiked an area of active volcanoes now that I have completed New Zealand’s Tongariro Crossing.

Mount Rinjani in Indonesia, you are next.

Cathedral Cove – North Island

My friends raved about the Coromandel Peninsula – it was by far one of the highlights of their trip to New Zealand. Hahei is a popular destination for those looking to stay on the Coromandel because it offers easy access to Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach, the latter being entirely tide dependent.

Hot Water Beach is a must-do destination in New Zealand. During the hours of low tide, travelers and visitors can dig themselves their own personal spa pools in the sand thanks to the geothermal hot waters located beneath the surface. Unfortunately we arrived far too late for the morning’s low tide, and the evening high tide was around 9 p.m.

I was truly gutted to have missed out on something so unique and unusual, but the walk to Cathedral Cove kept my day on a happy and high note. The waters were glowing under the afternoon sun, and the land surrounding us was dense with the thickest and greenest of forests and vegetation. Out in the water were varying sizes of rock islands wearing green toupee’s that reminded me of my time on Pulau Weh in Indonesia.

The walk to Cathedral Cove is a short, 30-minute or so gentle walk to a beautiful, white-sand beach with sparkling and translucent cerulean waters lapping its shores. The cove is remarkable, its dark archways creating shelter from the heat of the day. It took a while for tourists to filter out and to get a good, clear picture free of any people in the way, but I was finally able to snap a few shots.

It was almost like there was a surround sound system set up in the cave that heightened the crash and retreat of the ocean waves as they rushed into the cave.

We swam the afternoon away until the sun ducked down behind the cliffs and trees and the chill of the evening bit our wet and ocean-drenched skin. The Coromandel Peninsula, with the town of Hahei, Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove, is Mother Nature at its most peaceful, serene and overpowering best.