The Tama Lakes Track in Tongariro National Park is a spectacular alpine day hike, offering panoramic views of Lower and Upper Tama Lakes, Tama Saddle, and the surrounding volcanic peaks.

Though less crowded than the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing, this out-and-back trail still demands preparation and the right gear.

From sturdy footwear and layered clothing to water, sun protection, and navigation tools, having the essentials can make the difference between a comfortable hike and an exhausting adventure.

In this guide, we break down everything you need for a safe and enjoyable hike, including a complete packing checklist you can download and take with you.

Whether you’re planning a summer trek or tackling the trail in cooler months, our tips will help you stay prepared, enjoy the scenery, and make the most of your Tama Lakes adventure.

Some walks unfold exactly as they should. The journey from Tarawera Falls to Lake Tarawera follows the river through native bush, past cascading water and quiet forest corridors, before opening out to the stillness of the lake.

It’s a steady, unhurried day where the scenery gently shifts and each section invites you to slow down and notice more.

Reaching the lake feels less like an endpoint and more like a pause — a place to sit, eat, breathe, and let the day settle.

With the return journey tracing the same path, there’s time to reflect, to walk with intention, and to enjoy the rare gift of a hike where nothing goes wrong — just movement, presence, and the quiet satisfaction of being there.

For our tiny, off-grid cabin in New Zealand, finding the right location to start building was paramount and as someone who feels the cold, maximising sunlight was a top priority.

Over the past year while camped out in our tent, we’ve carefully observed how the sun moves across our property "Shambhala" throughout the seasons and in that time, we’ve learnt a great deal.

I stood forlornly on the trail as my body trembled with the intensity of my shivering and my teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Tears created by the sub zero temperatures mixed freely with the sleet and snot smeared across my face. I could hardly see through my glasses not that there was anything to see other than the horizontal rain swirling manically about us.

Andrew handed me an OSM bar, with his frozen fingers he couldn’t open the wrapping and thought somehow that I’d be able to. While I fumbled with the wrapping, we attempted to communicate above the howling wind.

Finally getting the bar opened I offered him the larger half, we were clearly living the Te Araroa dream!

I begin walking in tears. For many reasons, not least of which is the unknown.

As much as I’m nervous for what lies ahead, there’s something encouragingly familiar about the process.

I shove three or four sausage rolls into my mouth as my parents (and our family dog) bid me an emotional farewell (more on my part, than theirs) and I start walking uphill towards Bealey Hut.

Aotearoa New Zealand is an adventure playground which has been thrilling hikers for many years with its incredibly beautiful scenery, luxuriant rainforests, magnificent rivers, seemingly limitless mountain ranges, remarkable valleys and tranquil lowland plains.

In this article, I share with you my favourite New Zealand Hiking Essential Gear List, these are my go to items that I reach for when planning any hiking trip in our beautiful outdoors. 

Te Araroa is a dream hike for many outdoor enthusiasts and Aotearoa New Zealand is known to be a hiker’s paradise which internationally enjoy’s a reputation as a safe country to visit.  

As you traverse the 3,000 km Te Araroa route from Cape Reinga to Bluff there’s many exciting opportunities to immerse yourself amongst the diverse communities that you’ll wander by.

The chance meetings with locals were some of our best times on trail and these opportunities would have been completely missed if we’d skipped the roads.

I fielded many questions from curious family and onlookers when planning to walk New Zealand’s stunning 3,000km National Walking Trail, Te Araroa.

On hearing of my extraordinary plans to walk the entire length of the country, one concerned youngster asked "but will you have to carry all your own food?" It’s a valid question which can be answered succinctly with yes and no.

Understanding and managing risk for solo women while hiking New Zealand’s 3,000 kilometre Te Araroa.

When planning to hike Aotearoa New Zealand’s 3,000 kilometre Te Araroa trail, I had the usual safety concerns like navigating a fast flowing river, becoming lost in the bush, suffering from hypothermia or possible injuries which were all dangers that I could anticipate and plan for.  

In this blog however, I’m not going to address those general concerns. Instead, what I will be discussing are safety concerns unique to us women hikers. Specifically, the danger that is presented by the one thing that women worldwide have learnt to fear the most, and that is men. 

As I cautiously edged my way down the Dragon's Tail, the heat intensified, volcanic steam and poisonous gases escaping wherever they could from the surrounding rubble.  Reaching the valley floor, sunlight beat down mercilessly and not satisfied, it then bounced back up from the glaringly white sand.

Assuming it was compressed, I tugged harder on my hydration tube which remained stubbornly dry. Running out of water in the midst of a desert on a hot summer’s day was clearly not my intention but it was my reality.

For many in the developed world, striving for material wealth, status and possessions is given precedence above all else. What if instead, we recognised the importance of relationships, community contribution and service, self development, and physical and mental health? Purposely living a simple life asks that we reconsider our priorities. 

Walking New Zealand’s 3,000 kilometre Te Araroa was the first thru hike I’d ever undertaken and as a novice thru hiker, I made my share of mistakes plus possibly a few more.

As a beginner, there’s so much to think and plan for plus the countless variables you’ll hopefully anticipate ahead of time from the comfort of home, rather than from a mountain top in the middle of a blizzard.

Here I share my top five mistakes that I made when hiking Te Araroa including the context that surrounded my decisions to better help you avoid making my blunders. 

From a whisper to a howl, pine trees have their own mesmerising song though many times it’s all bluff and bluster with, despite the drama above, hardly a leaf stirring amongst the canopy below. 

But not always I mused as I listened to the rhythmic thud of pine cones hitting the ground nearby and the unnerving rattle, creak and clank as branches and trunks bullied each other for space like so many boys queuing outside the tuck shop. 

As the boat started to plane I settled comfortably onto the seat to take in my surroundings while the dog, with his superior balance and having completed the journey dozens of times perched casually on the boat’s stern alongside the powerful 200HP Yamaha engine.

Cloudy skies with but the tiniest glimpses of blue dulled the summer’s day and added mystery to the deep indigo waters below. A huge bluff towered menacingly above us, foreshadowing the effort that lay ahead. 

Committing to a thru hike is equal parts exciting yet at the same time, immensely daunting. Not only are you going to be away from your home, family, friends and work for an extended period of time, there’s also untold logistics to be taken into account.

Choosing to hike Te Araroa, Aotearoa New Zealand’s three thousand kilometre trail which traverses the length of the country from Cape Reinga in the Far North to Bluff in the Far South (or vice a versa) brings with it many of its own unique challenges.

Having just crested the Tongariro Alpine Crossing alongside the impressive Red Crater I gazed down the precipitous volcanic scree slope which sidled past the breathtaking Emerald Lakes. We’d planned to stop alongside the lakes and the only thing between me and my sandwich was this hair raising descent. 

I weighed up the options and was attracted most by the plan to skid down on my butt so that I’d not tumble head over heels off the narrow spur. At this height, this felt a very real possibility! 

I knew once I’d spent a little more time on the land, sleeping under canvas, observing the twinkle of the Milky Way, listening to the wind whistle in the trees, the morepork and kiwi calling, even the possums squabbling, the name would present itself.

In Tibetan Buddhist traditions Shambhala is a spiritual kingdom that is believed to exist somewhere between the Himalayan Mountains and the Gobi Desert. 

Hidden deep in a valley, the land is inhabited by a mystical brotherhood whose members labour for the good of humanity. 

Below me the swollen river raged down the valley, dirty grey water rushing, crashing and tumbling, rolling boulders, tugging trees from flooded banks, swirling and churning every which way. 

Above, sky the same colour as the water closed in, the tops of the mountains remaining hidden in the murk. I knew what it was like up there, near horizontal rain driven by a malicious wind intent on tossing me off the narrow ridge. Behind, the perilous trail from where I’d descended was more a cascade than a track.

I could hear the waterfall’s roar long before I could see it, hardly surprising given the weather conditions. The heavy rain had soaked me to the skin and waterfalls, too many to count, leapt impatiently off the mountain face. I’d made my way safely past many but ahead was the highest and largest, the formidable Earland Falls.

I braced myself for the next gust, feet wide, knees bent, crouching over my hiking poles. I could see the track snaking along the ridge line with steep drop-offs on either side. We were well and truly above the tree line, if I went over, it was going to be a long way before I stopped falling.

There’d already been two hikers knocked off their feet by the wind, fortunately they’d not gone over the edge. Someone else’s pack cover took flight, a bright red sail disappearing into the grey fog.