New Zealand's 11th Great Walk opens!

New Zealand’s 11th Great Walk, the Hump Ridge Track, opened on 25 October 2024. It’s located in southern Fiordland and boasts rugged coastal landscapes, lush native forests, and sub-alpine terrains.

For many years there were nine Great Walks, but in early 2020 Paparoa Track became the tenth and now Hump Ridge Track makes it eleven. Great Walk tracks are maintained to a high standard as are the accommodation huts and other walk infrastructure along the trail.

Hump Ridge Track is a 61 km loop. It’s typically walked in three days, staying at Okaka Lodge on the first night and Port Craig Lodge on the second. The lodges offer a higher standard of accommodation than other Great Walk huts and there are limited food and drink options available for purchase.

This Great Walk is a partnership between the Tuatapere Hump Track Charitable Trust and NZ’s Department of Conservation. Tuatapere is a small township located near the trailhead and the Tuatapere Hump Track Charitable Trust is an organisation whose members are all volunteers from the Tuatapere community.