Southland

Southland's concentration of Great Walks reflects Fiordland's sheer scale as protected wilderness — the Milford Track, often called one of the finest walks in the world, runs four days through rainforest and alpine pass terrain to reach Milford Sound itself, while the Kepler Track offers a similarly spectacular alpine circuit that's slightly more accessible for a wider range of fitness levels. The Hump Ridge Track, the newest of New Zealand's 11 Great Walks, opened in the Fiordland region's southern reaches and adds a fourth option combining coastal, forest and alpine terrain across three days. All three mainland walks require the same advance-booking discipline as every Great Walk — huts sell out within the fixed booking window each year, and Fiordland's notoriously heavy rainfall (among the wettest inhabited places on Earth) makes proper wet-weather gear essential regardless of season.

Stewart Island (Rakiura, Māori for “land of the glowing skies”, a reference to both sunsets and the aurora australis visible this far south) is New Zealand's third-largest island and its least developed — around 85% of the island is protected national park, and its small population lives almost entirely in the single settlement of Oban. The island's low predator pressure and minimal human presence make it one of the most reliable places in New Zealand to see kiwi in the wild, including guided night walks specifically for that purpose — a genuine rarity given how nocturnal and shy the birds are everywhere else. The Rakiura Track, one of New Zealand's 11 Great Walks, offers a three-day introduction to the island's coastal and forest terrain for visitors without the time or supplies for deeper backcountry routes.