Your Guide to New Zealand’s Great Walks – From Trailhead to Keepsake
🌿 Walk the Land, Bring It Home
Whether you're planning your first Great Walk or reliving one you've just completed, there's something transformative about spending days immersed in New Zealand’s wild beauty. The climbs, the huts, the misty mornings—it all stays with you.
At Tides Out Maps, we believe those memories deserve more than a photo tucked away on your phone. That’s why we've created a blog series dedicated to the Great Walks of New Zealand—filled with inspiration, trail advice, gift ideas, and meaningful ways to turn your walk into a lasting keepsake.
Explore the full series below.
✅ 1. Te Awaroa: Walking the Land, Mapping the Memory
Discover the newest addition to the Great Walks network—Te Awaroa Walk—through our own trail experience. See how we transformed the journey into a handcrafted NZ Topographic Map, designed to capture the feeling of walking with the land, not just over it.
🏕️ 2. What to Know Before Booking a Great Walk in NZ (2025/26 Season Guide)
When do bookings open? Which track is right for you? This guide covers everything you need to know to plan your next DOC adventure. Ideal for first-time trampers or seasoned walkers looking for a new route.
📅 Book your Great Walk with DOC →
🗺️ 3. NZ Topo Maps That Celebrate the Great Walks
Not all souvenirs are created equal. This blog dives into how our NZ Topographic Maps bring the landscapes of the Great Walks to life—layer by layer. Featuring maps for Fiordland, Tongariro, Te Awaroa, and more.
🥾 4. Great Walks Gifts: What to Give a Tramping Couple or Hiking Lover
Know someone who’s just completed a Great Walk? Surprise them with a gift that celebrates the trail—from custom maps and trail-marked engravings to keepsake bundles for two.
🧭 5. 3 Ways to Turn Your Great Walk into a Keepsake
What happens after the trail ends? This blog shares three thoughtful ideas to keep your Great Walk memories alive—from pairing a wall map with a handwritten journal to gifting your hike story to someone you love.
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🥾 6. How to Plan Your First Great Walk in New Zealand: A Step-by-Step Guide
Everything you need to get started: choosing a trail, booking logistics, training tips, and what to do after the walk.
🌄 7. What to Do After the Milford Track: Rest, Reflect, and Remember
Tips for post-hike recovery, reflection, and commemorating your Milford adventure with something more meaningful than photos.
🗺️ 8. Personalised Te Araroa Walk Maps – The Perfect Way to Honour Your Hike
Completed NZ’s longest trail? Learn how to turn your end-to-end journey into a lasting visual tribute with a custom map.
🎁 9. 10 Meaningful Gifts for Hikers in NZ – From Gear to Keepsakes
From merino socks to custom topo maps, this is your go-to list for meaningful gifts that trampers will actually treasure.
❤️ 10. Top 5 Anniversary Gifts for Adventurous Couples
Perfect for hikers, campers, or Great Walk partners—these gift ideas go beyond flowers and speak to shared adventure.
🛍️ Make It a Memory
All blogs in this series link to our handcrafted NZ Topographic Maps, which can be personalised and gifted to mark trail milestones.
🗺️ Explore the Full Map Collection →
✍️ Add a Bespoke Addition to Your Map →
📅 Book Your Great Walk with DOC →
🌿 Final Thoughts
Whether you’re just starting your Great Walk journey or looking to honour one you’ve completed, this series is here to guide, inspire, and help you bring the trail home—one map at a time.
🛠️ Bring the Journey Home
Each blog in this series links back to our full NZ Topographic Map Collection, where you can choose a design, add a bespoke touch, and honour your adventure with something permanent.
🗺️ Shop NZ Maps →
✍️ Add a Bespoke Addition →
📅 Plan or book your walk with DOC →
🌐 Final Thoughts
We walk to connect. To nature. To each other. To something bigger. These blogs—and the maps they inspire—are about capturing that feeling and keeping it close.
So take the walk. And then hang it on your wall.