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Appropriately known as a hiker’s paradise, New Zealand (Aotearoa) offers opportunities for walks and ‘tramps’ through some dramatic landscapes, made possible by a well-organized system of trails and huts. On the North Island, one can walk along thickly-forested shores of lakes, stroll down long sandy beaches, hike across lava-strewn volcanic mountains and valleys, and climb peaks of dormant volcanoes. On the South Island, the hiker finds verdant forests next to yellow-sand beaches, towering snow-capped mountains towering above rushing glacier-fed rivers, mysterious fern-covered forest floors leading to treeless mountain ridges, boardwalks winding beneath moss-covered ancient trees, mist-covered sounds with sheer cliffs rising high above, intricate rock formations jutting out into the sea, and elegant waterfalls dropping hundreds of feet into deep pools of water.

We’ve had two opportunities to visit New Zealand, in 2005 and 2013. The galleries in this group contain photos from some of the wonderful hikes and tramps we took during these two trips. We had some amazingly good weather, and we walked through some extraordinary landscapes. We hiked more than 500 kilometers, and I’m sure we could walk another 500 and still have trails left on our list. We’re pleased to share these images with you, hopefully giving you a small taste of the wonderful landscapes we were fortunate enough to see and experience.