Author
Jay
Founder of Tiki Tours. Avid tramper, camper, and trail runner based in Aotearoa New Zealand.
tiki.tours15 posts
The Story Behind Tiki Tours
A tiki tour isn't a rush to the summit — it's the scenic, unhurried journey that takes in every detour worth taking. That spirit is exactly what this app is built around.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing — Everything You Need to Know
At 19.4 km across an active volcanic plateau, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is regularly listed among the world's great one-day walks. Here's what you actually need to know.
5 Family-Friendly Day Walks in Auckland
Auckland isn't just motorways and flat whites — the region hides excellent walking within 30–60 minutes of the CBD. These five tracks are genuinely great for kids.
Hiking in Fiordland — Beyond Milford
Skip the Milford crowd and use Te Anau as your basecamp for a quieter Fiordland — quieter huts, deeper valleys, fewer queues.
Winter Backcountry: Crampons, Avalanche Risk, Route Finding
Winter tramping in Aotearoa is a different sport — here is the gear, the avalanche reading, and the bail-out logic that keeps us alive.
Conservation on the Trail: Why Your Footprint Matters
Kauri dieback, didymo, predators — every trail user makes a choice. Here is what your boots, scraps, and dollars actually do.
Waikaremoana Great Walk — Hut-to-Hut Pacing & Water Sources
Three or four days, the only North Island Great Walk that feels truly remote — pacing, water, and the Tūhoe context that shapes Te Urewera.
The Routeburn — Three Days Through the Rees & Dart
Three days across Harris Saddle plus the side-trips and combos that turn the Routeburn into a real week-long alpine trip.
Perch Lake Loop: A Quiet Gem in the Tararua Ranges
A quieter Tararua loop with a tarn most trampers never see — Roaring Stag, Perch Lake, Cattle Ridge, in two or three days from Putara.
Rees-Dart Combo: Linking Two Classics in One Trip
Eight days, two trailheads, one rest day — how we link the Rees-Dart and the Routeburn into one of the best trips Mt Aspiring offers.
South Island Freedom Camping: DOC Zones, Etiquette, Where Not To Go
Self-contained, DOC sites, and the etiquette that decides whether the rules tighten further — how we freedom-camp the South Island in 2026.
Essential Gear Checklist: What You Actually Need vs What You Think You Need
The shorter, cheaper, more honest tramping kit list — what we actually carry, what we cut, and what is worth spending more on.
Trail Nutrition: Lightweight High-Calorie Meals Under 500g
Hitting 4500 kcal at 500 g per person per day — the trail food system we have refined over a few too many cold breakfasts.
Reading the Mountain: MetService Forecasts + Personal Observation
Forecasts tell you what is likely. The sky tells you what is happening. The five-minute morning routine that decides our tops days.
Why We're Building Tiki Tours — Mobile-First, Off-Grid Ready
A founder note on why we are building Tiki Tours — mobile-first, off-grid-ready, ad-free, and quietly funding Forest & Bird.