Author: Wigwam

How to Book the Milford Track: Beating the Rush for New Zealand’s Great Walks
With demand for New Zealand’s Great Walks growing, is it time to rethink how these coveted hiking spots are allocated?

New Zealand’s Great Walks are among the most breathtaking multi-day hikes on the planet, but securing a bunk on the Milford Track feels more like winning the lottery than planning a holiday.

With bookings opening on May 28, thousands of eager trampers will rush to the Department of Conservation’s (DoC) website at 9:30 AM, hoping to claim one of just 120 beds per night along the world-famous route from Te Anau to Milford Sound. And if past years are anything to go by, spots will disappear in minutes.

For many hikers, the current first-come, first-served system is frustrating, favoring those with fast internet, flexible schedules, and the ability to drop everything to battle server crashes. As interest in New Zealand walking holidayscontinues to grow, is there a fairer way to allocate places on the most in-demand trails?

The Problem With Booking New Zealand’s Most Popular Great Walk

The Milford Track, often dubbed “the world’s finest walk,” is the crown jewel of New Zealand’s Great Walks. But for many trampers, the booking process is an annual nightmare.

The original purpose of the Great Walks system, introduced in 1992, was to protect fragile landscapes from overtourism while making the trails accessible to more people. But back then, there were two million fewer Kiwis, and a Milford Track hut bed cost just $3—compared to today’s $92 per night.

Despite increasing demand, the number of available bunks hasn’t grown, meaning supply remains critically low. While DoC has expanded the network to 11 Great Walks with the addition of Hump Ridge Track, the issue remains: too many hikers, too few spaces.

The new Mintaro Hut, on the Milford Track Great Walk. Photo / Thomas Bywater

Is There a Better Way to Book the Milford Track?

Many world-famous hikes use alternative booking systems to make permits more equitable and accessible. Could New Zealand adopt one of these approaches?

1. Lottery System

In the U.S., high-demand trails like The Wave in Arizona use a lottery system to distribute permits. Hikers enter a draw, and a portion of spots are reserved for locals or last-minute entrants to ensure fair access. This removes the “fastest internet wins” problem while keeping opportunities open.

2. Guide-Only Access

Some trails, like Peru’s Inca Trail, only allow entry with a licensed guide, helping manage visitor numbers while supporting local tourism jobs. While this might not suit New Zealand’s independent tramping culture, it could work for select tracks.

3. Local vs. International Pricing Tiers

New Zealand already charges international visitors more for Great Walks huts—a system similar to Bhutan’s US$200 per day tourist tax on its Trans Bhutan Trail. But even with higher fees, Milford Track bunks still book out in minutes.

4. More Great Walks = Less Pressure

Expanding the Great Walks network could help spread demand. While DoC has slowly added new tracks, there are plenty of other routes—like the Kahurangi National Park’s Dragons Teeth Circuit—that could be upgraded to Great Walk status.

Want to book a spot on the Milford? Better make tracks Photo / Thomas Bywater

How to Improve Your Chances of Booking a Milford Track Spot

Until DoC changes the system, hikers can improve their odds with these strategies:

✅ Tramping Club Tactic – Gather a group and have multiple people trying to book at once with everyone’s details ready to go.

✅ Second Attempt Strategy – If a track looks full, check again 30 minutes later. Unpaid reservations are released back into the system.

✅ Alternative Great Walks – If you miss out on the Milford Track, consider other Great Walks in New Zealand—the Routeburn Track and Kepler Track offer stunning scenery with less booking chaos.

Key Great Walk Booking Dates for 2025-2026

Milford Track bookings open: May 28, 9:30 AM NZST
Other key dates for Great Walks bookings:
- May 15 – Heaphy Track, Kepler Track, Rakiura Track, Hump Ridge Track
- May 22 – Whanganui Journey, Routeburn Track, Tongariro Northern Circuit
- May 27 – Lake Waikaremoana, Abel Tasman Coast Track, Paparoa Track
The Future of Great Walks in New Zealand

With demand for New Zealand walking holidays soaring, it’s time to rethink how Great Walks bookings are managed. Whether it’s a lottery system, increased local access, or more tracks, one thing is clear—the current system isn’t keeping up with demand.

For now, hopeful hikers will have to set their alarms for 9:30 AM on May 28—and hope their Wi-Fi connection is fast enough to score a spot on the Milford Track.
April 2, 2025
Luxury Adventure or Hubris? The Rise (and Fall) of Extreme Tourism

Death, Discovery, and the Price of Prestige. The Dark Side of Elite Adventure Travel.

When does adventure tourism stop being an adventure?

The world was captivated by the desperate search for the Titan submersible, which vanished while attempting to take five passengers to the Titanic wreck. The story ended in tragedy when reports confirmed that the vessel suffered a “catastrophic implosion,” killing all aboard—including high-profile adventurers Hamish Harding, Shahzada and Suleman Dawood.

It was a devastating end, eerily echoing the original Titanic disaster. Like the 1912 voyage, this trip carried an air of invincibility, an assumption that extreme wealth could insulate travelers from real danger. Instead, it became a cautionary tale about the limits of human ambition—and the price some are willing to pay for an exclusive adventure.

Extreme Tourism: Where Danger Meets Luxury

Paying $250,000 per seat to visit a maritime graveyard where 1,500 people perished is a grim endeavor. Yet, for some, the allure of extreme travel is irresistible. Stockton Rush, the late CEO of OceanGate, described the experience as hauntingly powerful—the Titanic wreck is strewn with personal effects, relics of lives lost. But did any of the Titan’s passengers truly believe they were in danger?

Previous clients of OceanGate’s deep-sea expeditions returned with glowing reviews, emboldening future adventurers. Sealed inside a 2.8m x 2.5m carbon-fiber submersible with a tiny porthole, passengers might have felt as secure as those on Titanic’s first-class deck in 1912. The illusion shattered in an instant.

The Blue Origin ‘New Shepard’ Crew Capsule is Jeff Bezos’ extreme adventure tourism proposition. Photo / Nasa Flight Opportunities

This disaster underscores a growing trend: the rise of extreme, ultra-luxury adventure travel. From diving the Mariana Trench to suborbital spaceflights, companies like OceanGate and Blue Origin cater to high-net-worth individuals chasing the ultimate bragging rights. Hamish Harding, a Titan passenger, was also among the first to board Jeff Bezos’ space tourism flights.

These experiences offer more than personal thrills—they are marketed as pioneering, even noble, endeavors. According to the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), adventure tourists account for just 0.5% of global travelers but contribute 15% of global tourism spending. A single mountaineering expedition or remote sailing trip generates as much revenue for local economies as 96 cruise passengers.

Elite adventure travelers don’t just see themselves as tourists; they see themselves as explorers, conservationists, and citizen scientists—willing to pay a premium for access to the most remote corners of the planet. But where does personal ambition end and recklessness begin?

The Titan submarine in a promotional image published by OceanGate before 2023

The Business of Risky Expeditions

OceanGate’s Titanic missions weren’t just sightseeing trips; they were positioned as scientific expeditions, originally accredited by NOAA for oceanographic research.

But when the company started selling seats on its sub, it branded its wealthy passengers as “mission specialists”—despite their main qualification being the ability to pay a quarter of a million dollars for the experience. The irony? The much-publicized 3D scans of the Titanic wreck, which fascinated the world earlier this year, were partially funded by adventure tourists like those aboard Titan.

The blurred lines between adventure tourism and legitimate exploration aren’t new. In Antarctica, private jet charters land on ice runways, ferrying ultra-wealthy travelers to destinations previously accessible only to polar scientists. Many remote expeditions rely on a symbiotic relationship between tourism and research—where adventure travelers fund scientific missions in exchange for access.

The ‘Extreme Tourist’ on Captain Cook’s Endeavour expedition: Joseph Banks “The Fly-Catching Macaroni” (1772), engraved by Whipcord, published by M. Darly.

From the Age of Discovery to the Age of Extreme Tourism

This phenomenon has deep historical roots. The voyages of Captain James Cook were made possible by an 18th-century adventure traveler: Joseph Banks, a wealthy patron who bankrolled the journey and paid scientists’ salaries. His role wasn’t unlike today’s “citizen scientists” funding high-risk expeditions.

But with adventure travel pushing further into uncharted territories—into space, the deep ocean, and polar extremes—the ethical and practical questions are growing.

The Titan tragedy has reignited the debate: Should adventure tourists be allowed on such dangerous missions? Are they pioneers funding crucial research, or thrill-seekers testing the limits of human endurance?

Whatever the answer, one thing is clear—there’s a fine line between exploration and hubris, and sometimes, the price of pushing boundaries is paid in lives.

Read more on the NZ Herald

April 1, 2025