On Track for Summer: The cicadas are loud, the daylight is long and it's time to walk off some of that Christmas excess. But it's peak tourist season too, so where can you go to avoid the crowds? Shaun Barnett, author of guidebook Day Walks in New Zealand, suggests six lesser-known walks, including historic coastal bays in Northland and Golden Bay, waterfalls in the King Country and Hawke's Bay, a mountain amphitheatre at Arthur's Pass and an old mining site near Glenorchy

Whangamumu Track Whangamumu Scenic Reserve, Bay of Islands Northland has a rich human history. It's no surprise the mild climate, numerous harbours and abundant forests attracted early Maori to settle [...]