NZHike.com is a new website for Hiking New Zealand (formerly known as New Zealand Nature Safaris). We continue to specialise in our small group guided walking/backpacking tours into New Zealand's best wilderness areas. Our tours offer a unique opportunity for the adventurous traveller to get off the beaten track and link up New Zealand's National Parks, while travelling with small groups of like minded people from all over the world.

Hiking New Zealand Ltd. is owned and operated by Mark Brabyn, Daniel and Anne Murphy. From small beginnings, one mini bus, one guide and a few simple brochures, the company has grown to become one New Zealand's leading hiking companies. We now have a fleet of six mini buses and special customised trailers, and a great team of talented and professional guides. Our brochure has also become a lot more comprehensive and we now run over ninety scheduled departures a year!

Meet Mark

Mark founded the company way back in 1993 (it was called NZ Nature Safaris then), he's a born and bred "kiwi tramper" and his earliest recollections of the New Zealand wilderness were from his Dads shoulders during weekend trips in the hills around Wellington. From those early beginnings Mark became passionate about the outdoors and grew into a committed conservationist. He studied zoology at university and was involved in several research projects around the world including killer whales, bald eagles and chimpanzees!

Meet Daniel & Anne

Daniel & Anne bought into the company at the end of 2004 and formed a partnership with Mark. Daniel started with the company back in 2000 firstly as a guide. He couldn't believe his luck when he started working for Hiking New Zealand and actually got paid to spend time in all his favorite places with lots of like minded people from all over the world! After a few seasons guiding Daniel moved into the operations manager role, which was a great opportunity to learn about how the other side of the company worked and get involved with the guide recruitment and developing new trips. As for Anne, she was caught up in the corporate world a few years ago, but she managed to escape it when she met Daniel in 1998, and took him up on his offer of moving to Spain for a year to help him run a lodge and guide walking tours. As you'd expect, they are both lovers of the outdoors, and when they are not busy with the business they love to get out and explore the backcountry.

Our Objectives, What we do and Why?

Immerse you in New Zealand's wilderness…
New Zealand has some of the most pristine and unspoiled wilderness left on the planet. Our tours are a great way to get you there so can experience it in a safe, sustainable and uniquely "Kiwi" way.

Nurture environmental awareness…
Spending time in the wilderness of New Zealand will inspire a sense of awe and wonder and no doubt you will have a lot of questions. Our guides are passionate about New Zealand and its natural history and love to share their knowledge so you will leave with a greater sense of understanding. The more we understand about our environment the more we can do to preserve it.

To have fun…
Being on one of our tours is great fun! Sure there are moments when it gets tough, but bringing a small group of individuals together and heading away from civilisation, crossing rivers, climbing mountains, soaking in hotpools and sleeping under the stars is a lot of fun so be prepared to laugh!

Challenge you…
Our tours are what we class as "Active Outdoor Adventure", and you will be challenged in many different ways, but our guides are there to support and encourage you when you need it. You will leave the trip with a sense of accomplishment.

Teach outdoor skills…
You will learn a lot, from river crossing techniques, reading maps, cooking over open fires, to putting down "Hangis" (Maori earth oven). We want you to go away feeling inspired and confident to spend more time in the wilderness.

To put something back…
We believe it is imperative that conservation should benefit from tourism, so since 1998 we have been donating money to a Wildlife Research Fund and to date over $50,000 has gone toward Hectors Dolphin Research.