Maps and notes download
Te Araroa Trust offers these notes and maps free of charge. The Trust helps trail walkers because of charitable donations from many walkers like yourself. So you may wish to support our work too.
Contents
- Trail notes - southbound
- Trail notes - northbound
- Trail maps by region
- Trail maps for digital or print use
- Google Earth file (.kmz)
- Te Araroa .gpx files
Trail notes - southbound
Updated frequently
- Northland
- Auckland
- Waikato
- Manawatū-Whanganui
- Wellington
- Marlborough
- Tasman
- Canterbury
- Otago
- Southland
Trail notes - northbound
Updated 2017
Trail maps by region
These are high resolution multi-page PDF map series of each region of the trail. Can be used on mobile device or printed at A3.
Updated 31 March 2023
- Northland Updated 4 November 2022
- Auckland
- Waikato Updated 31 March 2023
- Manawatū-Whanganui Updated 31 March 2023
- Wellington
- Marlborough
- Tasman
- Canterbury Updated 31 March 2023
- Otago
- Southland Updated 31 March 2023
Trail maps for digital or print use
Maps & Data Release Notes - 2022-23 (v41)
Te Araroa maps and GPS data are now available for download and use for the 2022-23 season.
Changes for 2022-23 Season
- Several adjustments to the main trail route & bypasses - see the Alerts and Status page.
- Several accuracy improvements by aligning route to existing GPS traces provided by previous walkers.
- Addition of Drinking water locations. Dataset provided by RefillNZ
- Updated LINZ Topo 1:50,000 basemap
Maps Changelog - 2022-23 Season
Corrections and small changes are carried out periodically during the walking season. View any map or data corrections in this changelog. Check the update dates of any files to ensure you have the latest information.
Updated 31 March 2023
Digital
These are single page PDFs that will be suitable to save on a phone or tablet device and scroll through the series.
Individual PDF maps have geo-referencing that can be used in Avenza Maps (formerly PDF maps) to mark your position using the phone's GPS location. You can store the series via Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive and just download the current maps into your phone.
North Island maps - Mobile Resolution - 86 pages, 263 MB (Updated 31 March 2023)
South Island maps - Mobile Resolution- 78 pages, 249 MB (Updated 31 March 2023)
North Island - High Resolution - 86 pages, 434 MB (Updated 31 March 2023)
South Island maps - High Resolution - 78 pages, 416 MB (Updated 31 March 2023)
These pages are A3 colour PDF, multi-page files at 300 DPI, made for printing. They are best viewed on A3 printing paper but you can reduce the size to A4 on a good printer.
Please note: multiple page PDF files are not georeferenced.
North Island maps - 86 pages, 408 MB, 300 DPI. (Updated 31 March 2023)
South Island maps - 78 pages, 393 MB, 300 DPI. (Updated 31 March 2023)
Basemap legend
The Toitū te Whenua | Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) Topo 1:50,000 scale topographic map is now the primary basemap for Te Araroa trail maps. Each of our map series contains a modified legend for the maps but you can also download a standalone PDF copy below. For more information on LINZ Topo basemaps and how to read them, please visit: www.linz.govt.nz
LINZ Topo 1:50,000 Legend - 1 page, 1.5 MB (Updated 25 September 2020)
Te Araroa Trail GPS data
Google Earth file
Te Araroa Trail 2022-23 Google Earth (Updated 31 March 2023)
This file contains the entire trail route, bypasses, KM marks, hut, campsites and more! Load this file into Google Earth online or desktop to help you plan your journey. KMZ file does not contain elevation information. Note that you cannot download and use a KML/.kmz file on a phone version.
GPX files
There are three versions of the the trail GPX files. These files contain elevation information. Paths have been slightly generalised to keep file size small.
These files are readable by Garmin GPS units and software. To modify for other devices you may need a product such as GPSBabel, which can translate to different devices and split into smaller parts if the device cannot handle the full file.
You can also view them online via Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa | Outdoor Access Commission using their Maps, by uploading them via the "Add Data" tool.
This file has the route shown as tracks, with no waypoints - the same as the KML.
This does not have a route line, only each km marked as a waypoint with elevation - more suitable for confident navigators that may need occasional reassurance they are heading the right way.
This contains routes that directly align to the way in which routes are listed on the Te Araroa website, with waypoints at each section end.