10 BEST HIKES IN NEW ZEALAND | The North Island’s mountains, lakes & waterfalls [+ HIDDEN BEACHES]

New Zealand's North Island is full of some of the most unique and wonderful hikes in the world! On this island you'll see huge waterfalls, enormous mountains, stunning blue and green lakes, and of course those epic New Zealand beaches! Check out our countdown of the 10 best hikes in New Zealand's North Island, and plan your adventure today!
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Video Timestamps
0:24 - #10 - New Chums Beach
1:10 - #9 - Karangahake Gorge - The Windows
1:51 - #8 - Wilkies Pools
2:24 - #7 - Bridal Veil Falls
3:06 - #6 - Paekakariki Escarpment Track
3:31 - #5 - Cathedral Cove
4:01 - #4 - Rainbow Mountain & Kerosene Creek
4:41 - #3 - Mount Maunganui
5:27 - #2 - Pouakai Reflective Tarns - Mount Taranaki
6:11 - #1 - Tongariro Alpine Crossing
6:58 - Thank You for Watching and Please Subscribe!
#10 Best Hike - New Chums Beach
Number 10 on our countdown is New Chums Beach, and awesome hidden gem in the Coromandel Peninsula. This hike is relatively short but the reward is AWESOME, with a great hidden beach day!
#9 Best Hike - Karangahake Gorge - The Windows
The Karangahake Gorge is a BEAUTIFUL hike that is different than any other hike in New Zealand. The canyon is huge, and has a beautiful river running through. The Windows are a set of tunnels and windows in the rock of the canyon that offer great views!
#8 Best Hike - Wilkies Pools
The Wilkies Pools are an awesome set of cascading pools and waterfalls right near the base of Mount Taranaki in Egmont National Park! The Wilkies Pools even have an awesome slide that you can take from one pool to another.
#7 Best Hike - Bridal Veil Falls
Bridal Veil Falls is the most beautiful waterfall in New Zealand's North Island. This is an easy hike with an absolutely stunning view of the falls from above and below.
#6 Best Hike - Paekakariki Escarpment Track
Also called the Stairway to Heaven, this hike is challenging AND beautiful, taking you right up a cliffside to a stunning overlook!
#5 Best Hike - Cathedral Cove
Cathedral Cove is a beautiful set of 2 beaches connected by a huge natural archway carved in the rock! Make a full day out of this adventure.
#4 Best Hike - Rainbow Mountain & Kerosene Creek
Rainbow Mountain is an awesome mountaintop viewpoint, and Kerosene Creek is a wonderful free hot springs. Make this a 2-for-1 and have an incredible day of hiking and relaxing!
#3 Best Hike - Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui is an awesome hike up a mountain, at the base of which are 2 enormous beaches. Do the hike in the morning, enjoy the view, then enjoy some rest & relaxation on the beach after!
#2 Best Hike - Pouakai Reflective Tarns
The Pouakai Tarns are where you get that incredible reflective view of Mount Taranaki on a still day. Even if its windy, the view is breathtaking. The hike is quite a challenge, so pack a picnic to enjoy at a hut located near the tarns.
#1 Best Hike - Tongariro Alpine Crossing
The best hike in New Zealand's North Island is the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Challenging, beautiful, rewarding, fun, this has it all!
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On our 3 month journey through New Zealand we are sharing free things to do in places all over the North Island and South Island. We are exploring on a budget, so we happen to be finding free activities by necessity, but we've found that New Zealand is full of AMAZING things to do that won't cost a dollar to do!
We are living the van life in a self-contained campervan in New Zealand. With a self-contained campervan, we can camp for free at Freedom Camping sites located in convenient places all across New Zealand! We get to camp at beautiful places, and don't have to pay! Sounds like a perfect situation to us... Freedom Camping is the best way to see New Zealand, especially when you are on a budget.
If you have any New Zealand places to recommend, please let us know in the comments of this video!
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Who Are We??
We are Julie and Zach Ruhl. At the end of 2018 we sold almost everything we owned and moved out of our Chicago apartment and into a 2001 Volkswagen Eurovan. We took a leap of faith, and had the best year of our entire lives. We built a life on the road, and lived each day to the fullest in our wonderful tiny home (named Winnie :)).
We are continuing our travels into 2020 and beyond across the world!

[@danielm4696]

I agree these are all great Hikes, but you missed out so many that should have been on the list! The most notable omissions in my opinion are the Pinnacles in the Kauaeranga Valley, Putangirua Pinnacles, Windy Canyon/Mt Hobson (Great Barrier), Te Henga Walkway (Waitakere), Coromandel Walkway, Omanawanui (Waitakere), and Cape Brett.

[@therealboringaccount1415]

Very helpful information. Thank you

[@pssajie1]

Wonderful!! A great video and it's really helpful..!! Thank you. !!

[@aravindasalwathure2089]

Great video guys. Keep it up 👍.
And you should try Mount Taranaki Summit Track🏔.You will love it. Cheers 🥂

[@kknenglois9185]

Wow amazing place 🥰❤️

[@HewasAdventure85]

good stuff guys but something not good with video quality,