The best summer walks you've never heard of

Tens of thousands of Kiwis will explore some of our country's best-known walks this summer - but there is a slight downside to summer tramping. It can get crowded.

So, we've put together a collection of hikes that aren't packed with people, where you can enjoy the scenery with a bit of solitude.

Taranaki is brimming with well-known walks, but just outside the city is a magnificent nīkau forest that few know about.

Rātapihipihi Scenic Reserve is a subtropical rainforest thick with nīkau palms, alongside kohekohe trees and tawa. The dense forest results in light dancing through the canopy, creating an atmosphere that’ll have you snapping dozens of photos.

There are two connected loops in the bush you can explore; the Nīkau Loop and the Waterfall Loop - it'll take you around an hour to do both. The track is well maintained, but can be a little slippery if wet.

Northland is best known for beaches, but few realise the region is home to an ancient lava valley millions of years in the making.

The Jurassic valley, known as , began its formation 2.8 million years ago after a lava flow created a layer of basalt up to 30 metres thick. Over millions of years, the rock has eroded and slowly rolled down into a valley, where thousands of enormous multi-storey boulders now lie.

You can walk through it all on a stunning forest walkway, with 22 bridges that weave around boulders and through enormous cracks in the ground.

The boulders are on private land, and entry is $15 for adults and $5 for children.

Hawke's Bay's most famous lookout is Te Mata Peak, which you can drive right up to and requires almost no effort. However, the region is home to another spectacular lookout that even some locals don't know about – and this one will get the heart pumping.

It's called Bell Rock, and almost looks like New Zealand's own version of Pride Rock from the movie Lion King.

It's a bit of an effort to get there. You first need to drive an hour north of Napier, before a three-hour return walk, which is steep at the start. The walk begins through lush native bush, then crosses rolling hills on the Maungaharuru Range. At the top, you'll find a series of enormous alien-like rocks clung to the side of a cliff, overlooking the vast hinterland towards Taupō. Children must be supervised, as there are no safety rails.

One of our most famous national parks has a secret sinkhole.

Harwoods Hole is found in Abel Tasman National Park, and is home to the deepest vertical shaft in the country. It's reached on a leisurely 45-minute walk through dense beech forest. Near the end of the track, the path forks – don't miss exploring both options. One leads to the Gorge Creek Lookout, which has magnificent views of the Tākaka Valley.

The other track leads to the sinkhole itself, a 176-metre shaft that disappears deep below. Don't get near the edge – there are no fences, and it's dangerous.

Access to the walk is via the Canaan Carpark, a 50-minute drive from Motueka.

Most people head to the kauri forests of Northland or Auckland to see our mighty native, but few realise a magnificent patch of kauri can still be seen in the Bay of Plenty.

The Kaimai Range forms a dense barrier of bush between Waikato and Bay of Plenty and is home to what's thought to be the largest remaining kauri tree in the region.

The tree is named Tuahu, after an old track that was used to cross the ranges. It's reached on an easy 50-minute return walk on the , which includes a large platform surrounding the tree, allowing you to get an up-close look at its towering trunk without damaging the delicate root system. The tree is estimated to be around 600 years old.

The track is found at the end of Hot Springs Road, just south of Katikati.

Lake Wānaka is home to a wildlife island, which makes for a spectacular day out.

Mou Waho Island is a predator-free sanctuary about 45 minutes boat ride from downtown Wānaka. You can get there with Eco Wānaka Adventures, where you can see one of the rarest types of weka in the world, known as the buff weka.

You'll also get the chance to see a stone wētā. This incredible creature can be frozen alive over winter, and then thaws in the summer. It's rare to see these in the wild, and you'll be shown them as part of the tour.

The island is, however, most famous for its hidden lake - which you can see by hiking to the top.

As it's a public island, run by the Department of Conservation, anybody can access it by boat - however, a tour with a guide will ensure you'll see the wildlife on the island.

One of the country's most affordable heli-hikes can be found in Mackenzie, with incredible views of the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park.

The walk begins in breathtaking fashion, with a short scenic helicopter ride over the glistening blue Lake Pukaki, before dropping you on a tussocky flat high up on a private station.

For the next couple of hours, you make your way along the ridge line and down to a series of historic huts, where refreshments are served. At $350 for an adult, it's much more affordable than many other helicopter hikes.

The great thing about this walk, is aside from your small group, you won't see anybody else.

If you're driving to Milford Sound, don't miss a series of spectacular short walks that can break up the journey.

One of the best is known as Key Summit, which is accessed by pulling into "The Divide" carpark about halfway along the road to Milford Sound.

You'll walk a small part of the iconic Routeburn Track, before branching off to reach Key Summit, which has magnificent views of the Hollyford Valley and surrounding mountains.

It's hard to imagine that 14,000 years ago, the summit was covered in around 500 metres of ice – all part of a giant glacier flow during the last ice age.

This lovingly restored mining town is a blue gem in the Central Otago hinterland.

St Bathans began as a tent city after gold was struck in 1861, and quickly turned into a bustling town with 13 hotels, banks, a hospital and even a jailhouse.

By 1934, the enormous mine pit was starting to encroach on the town, so it was allowed to fill with water, creating a magical blue lake, lined with lunar-like cliffs. The result is a stunningly beautiful scar on the landscape, known as Blue Lake, which you can walk around.

Don't miss lunch at The Vulcan - the famed haunted hotel of St Bathans – which is the perfect place to cool off after a walk around the lake.