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Maps

Explore public access areas in Aotearoa New Zealand's outdoors
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Outdoor access maps

Find publicly accessible areas, tracks, conservation land and property information.

Map gallery

All of our public access maps in one place. Including the Outdoors Access, Tangata Whenua, Tracks & Trails, Hunting & Fishing and Property maps.

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Take our maps anywhere

Open Data Portal

Download spatial data files

Plan My Walk (MSC)

Explore walking and tramping tracks and plan your next journey

Help

A guide to help you navigate our mapping tools

Featured

Pocket Maps app

Take our maps anywhere

Tangata Whenua Map

He mahere tēnei hei whakamārama atu i ētahi o ngā wāhi Māori o Aotearoa mō koutou e hīkoi ana.
Ngā tūmomo kūaha

Types of access

Information about accessing the outdoors, including how to resolve disputes
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Types of legal public access

There are many different types of legal public access. We detail some of the main ones you are likely to encounter.

Gaining permission to access Māori land

Walking on Crown-owned land

Public access easements

Walkways

Roadways over Māori land

Rivers, lakes and coast

Your rights of public access along rivers, lakes and the coast — including marginal strips, esplanade reserves, esplanade strips and access strips.

Featured

Unformed Legal Roads

Colloquially known as paper roads, these roads can look private, but are open to public access.

Crossing private land

You must get permission from the landholder to cross private land.
Ngā kupu tohutohu

Advice

Information about accessing the outdoors responsibly, including roads, walkways, rivers and lakes, and private land.
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Trail makers

We support trail groups that create public access to the outdoors, and build or maintain tracks and trails.

Responsible behaviour

Asking permission, caring for the environment, motor vehicles, carrying a gun, mountain bikes, horses, fires and other information

Landholders

The obligations and opportunities for landholders when they have recreational visitors on their land.

Disputes

Herenga ā Nuku helps people find resolutions to outdoor public access disputes.

Featured

Regional field advisors

Herenga ā Nuku has regional field advisors located throughout Aotearoa. They are our public voice in the regions.

The Outdoor Access Code

The outdoor access code encourages us to respect the whenua and the people who care for whenua.
Ā mātou mahi

Our work

Our latest news, recent publications, and information about who we are.
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Advocacy

Find out about our advocacy work, projects and collaborations.

About us

Building a legacy of public access to the outdoors for everyone in New Zealand.

News

Read the latest news from Herenga ā Nuku, listen to our podcasts or sign up to our regular newsletters.

Contact Us

We welcome your questions and suggestions.

Publications

Featured

Supporting Te Ara Tipuna, a new kind of trail

Imagine a 500km trail from Gisborne to Ōpōtiki, following the coast and dipping inland to connect 22 communities and 64 marae.

5 outdoor spots that are off-limits

While all these places may appear on maps to allow public access, dinosaurs, spies, killer spores, and jet bombers will keep you out.

Ngā mahere

Maps

Explore public access areas in Aotearoa New Zealand's outdoors

Go to section

Outdoor access maps

Find publicly accessible areas, tracks, conservation land and property information.

Pocket Maps app

Take our maps anywhere

Plan My Walk (MSC)

Explore walking and tramping tracks and plan your next journey

Map gallery

All of our public access maps in one place. Including the Outdoors Access, Tangata Whenua, Tracks & Trails, Hunting & Fishing and Property maps.

Open Data Portal

Download spatial data files

Help

A guide to help you navigate our mapping tools

Featured

Pocket Maps app

Take our maps anywhere

Tangata Whenua Map

He mahere tēnei hei whakamārama atu i ētahi o ngā wāhi Māori o Aotearoa mō koutou e hīkoi ana.
Ngā tūmomo kūaha

Types of access

Information about accessing the outdoors, including how to resolve disputes

Go to section

Types of legal public access

There are many different types of legal public access. We detail some of the main ones you are likely to encounter.

Walking on Crown-owned land

Walkways

Rivers, lakes and coast

Your rights of public access along rivers, lakes and the coast — including marginal strips, esplanade reserves, esplanade strips and access strips.

Gaining permission to access Māori land

Public access easements

Roadways over Māori land

Featured

Unformed Legal Roads

Colloquially known as paper roads, these roads can look private, but are open to public access.

Crossing private land

You must get permission from the landholder to cross private land.
Ngā kupu tohutohu

Advice

Information about accessing the outdoors responsibly, including roads, walkways, rivers and lakes, and private land.

Go to section

Trail makers

We support trail groups that create public access to the outdoors, and build or maintain tracks and trails.

Landholders

The obligations and opportunities for landholders when they have recreational visitors on their land.

Responsible behaviour

Asking permission, caring for the environment, motor vehicles, carrying a gun, mountain bikes, horses, fires and other information

Disputes

Herenga ā Nuku helps people find resolutions to outdoor public access disputes.

Featured

Regional field advisors

Herenga ā Nuku has regional field advisors located throughout Aotearoa. They are our public voice in the regions.

The Outdoor Access Code

The outdoor access code encourages us to respect the whenua and the people who care for whenua.
Ā mātou mahi

Our work

Our latest news, recent publications, and information about who we are.

Go to section

Advocacy

Find out about our advocacy work, projects and collaborations.

News

Read the latest news from Herenga ā Nuku, listen to our podcasts or sign up to our regular newsletters.

Publications

About us

Building a legacy of public access to the outdoors for everyone in New Zealand.

Contact Us

We welcome your questions and suggestions.

Featured

Supporting Te Ara Tipuna, a new kind of trail

Imagine a 500km trail from Gisborne to Ōpōtiki, following the coast and dipping inland to connect 22 communities and 64 marae.

5 outdoor spots that are off-limits

While all these places may appear on maps to allow public access, dinosaurs, spies, killer spores, and jet bombers will keep you out.

Regional field advisors Contact us Publications

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Home / Our work / News / News / Statement of Intent

Statement of Intent

Published 20 May 2011

20 May 2011: The New Zealand Walking Access Commission has released its Statement of Intent for 2011 - 2016. Download it on the Publications page.

Page last updated: 14 December 2023

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