Roys Peak and Akaroa Hikes: New Zealand's Hidden Gems

This hike is quite mentally difficult because it's almost all uphill. I did it with two friends but we each walked at our own pace and I recommend for this hike to really do it at your own pace. It can be really stressful for the person who walks slower to try to keep up with the pace of the first person. But conversely, for this hike, it is just as tiring for those who walk quickly to have to stop at every turn to wait for others. This hike took us about 7 hours round trip. I made it during the fall/early winter. The temperature was perfect since there was plenty of sunshine. For the return, it's so steep that it's easier to do it by running, it also gives a little feeling of freedom which is satisfying. I highly recommend going with enough water and food.

This hike is just amazing! I did it with a friend, we drove to the parking lot. But at the moment I'm not sure if it was a parking lot, it was very poorly marked. Plus there was no one there so no other cars. We first took a long dirt road until we came to a barrier. Behind this barrier there was a board with the description of all the routes. We chose the one that takes us to the summit, but with a shorter return. I don't remember the name sorry anymore. The walk wasn't really difficult. We walked side by side the whole way with my friend and we were able to chat without being too out of breath. The landscapes are super varied so from start to finish we enjoyed the hike. It didn't last very long, we started it around 9am and finished around 2pm. Then we went back down to the town to eat a sandwich at the foot of the port. We did this in the middle of winter and yet the weather was magnificent and we were even warm.