How it works

Just by walking, you travel across the map

The app reads the steps recorded by your phone or wearable through Health Connect. You move across a real map of New Zealand exactly as far as you have walked.

Walk as usual

Your steps are collected automatically through Health Connect. There is nothing to type in.

Choose where to go

The finish line is fixed, but the route is yours. Tap the map within your available distance and take as many detours as you like.

Collect landmarks and badges

Reach a famous place to earn a badge and hear what Arukyun has to say about it.

Reach the goal

Reach Bluff, then turn around and start another lap back to Cape Reinga, with a goal badge for every lap.

Features

More than just a step counter

Built around real New Zealand geography, so every lap feels like a trip rather than a number.

Collect badges from famous places

Arrive at a landmark and a badge pops up with the place's name and a title to match. Ninety Mile Beach, Waitangi, the Sky Tower, Hobbiton, Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Mount Taranaki, Te Papa, Abel Tasman, Franz Josef Glacier, Aoraki Mount Cook, Lake Tekapo, Milford Sound and Queenstown are among the stops, with 138 badges in the collection.

Local comments from Arukyun

When you arrive somewhere new, your guide Arukyun shares a short comment about the area, so it feels like you are really standing there. Notes are prepared for all 654 areas on the map. They are marked as AI-generated.

Cross the straits by ferry

The North and South Islands are separate pieces of land, so the route crosses Cook Strait from Wellington to Picton by ferry, and you can sail across Foveaux Strait from Bluff to Stewart Island (Rakiura) as a bonus stretch.

Look around with Street View

Curious what a place looks like? Open Street View from the spot you have reached and look around without leaving the app.

Find somewhere nearby

Tap your position and see what is around you on the route, such as cafes, restaurants, parks and sights, then open it in Google Maps. It is a handy way to plan the next stop on your virtual trip, or a real one.

Colour in the whole map

The Coverage Map fills in every area you have visited. Track how much of New Zealand you have covered, and earn conquest badges for each of the 13 regions, from Northland to Southland, then for the whole country.

Japanese Walking interval timer

Japanese Walking is an interval walking routine that began in Japan: three minutes of fast walking, then three minutes of slow walking, repeated for a few sets. The built-in timer gives you a 3-2-1 countdown, a tempo beat while you speed up and a heads-up before each switch, and it keeps running with the screen off.

After each fast segment it compares your real step count with your target tempo, and a card in the Record tab shows the days you completed a session. Open it from the travel map or the Record tab. This is not medical advice: walk at a pace that suits your health.

Japanese Walking timer during a fast-walking segment

Cape ReingaNinety Mile BeachWaitangiSky TowerHobbitonWaitomo Glowworm CavesMount TaranakiTe PapaAbel TasmanFranz Josef GlacierAoraki Mount CookLake TekapoMilford SoundQueenstownStirling PointAucklandWellingtonChristchurch…and more along the way

Pricing

Free to walk across the top of the North Island, one upgrade for the whole route

Start your journey for free in the far north, where the route begins. When you are ready to walk on to Bluff, switch to the full route with a single purchase.

Free Edition

Free

Travel freely across the top of the North Island, from Cape Reinga down to the Auckland region
Core features: step-based travel, badges and the Coverage Map
Local comments from Arukyun
No ads, no sign-up

Full route

Switch to the full route

US$3.99 one-time purchase

Unlocks the rest of the route, from south of Auckland all the way to Bluff, including both ferry crossings
Includes Nearby Search and the full badge collection
One-time purchase, no subscription
No additional charges

Prices are shown in US dollars. Google Play shows the price in your local currency, and it may vary slightly by region and exchange rate.

FAQ

Questions and answers

What is Japanese Walking?

It is an interval walking timer built into the app: 3 minutes of fast walking and 3 minutes of slow walking, repeated for several sets, or 15 minutes of continuous fast walking. You can change the number of sets, the durations, the countdown and the tempo sound in the timer settings, and the timer keeps running with the screen off. It is included at no extra charge.

Does New Zealand Walk Nomad track my location?

No. Your position on the map is worked out from your step count, not from GPS. The app reads steps through Health Connect and moves you along the map by the distance you have walked. See How Health Connect works and your privacy for details.

Which phones does it work on?

New Zealand Walk Nomad is an Android app. It needs Health Connect to read steps recorded by your phone or wearable.

What is the route?

Lap 1 runs southbound from Cape Reinga, at the northern tip of the North Island, to Bluff, at the bottom of the South Island, across the North Island, the South Island and Stewart Island (Rakiura). You choose your own path by tapping the map within the distance your steps allow, and you cross Cook Strait (Wellington to Picton) and Foveaux Strait (Bluff to Oban) by ferry. After the goal you turn around and start a new lap north. The Chatham Islands and other outlying islands are not included.

How much does it cost?

The app is free to download, and the free edition lets you travel freely across the top of the North Island, from Cape Reinga down to the Auckland region. Switching to the full route is a one-time purchase of US$3.99, with no subscription.

Which languages does it support?

The app and its local comments are in English. Place names are written as they are used locally, including Māori names.

Can I use miles or kilometres?

Distances are shown in kilometres by default. You can switch between kilometres and miles in Settings.

Are there ads or an account to create?

No ads and no sign-up are needed to use the app.

Is there a version for other regions?

Yes. See all Walk Nomad apps, including Japan, UK, Ireland, Italy, Korea, US East, US West, France, Thailand, and Norway.

Every step you take becomes a journey across New Zealand.