Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
centres (some huts can also be booked online: visit
www.doc.govt.nz
)
. Children under 10
can use huts for free; 11- to 17-year-olds are charged half price. If you do a lot of tramp-
ing DOC sells a six-month Backcountry Hut Pass applicable to most huts except Great
Walk huts in peak season (October to April, during which time you'll need Great Walk
tickets). In the low season (May to September), backcountry hut tickets and passes can
also be used to procure a bunk or campsite on some Great Walks.
Depending on the hut category, a night's stay may use one or two tickets. Date your
tickets and put them in the boxes provided at huts. Accommodation is on a first-come,
first-served basis.
Campsites
DOC also manages 250 'Conservation Campsites' (usually vehicle accessible) with cat-
egories as follows:
Basic campsites
Basic toilets and water; free and unbookable.
Standard campsites
Toilets and water supply, and perhaps barbecues and picnic tables; $5 to $16; unbookable.
Serviced campsites
Full facilities: flush toilets, tap water, showers and picnic tables. They may also have barbecues, a
kitchen and laundry; $7 to $19; bookable via DOC visitor centres.
Children aged five to 17 pay half-price for Conservation Campsites; kids four and under
stay free.
Guided Walks
If you're new to tramping or just want a more comfortable experience than the DIY al-
ternative, several companies can escort you through the wilds, usually staying in comfort-
able huts (showers!), with meals cooked and equipment carried for you.
Places on the North Island where you can sign up for a guided walk include Mt Tarana-
ki, Lake Waikaremoana and Tongariro National Park. Prices for a four-night guided walk
start at around $1800, and rise towards $2200 for deluxe guided experiences.
TE ARAROA
Epic!
Te Araroa
(
www.teararoa.org.nz
)
is a 3000km tramping trail from Cape Reinga in NZ's north to Bluff in
the south (or the other way around). The route links existing tracks with new sections. Built over a decade, mostly
by volunteers, it's one of the longest hikes in the world: check the website for maps and track notes, plus blogs
and videos from hardy types who have completed the end-to-end epic.
