Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BACKCOUNTRY HUT PASSES & TICKETS
With some exceptions (Great Walk huts and campsites, huts owned by the NZ Alpine
Club, and vehicle-accessible Serviced, Scenic and Standard campsites), huts and
campsites are paid for with Backcountry Hut tickets and passes. These should be pur-
chased in advance online, or at DOC offices, visitor centres or outdoor supplies shops.
It costs $5 per hut ticket. You simply deposit the appropriate number of ticket butts
in the box at the hut when you arrive. If you plan to do a lot of tramping, a Backcountry
Hut Pass (one year/six months $122/92), valid for Serviced and Standard Huts, might
prove a wise investment.
Children
Thanks in part to its hut system and range of tracks, NZ is well suited for a tramping holiday
with children. Along some tracks, such as the Heaphy, Routeburn and Lake Waikaremoana,
it would be unusual not to have kids in the huts each night.
The huts mean that children (and parents) can carry less gear and start each day with dry
clothes, ensuring a comfortable experience in the bush. DOC also encourages families to go
tramping by not charging children under the age of 11 for huts or campsites, and offering a
50% discount to older kids.
The key to a successful tramp with kids is to carefully select the track to match their level
of endurance. Children younger than 10 years do best on tracks that are well benched and
bridged, and where the next hut is only four or five hours away at most. An alternative for
parents with very young children (ages four to six) not up for the rigours of tramping every
day is to use a hut as a base camp, taking them on day walks.
The other important thing about tramping with children is to make sure you pack enough
food. After a day outdoors, parents are often shocked to see their children consume twice as
much as they would at home.
For helpful general tips, see Lonely Planet's
Travel with Children
.
