FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Fitness
It’s true what they say, ‘The fitter you are, the more you’ll enjoy it!” As a general guide, if you have a moderate fitness level, you’ll be well placed to complete any of our guided walks. We’ve arranged our itineraries to include a more challenging walk, usually on Day 2 or Day 3, with easier walks on the remaining days.
We carefully select trails that are of moderate difficulty, with some sections rated as hard. These hard sections don’t last long! The trails range from well-formed paths to tracks broken with tree roots, rocks, mud and small stream crossings. We generally walk anywhere between 3 and 7 hours per day. Our lodge-based walk itineraries can sometimes be altered to provide easier options.
We always let our fast walkers go on ahead and the cheerful ‘plodders’ are welcome to just go at their own pace so you don’t have to feel like you’re holding anyone up. We always have a guide at the back of the group for safety.
For more information on which walk is best for you take a look at our helpful blog ‘How Fit Do I Need To Be?’ or for further advice on training and preparation, please get in touch with our reservations team or send in an enquiry email and we’ll assist you as best we can.
Accommodation
We offer a mix of either lodge-based walks or hut-based walks. Our sole hut-based walk is the Tongariro Northern Circuit Great Walk. We stay in backcountry Department of Conservation huts along this track. The huts are clean and dry, but basic by nature and located in spectacular natural environments. They have fresh water, bunk beds with mattresses, outside toilets, separate dining and communal areas and wood-fires. There is no electricity or showers making it a genuine Kiwi outdoor experience.
Our lodge-based tours stay in a variety of 3-star boutique lodges that we’ve carefully selected for their location, quality facilities like ensuite bathrooms and tranquil atmosphere. We have a range of twin, double or family rooms available. Each one is different so for more information on accommodation for each walk, please visit the ‘Important Info’ section on each walk page.
Meals
All of our guided walks are catered. We organise all the meals you’ll need while you’re on the walk, you’ll just carry your lunch and your water bottle. Our meals are carefully planned and prepared so you’ll be nourished and energised for the next days’ walking with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy snacks.
We are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-FODMAPS and vegetarian friendly! Just let us know in advance if you have a specialty diet and we’ll make sure you’re well taken care of.
TRANSPORT
Most of our guided walks depart from and return to Rotorua – with the exception of our Great Barrier Island Escape, which departs and returns to Claris Airport, and the Tongariro Northern Circuit Great Walk, which departs from and returns to National Park Village, Ruapehu.
We have late model, airconditioned Toyota HiAces with fully-enclosed, lockable luggage trailers. We’ll collect you from wherever you’ve chosen to stay on night before the tour and we’ll return you safely to nearby central town or city centres at the end of the trip. On some of our walks, we depart Rotorua and travel via other town centres, so it’s possible to be collected from places other than Rotorua.
If you’d like to drive your own private vehicle, that’s no trouble – please contact our friendly reservations team for driving directions and parking information.
For specific transport information, please visit the ‘Important Info’ section on each walk page.
ACCESSIBILITY
We are an open and inclusive hiking tour company that celebrates diversity and culture.
We are committed to removing barriers and providing equal opportunity for as many people as possible in the New Zealand outdoors. We believe that everyone, regardless of their different abilities, should be able to interact with a company and obtain help and answers on equal terms. If you have any accessibility issues or needs, please let us know. We’d love to work with you and help to make your experience in the New Zealand outdoors as positive and memorable as possible.
Physical Ability
A reasonable level of physical fitness, mobility and vision is necessary due to the nature of our activities. Much of the natural environment we visit is not well-suited to those with physical limitations, mobility issues or lower limb differences. However, we know that not all disabilities are visible ones.
How We Have Accommodated Disabilities So Far:
- We have hosted hikers who wear colostomy bags.
- We have welcomed both profoundly deaf and hard of hearing walkers. Our reservation team is on-hand to answer questions regarding the booking process, our terms and conditions or any health and safety related information. During the tour our hearing guides communicate via text message and provide detailed trip notes.
- We have been joined by hikers (and their families and support people) who are neurodiverse and living with conditions like Autism, ADD and Aspergers Syndrome.
- We often have hikers who have anxiety and sensory needs – we can advise of where there may be challenging points on each track and supply photos in advance so you’re able to fully prepare.
- We’ve hosted hikers (and their families and support people) who are living with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases and for whom completing a walk of this nature on their own would be just too great a challenge.
How To Connect With Us Or Find Out More
If you are deaf or hard of hearing and would like to correspond via text message or WhatsApp please send us a message on 0064 21 143 6118 or find us on Facebook and drop us a query via that platform. We invite you to visit our YouTube page where we post visual resources and imagery on the places we visit on our New Zealand hiking tours.
COMPLIMENTARY HIKING GEAR HIRE
We offer complimentary hire of hiking gear on all our walks, by prior arrangement. We have sleeping bags (with cotton liners), small camping pillows, good quality raincoats in a range of sizes, either 40 or 70 litre packs and pairs of walking poles. Your guides will have any items you’ve asked to borrow with them when they collect you on Day 1.
GEAR & LUGGAGE TRANSPORT
We’ve designed our walks to make sure you’re not carrying heavy packs. You’ll just need a day pack! Any extra luggage can either be transported in our vehicles, our luggage trailers or on our support boat. For more specific requirements for luggage on a particular walk, please visit the ‘Important Info’ section on each walk page.
DEPOSITS AND BALANCES
We ask just a $300 NZD deposit per person at the time of booking ($900 NZD deposit for the Bucket List Walk). The balance is due around 30 days before departure. We accept Visa, Mastercard and AMEX as well as payments by internet banking/direct debit/inward international payment.
CANCELLATIONS AND TRANSFERS
We understand that life sometimes gets in the way of the best laid plans. If you need to postpone or cancel your trip we’ll work with you to find a replacement date or we’ll arrange any refund you might be entitled to. Read our full terms and conditions here.