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Before your trip Passports and visas

You will need a passport that’s valid for at least three months

beyond the date of your departure from New Zealand. If you’re

travelling on a US, UK, EU or Canadian passport, you will be issued

a 90-day visitor’s permit upon arrival, so you don’t require a

visa. Australian passport holders do not require a visa. If you’re a

citizen of another country we’ll advise you of the relevant entry

requirements. No vaccinations are required for New Zealand.

Travel and health insurance

As an Active Adventures New Zealand traveller, you’re required

to have full travel insurance cover for your trip – please be

aware that some insurance companies require insurance to be

purchased within 7 days of deposit payment. We recommend

a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes medical

cover, emergency repatriation, trip cancellation and other travel

mishaps (e.g. flight cancellations or delays, trip interruption,

theft or loss of luggage and personal effects).

Travel insurance can be obtained through local travel agents,

some credit card providers, or online brokers such as

www.worldnomads.com or www.travelguard.com.These and

other insurance policy packages can be compared at

www.insuremytrip.com. We recommend keeping all travel

papers (invoices, receipts, police reports etc.) when you travel in

case you need them later to support a claim.

Congratulations on booking your Active Adventures New Zealand trip! To ensure you’re prepared for your trip,

we’ve gathered together some useful information about New Zealand from passport and visa information, to

what to expect when you get there. New Zealand is a wonderful country renowned for its friendly nature, and

reading up a little bit before you go will help you get the most out of your trip. Some things, such as flights, visas

and insurance will be relevant sooner; and some things such as currency, laundry and tipping will be relevant

closer to your trip.

NEW ZEALAND ESSENTIALS

You’ve booked! What’s next?Within a week of booking: complete OBI, pay

deposit and confirm your contract

Sooner rather than later: check passport, arrange

travel insurance and book your flights

Two months before your trip: send full payment

including extra items and hotels*

Four weeks before your trip: check for any missing

details on OBI*

Two weeks before your trip: print your final trip

information** We’ll email you reminders

about these things!

2

Extra hotel accommodation

We can arrange additional hotel accommodation for you at one

of our preferred hotels if you plan to arrive early or leave later

than your trip end date. The simplest way to make a booking is

to request the cities, dates and room types you require through

your online pages (Step 5: extra things you’ll need).

and be issued your visitor’s permit (see passports and visas

above). You should then collect your luggage before proceeding

through customs. If you’re arriving into Auckland and connecting

to Christchurch, you’ll need to transit from the international

terminal to the domestic terminal. There is a free transit bus

available, or it’s a 15 minute walk. You’ll also need to re-check

your luggage for your domestic flight.

Biosecurity

New Zealand is very strict about checking high risk biosecurity

items so it’s a good idea to:

• Scrub your hiking boots clean and pack them at the top of

your luggage.

You’ll be asked to declare them and it’s highly likely that they

will be inspected. As biosecurity is such a serious threat to

our country, you can be fined up to NZD$300 for dirty boots.

If you’d like to know more about our customs requirements,

please check out this link: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/

files/enter/personal/travellers-brochure.pdf

• Declare/dump any food items, especially those that contain

produce, meat, fruit or dairy

Airport transfers

Transport is easy to arrange on arrival from outside every New

Zealand airport. You can either catch a taxi or there are door-

to-door airport shuttles. The shuttle takes a little bit longer,

however it’s an economical option for solo travellers.

• Auckland Airport: 30 kilometres (20 miles) to the city.

Taxi: 30 minutes, NZ$~80 - $90 per vehicle.

Shuttle: 40 minutes, NZ$35 per person

SkyBus: 60 minutes, NZ$16 per person (purchase from

kiosk between doors 8-11 international or outside door 4 at

domestic terminal)

• Christchurch Airport: 15 kilometres (10 miles) to the city.

Taxi: 20 minutes, NZ$~60 per vehicle.

Shuttle: 30 minutes, NZ$25 per person

• Queenstown Airport: 10 kilometres (6 miles) from town.

Taxi: 15 minutes, NZ$~40 per vehicle.

Shuttle: 20 minutes, NZ$24 per person

FlightsInternational flights

There are many airlines with regular services to New

Zealand from the US, the UK and around the world. Most

flights arrive in Auckland (New Zealand’s largest city),

before connecting to Christchurch or Queenstown. Some

airlines will connect via Australia (usually Sydney or

Brisbane) before arriving in Auckland or Christchurch.

Domestic flights

We recommend booking your domestic connections

within New Zealand as part of your international fare. It’s

more economical that way, and can make life a bit easier

if your international flight is delayed.

Travel agencies

Arranging your flights to New Zealand is simple. We recommend

getting in touch with our travel specialist, Amy Bohling - you can

email her directly at amyb@nztravelbrokers.co.nz she knows

our trips well and can help simplify your booking needs. Be sure

to tell her you’re taking an Active Adventures New Zealand trip,

as well as your precise dates and requirements – check this on

Step 3 page in your OBI if you’re unsure. Amy can also help with

travel insurance and other travel requirements. If you’d like to

shop around a little, try Air New Zealand www.airnewzealand.

com or Qantas www.qantas.com.

Airline luggage

We recommend packing valuable and essential items in your

carry-on luggage (change of clothing, medication etc.) in case

your luggage is delayed, and keeping your hiking boots at the

top on your main piece of luggage. Domestic flights within

New Zealand don’t generally come with a luggage allowance

unless you have specifically included this in your tickets, so

if you booked your domestic airfares separately from your

international ticket you may be subject to excess baggage

charges on arrival.

Arriving and departing New ZealandArrivals tax

There is no arrivals tax for New Zealand.

Customs and immigration

Once your international flight arrives into New Zealand you’ll

proceed through immigration to have your passport checked

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Non-emergency contacts

For non-emergencies, please contact our New Zealand office

using the details below. If the office is unattended (outside of

New Zealand business hours), please leave a message so we can

pick it up and respond as soon as we can.

Free phone: 1 800 661 9073 (USA, Canada & Australia)

Free phone: 0808 234 7780 (UK)

Free phone: 0800 234 726 (NZ)

Worldwide: +64 3 450 0414, ext 1

Email: info-nz@activeadventures.com

What does the + symbol mean? This stands for the international

prefix of the country you are calling from. Some examples of

these prefixes are: Australia: 0011, New Zealand: 00, UK: 00,

USA: 011

Your Active Adventures New Zealand tripYour group

We get a real variety of people on our trips and they all seem to

have one thing in common – a love of the outdoors! Our group

sizes range from a minimum of four people to a maximum of

fourteen people, generally with a mix of singles, couples and

friends. If you’re travelling with other people be sure to let us

know so that we can keep you all together in the one group, as

we often run two trips over our more popular dates.

Your guides

Your trip will be operated by a lead guide and a co-guide, as

well as local specialist activity guides. Your lead guide will be in

charge of your trip and making sure you’re well informed about

each day and New Zealand. Your co-guide will be ensuring

that you’re well-fed, well-rested and happy! Smaller groups of

up to five or six people will have a solo lead guide taking care

of everything. We think our guides are amazing and we hope

you do too, although they’re not very good mind readers, so if

something’s up, please let them know!

Rooming

Our trip fares are based on a twin share rate (two people per

room), so we’ll team you up with someone of the same gender

to share with if you’re on your own, or of course you can share

with your travel partner. Those travelling with a partner will have

a choice of either twin-share (one bedroom, two single beds)

or double-share (one bedroom, one double/queen bed). Triple

sharing is always an option if you prefer, though it may not be

available everywhere we stay. Just let us know and we’ll see what

we can do!

Single bedroom option

If you’d prefer not to share a bedroom, we have a single

supplement option for an additional fare. We’ll then arrange for

you to have your own bedroom throughout the trip. In certain

places, single bedrooms are not available and the price of the

single supplement takes this into account.

Departure tax

There is no New Zealand departure tax as this is included as part

of your international ticket.

Luggage delays

Losing your luggage doesn’t count on the Active Adventures

list of emergencies, but that’s not to say it’s not a stressful and

annoying experience! If your luggage doesn’t arrive with you

for any reason, you’ll be directed to the airport baggage claim

service where your details will be taken so that your baggage can

be tracked down – feel free to give the airlines the emergency

contact number below. You’ll be given a luggage tracking

number and, in most cases, your bags will be delivered to your

hotel within 24 hours. If your luggage hasn’t arrived by the time

your trip starts, give your Active Adventures New Zealand guide

the luggage tracking number so that they can continue to track

it for you. They’ll also help you find some shops to ensure that

you have everything you need until your luggage arrives – be

sure to keep your receipts for travel insurance purposes. We

recommend travelling with a spare set of clothes in your carry-

on luggage, and your hiking boots on your feet, just in case your

luggage doesn’t arrive with you at the same time.

Emergency contacts

If you have a genuine emergency in the few days before your

trip starts, or your family needs to get in touch with you urgently

during the trip, please call our New Zealand operations manager,

Jon Singleton on: +64 27 839 6538. New Zealand is five hours

behind USA PT, eight hours behind USA EST and 12 hours ahead

of GMT.

What if there’s an emergency?

Flight delays

If your flight is delayed, or you cannot travel for any

reason and are not able to get to your pre-arranged

meeting place on time, please let us know as soon

as you can. Flight delays and missed connections do

happen from time to time so we’re pretty accustomed

to dealing with them. It’s all part of the whole travel

experience, so if it does happen to you, we’ll help you

get to where you need to be. You’ll need to cover any

additional costs incurred by your flight delay, so keep

all receipts in case you need them later to support an

insurance claim. If you’ve got a little extra time up your

sleeve, arrive a day earlier to be on the safe side.

To find the current time in New Zealand

please see page 5

4

Bathrooms

Generally speaking, in most places you stay, you’ll have an

ensuite or private bathroom attached to your bedroom. In

some places we use two bedroom units, in which case you may

be sharing a separate bathroom between two to four people.

In certain places, there may be a large bathroom with private

cubicles which is shared by everyone at that accommodation.

Transport

Your trip includes all ground transport, except for airport

transfers if you arrive or depart a day or two either side of the

trip. We prefer to travel in modern 20-seater buses so you have

plenty of room to spread out. Air conditioning, a good sound

system, seat belts and comfy seats are all prerequisites! New

Zealand is a small country, but there’s still a fair bit of ground

to cover to reach the far flung and remote destinations we like

to explore. On the way, you’ll be enjoying spectacular scenery,

reflecting on your adventures, and your guide will be sharing

stories and knowledge about the area. Our time on the road is

a good chance to rest weary muscles, get to know your fellow

travellers, or read your favourite book.

Music

If you’ve got an iPod, MP3 player or something similar, by all

means please bring it along. Our guides like to introduce people

to their favourite New Zealand music – so feel free to introduce

them to your favourites too!

Food

Almost all meals are included in your trip fare and are indicated

in your itinerary. The type of food varies - on some occasions

your guides will cook your meals and on other occasions we eat

out at restaurants. We also keep a generous snack basket on the

coach at all times. All the food that you eat, be it a traditional

Kiwi barbeque, or a packed lunch to take with you on a hike, will

be of top quality. All our guides have food hygiene certificates

and are well practiced in the art of back country catering!

Water

All New Zealand tap water is safe to drink. In many places, you’ll

be able to drink right from our lakes and streams, except for

those located near farmland.

Money

Currency

The currency in New Zealand is the New Zealand dollar. While it

may be possible to use a foreign currency on occasion in New

Zealand, we don’t recommend this option.

Spending money

Your trip fare includes all transportation, guiding, meals and

activities (except any optional activities). Meals included are

shown in the itinerary. Drinking water is provided, however

alcohol and soft drinks aren’t included. You may want to bring

some spending money to buy a souvenir or two, try a local

activity or restaurant, or buy a round of drinks. We recommend

bringing the equivalent of around NZ$300 per person, per trip

cash with you, with the option to withdraw more if required.

Here’s an idea of some average costs per person:

• Meals: NZ$25-35 per main course

• Souvenirs: NZ$40 per t-shirt

• Drinks: NZ$5-12 per juice/beer/wine

• Activities: NZ$~150+ per half day activity, more for adrenaline

sports like bungy jumping and skydiving!

Medical issues, allergies and other information

If you have a medical issue, allergy or recent injury,

please let us know through your online questionnaire

– we’ll be sure this information gets passed on to

your guide discreetly. If you have an allergy, please

also let us know whether your allergy is mild or severe

(severe being an anaphylactic reaction) so we can

be prepared. We love knowing about anniversaries,

honeymoons and birthdays too!

Dietary requirements

If you have any particular dietary requirements, please let

us know through your online booking (OBI) pages. We are

accustomed to working with the following diets, however if you

have any other dietary needs or allergies, let us know so that we

can plan in advance:

• omnivore (I eat red and white meat, pork, chicken, fish, dairy,

fruit and vegetables)

• no red meat (I eat chicken, fish, dairy, fruit and vegetables)

• fishatarian (I eat fish, dairy, fruit and vegetables)

• vegetarian (I eat dairy, fruit and vegetables)

• vegan (I eat fruit and vegetables, no dairy or animal products)

• gluten intolerant (I can’t eat wheat, rye, barley or oats)

• lactose intolerant (I can’t eat dairy products)

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Tipping

‘How much should I tip my guides?’

We’re asked this question quite a lot and well, this is

entirely up to you. Most people do choose to tip their

Active Adventures guides at the end of an awesome

trip. Up to US$100 per person per guide seems to be the

norm, however less, more or not at all is also fine too.

of our best laid plans. Our priority is always to run a safe and

enjoyable trip, and we always have a plan B in mind. All we ask is

that you be open to things changing and know that we have your

safety and enjoyment forefront of mind.

Safety

Visitors to New Zealand are held in high regard so you can

expect the warmest of welcomes. This also means that New

Zealand is a safe place to travel and the crime rate is low. We

recommend taking the same common sense precautions you

would anywhere else – just to be on the safe side! Don’t bring

valuable things with you unless necessary for your trip. Keep

your money and other valuables in a money belt or pouch under

your clothes. Lock your bags and luggage, and leave valuable

items you don’t need for the day (e.g. passports and credit

cards) in the hotel safe.

Time in New Zealand

New Zealand Standard Time (NZST) is the time zone for New

Zealand. It is +12 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Telephone

The best way to call home while in New Zealand is to buy an

international phone card, available from most convenience

stores in New Zealand. From New Zealand, you need to call 00

+ country code + area code + local number. You can bring a

cell phone though we’re sometimes without reception. Check

with your provider about international access and costs before

leaving home.

Internet/WiFi

Internet cafés are everywhere in cities and most towns so you

can rely on having access a couple of times a week during the

trip. If you have WiFi, then you’ll be able to use your cell phone

about 60% of the time during your trip, and 3G/4G is available

too for accessing the internet from a smartphone or tablet.

WiFi is available at some of the accommodations that you’ll be

staying at, usually for a small cost so check this at each location

when you arrive.

Forms of payment

We recommend you bring a variety of payment options with you

to New Zealand – NZ dollars, an ATM card, and a credit card or

two. Local currency can always be obtained at the airport upon

arrival, and a small amount is useful when you first arrive to

cover coffee, water etc.

• Foreign cash: New Zealand shops rarely accept anything

other than NZ dollars. Exchanging foreign cash in shops

will often result in high exchange rates/fees compared to

other options.

• ATM/Debit cards: New Zealand has plenty of ATMs. If your

card has a pin number AND a ‘Cirrus’ or ‘Plus’ symbol on it,

then this is a convenient way of withdrawing New Zealand

dollars from your home account. You should notify your bank

that you will be using your cards in New Zealand before

leaving home and be aware that your bank may charge a fee

for each foreign ATM transaction.

• Credit cards: Visa and MasterCard are accepted in most

places, whereas American Express and Diners Club are less

readily accepted. Credit cards often give the best exchange

rate when making a purchase. Again, notify your bank that

you’re travelling in New Zealand and be aware that your

bank may charge a foreign transaction fee on top of the

exchange rate.

• Traveller’s cheques/checks: These are not in common use

these days and so are really only good for emergency funds.

They do offer the next best exchange rates after credit cards

as long as you exchange them at a bank or an exchange

centre, rather than at a retail store.

About New Zealand

Altitude

The highest elevation that we get to on any of the Active

Adventures New Zealand trips is about 1500 metres (5000 feet).

While there are no real altitude issues to contend with in New

Zealand, the tracks can still be quite challenging. Our tracks are

often cut quite steeply and will have more switchbacks/hairpin

bends than other countries. The best way to prepare for these

tracks is to do hikes which involve hills and stairs.

Flexibility

When it comes to adventure travel, it’s always worth expecting

the unexpected! Occasionally we have to deal with things like

the weather or the environment throwing something in the path

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Electricity

New Zealand operates on a 240V AC system with the following

plug. Plug adapters are readily available from travel stores and

airport shops. If your country doesn’t use a 240V AC system (e.g.

USA = 110V AC) you may need some kind of converter, however

many appliances have inbuilt ones these days (e.g. iPods,

laptops and camera chargers). If in doubt, ask at your nearest

camera or electrical store before you leave home.

Weather

Given the alpine topography of New Zealand and the proximity

to Antarctica, it can get cold and rainy in New Zealand at any

time of year. That’s why all our gear lists recommend bringing

thermal underwear and warm fleeces, hats and gloves - even in

summer! As our activities don’t generally stop for a bit of rain,

we want you to be well prepared, no matter what the weather.

There are four distinct seasons: March to May (autumn), June to

August (winter), September to November (spring) and December

to February (summer).

The final word

If there’s anything else you need to know and you can’t find

it here, then please get in touch with us at:

info-nz@activeadventures.com

PLUG TYPE I

NEW ZEALAND AVERAGE TEMPERATURESAUCKLAND Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Average

High (F) 73 73 72 66 63 57 55 57 61 63 66 70 65

Low (F) 61 61 59 55 52 48 46 46 48 52 54 57 53

High (C) 23 23 22 19 17 14 13 14 16 17 19 21 18

Low (C) 16 16 15 13 11 9 8 8 9 11 12 14 12

Rain days 10 10 11 14 19 19 21 19 17 16 15 12 15

Elevation: 10 metres (32 feet)

CHRISTCHURCH Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Average

High (F) 70 70 66 63 55 52 50 52 57 63 66 70 61

Low (F) 54 54 50 45 39 36 36 36 39 45 46 52 44

High (C) 21 21 19 17 13 11 10 11 14 17 19 21 16

Low (C) 12 12 10 7 4 2 2 2 4 7 8 11 7

Rain days 1 0 8 9 10 12 13 13 11 10 10 10 10 11

Elevation: 38 metres (123 feet)

QUEENSTOWN Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Average

High (F) 72 72 61 61 61 50 50 50 61 61 61 72 61

Low (F) 50 50 43 43 43 34 34 34 41 41 41 50 42

High (C) 22 22 16 16 16 10 10 10 16 16 16 22 16

Low (C) 10 10 6 6 6 1 1 1 5 5 5 10 6

Rain days 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8

Elevation: 310 metres (1020 feet)