NZ hitchhiking, tramping and camping

Hi Michael, Firstly, welcome to the forum! I'm Kev from the UK and I too have plans to be in NZ either this November or next November. So i'm already envious of you going to be out there in just over 4 months! :) This place is great to check on for all manner of things and hopefully you'll pick up some great tips, procedures, common habits, etiquette etc. Everyone on here is pretty friendly and all bring their own unique style of writing. I'm pretty new on this forum actually. Only joined in March and it's been very helpful. Sometimes you'll find yourself in the position of being to help others back too. With a view to guides etc, you can google Lonely Planet New Zealand trails, walks etc. That tends to feature some of the more popular and well tramped routes, it all depends on how much off the beaten track you want to get! You've also got Tramping in New Zealand by Shaun Barrett and A Walking Guide To New Zealand's Long Trail: Te Araroa by Geoff Chapple. I'm sure some of the other guys on here with be able to direct you to some other paper based reading material too. I plan (when I get out there eventually) on doing a fair amount of the Te Araroa sections, some other routes, while combining this with putting something back by taking part in many DoC voluntary projects as well as some work for other voluntary organisations. If I do get out there this Summer and our paths crossover somewhere, then it'd be great to catch up!

Unfortunately local DOC office no longer record details of intended trips ('intentions') or due-out dates. You need to find someone else or an online service to do this for you. See the intentions like in the home menu for suggedtions.

http://www.adventuresmart.org.nz/outdoors-intentions/ "Outdoors Intentions for Land-based Activities SAFETY IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. TELL SOMEONE YOUR PLANS... ...IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE. Although most trips into the outdoors go without a hitch, you need to be fully prepared so that if the unexpected happens there are appropriate measures in place to recognise there is a problem, alert the appropriate authorities and, if necessary, enable rescuers to find you quickly. The New Zealand Outdoors Intentions process (endorsed by New Zealand's search and rescue agencies) provides 3 simple options which enable you to 'tell someone' all the details about your land-based trip into the outdoors. Check the graphic below and click the option that best suits you."

Thanks for the replies, I will definetely tell someone about my intentions before I go for a tramp! Also thanks for the suggestions Kev, looks helpful. It would be great to catch up if our paths cross this summer ;). I was wondering if there are maps of tracks (+huts and campsites) available at local DOC offices?

Try nztopomaps.com for to browse the maps online. The same maps are available to purchase as paper copies at most DOC offices, hunting shops and outdoor shops DOC offices also sell track brochures for more popular walks, but you'd need to buy a map too as these do not include maps good enough to safely navigate by. These brochures are also all avaiable free on DOC's website doc.govt.nz

Land information nz (LINZ) have all the topo 250 and topo 250 maps available for free on their website. Whether you can get sections to print at a useful size is another matter. Normally I crop out small sections for the immediate area and enlarge them, and then have a larger map of the whole area Im in that is harder to read, but still useable. Buying the topo50 mapspreprinted is always a decent option as they are larger than I can print sections of them!

Think we've been here before but has anyone found a solution to stop home-printed maps running/becoming illedgable if they get water on them. Does DWR work?

waterproof map case.... what are you printing with? inkjet? I doubt you'll be able to stop pages running from an inkjet, the ink reverts back to liquid when exposed to any fluid. toner based printed pages won't run, the toner is a solid at all but very high temperatures and doesn't break down with liquid. so if you can get a toner printer, the printing cost per page is far cheaper than operating an inkjet printer. and they last a lot longer.

We just bought a brand new laser/toner printer for $180 on special. Chuck out those useless ink gobbling inkjets! I'd never thought about the prints from the laser printer not running - good news!