Frequently Asked Questions

Can you help me find flights to New Zealand?

There are two airlines with regular, direct service to New Zealand from the United States. These are Air New Zealand and Qantas. Most flights from the United States to New Zealand leave Los Angeles in the evening, and arrive in Auckland the next morning. Air New Zealand also have regular direct flights between San Francisco and Auckland as well as Vancouver and Auckland, and Qantas offers direct flights between New York and Sydney, which have lots of connections across the Tasman. Because the flights cross the international dateline, the arrival dates can be confusing. For instance, a flight leaving Los Angeles on Saturday evening will not arrive in New Zealand until Monday morning/afternoon. Conversely, flights back to the US from New Zealand often arrive on the same date as they left - so it's possible to fly out of Auckland at 9pm on a Friday, for instance, and arrive in Los Angeles at 2pm on that same Friday. This phenomenon allows you to do a full 14-day trip in New Zealand, leaving North America on Saturday afternoon, spending the 14 days from Saturday to Sunday on one of our trips, and be back at work on Monday morning.

If you are coming from Europe or elsewhere, you can connect through Los Angeles, but also check out services run by Emirates, British Airways, Singapore Airlines and KLM.

Unfortunately, flights to NZ are never really cheap, as it's a small place on the bottom of the world. You can expect your flights to range from about US$800 to US$1600, depending on the season. You should never have to pay much more than the last figure, and for most of our summer season you should be able to find flights for about US$1400 or so. Feel free to run flight schedules and rates by us before booking them.

What about domestic flights within New Zealand?

Most international flights arrive and depart from Auckland, on the North Island. Our Kauri trip starts and ends in Auckland, but for our South Island trips, you'll also need flights between Auckland and Christchurch or Queenstown. This is usually easy to arrange when you reserve your international flights, but it's worth checking for internet specials online. Go to Air New Zealand's website or Qantas. (HINT: They don't advertise this fact, but Air New Zealand offers their lowest ESaver rates for people who "reside in New Zealand").

Let us know how you get on!

Can you help me redeem frequent flier miles for tickets or an upgrade?

Many of our clients have managed to get the international portion of their airfare or an upgrade to business or first class by trading in miles. There are two rules for doing this:

1. Get in early! Like really early - the fares open up a year or more before travel, so if you feel an exciting adventure coming on, call your airline frequent flier programme NOW!!

2. Things change! If you've called your airline, and they've said there's no availability for your frequent flier miles, don't worry too much. Call them back the next day. And the next. And the next… Calvin Coolidge said that persistence is the most effective human quality, and that is never more true than with frequent flier programmes!

If you DO manage to redeem your frequent flier miles, you'll probably only get a free flight from Los Angeles to Auckland, in the North Island. If you're joining one of our South Island trips, keep in mind you'll need a further round-trip ticket to Christchurch or Queenstown to meet up with us.

Do I need a visa? What about shots?

You will need a passport that is valid for at least three months, regardless of your citizenship. US citizens should automatically get a 3-month visitors permit upon arrival. If you are a citizen of another country, you can check if you need one in our "Guide to New Zealand tourist visas." You may also be asked for proof that you have funds to cover your stay (eg. a bank statement).

As for immunization, New Zealand is one of the safest countries in the world. No shots are required to come to New Zealand and none are currently recommended by the World Heath Organization.

Do you recommend buying travel insurance?

All ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND travellers are required to have some form of travel insurance for their trip in the form of a regular third-party travel insurance policy or a pre-existing insurance policy that includes coverage overseas. The option to self insure is also available if you prefer to take your chances. ACTIVE NZ recommends a comprehensive travel insurance policy which includes medical cover, emergency repatriation, trip cancellation and other travel mishaps (eg. flight cancellations or delays, trip interruption, theft or loss of luggage and personal effects). Travel insurance can be obtained through local travel agents, or online brokers such as www.worldnomad.com. or www.travelguard.com - these and other insurance policy packages can be compared via http://www.insuremytrip.com.

How many people are there on each trip?

We generally take up to 14 people per trip, although this can vary, and all our trips have at least two of our guides to look after you (apart from the occasions we have a really small group). We have found that our trips tend to attract a particular kind of person and many people have commented that the social scene was one of the highlights of their trip!

Do you charge a forced single supplement if I'm a solo traveller?

Unlike many other tour operators, we don’t believe in charging you extra for travelling alone and we have lots of single travellers on our trips. So there’s no forced single supplement if you don’t mind sharing a room (or you might even get a room to yourself sometimes). If you prefer not to share a room at all, you can upgrade to a single room. Find out more about solo travel.

Why do you run trips in two directions?

Because some of our trips are so popular, we often run two trips simultaneously, with generally no more than 14 guests on any one trip. We stay at some pretty small out-of-the-way places, so we operate one trip starting southbound around the South Island and the other one starting northbound. This also gives us the flexibility to arrange each trip for the best social mix. The itineraries we publish generally happen to be northbound, but it doesn't matter which way around you go, since both trips start and end in the same place at the same time. If for any reason you'd like to be on a particular departure (northbound or southbound) just let us know and we'll be happy to accommodate you if we can, although this isn't always possible, depending on the trip configuration.

What are the accommodations like?

We use a wide variety of accommodations depending on the trip you have chosen. In the 11 years we've been running trips, we think we've found most of the coolest places to stay! Each of our trips has a slightly different focus in terms of accommodations. The Rimu is an uncompromising adventure-oriented trip and if you want to get off the beaten path, this is the trip for you! The Tui is similar although we stay in a luxurious country lodge rather than visiting the spectacular but rustic Okarito. We operate the Manuka for people who prefer a somewhat higher level of personal comfort but who nonetheless would like to experience the best active adventure New Zealand has to offer. The accommodation on the Manuka is of a uniformly high standard, whereas if you are on a Rimu, you may spend two nights in the wilderness in mountain huts that don't have electricity let alone hot showers.

In general, our accommodations are selected for their stunning setting and adventuresome feel. You'll love the places you'll stay in on our trips, but it's not designed as a tour of the fanciest hotels in New Zealand. You'll stay in some nice B&Bs and lodges -- but you won't find a phone by your bed in the mountain huts or a TV at the shearer's quarters! Because there's such a variety of accommodations on this trip, some places will have ensuite bathrooms, and some will have shared bathrooms. We also occasionally make changes to the night stops (i.e. accommodation), because the nature of the places we use is such that they are not 100% available.

What if I need a special diet?

We are accustomed to catering to the following special diets:

• vegan (no meat or animal products)
• vegetarian (no meat products)
• pescatarian (vegetarian, but eat fish)
• no red meat (eat chicken & fish)
• gluten intolerant (no wheat, rye, barley or oats)
• lactose intolerant (no dairy products)

You will get the opportunity to specify your particular requirements when you fill in our pre-trip questionnaire. If you have any other dietary requirements please let us know well in advance, via email or the online questionnaire.

What kind of things are there to do on my free day in Queenstown?

Queenstown rightly has the reputation of being the Adventure Capital of New Zealand. All manner of adventurous activities can be tried here, ranging from the infamous Bungy-jumping, through river-surfing, jetboat-riding, white-water rafting, parascending, parapenting, hang-gliding, sky-diving, and a whole lot more. It is also a great area for hiking or mountain-biking. For a more leisurely time you can take a Wine Tour or cruise across to Walter Peak Station on the steamship Earnslaw, or sample some of the extremely pleasant cafes and restaurants dotted around the very picturesque town.

How much spending money should I bring?

Our trips include all transportation, guiding, meals (except where indicated on the itinerary - such as in Queenstown where people like to try the local restaurants), and activities (unless it says it's "optional"). For most trips, you could literally bring US$100 and go home with change, but realistically you'll be looking at at least a couple of hundred dollars, as most people like to bring a little extra to cover a round of drinks at the pub, take home some souvenirs, book a tour and eat out on their free day in Queenstown, and tip our guides if they've had a great time (see the FAQ on tipping below).

As far as spending money goes here are a few ideas:

• ATM cards - There are plenty of ATMs in New Zealand so as long as your card has a pin number and a "cirrus" or "plus" symbol on the back of it you should no trouble withdrawing local currency from your US account. Check with your bank for overseas transaction fees.
• Credit cards - accepted in most places and have the best exchange rate. They are recommended for purchases, but not for cash advances due to instant interest, but check with your bank for overseas transaction fees.
• Travellers cheques - probably the next best form of exchange with reasonable exchange rates as long as you don't exchange them at shops!
• US cash - not very readily accepted by shops, and generally carry the worst direct exchange rates (vs credit cards/travellers cheques).
• US charge cards - can be difficult to use in New Zealand, not recommended.
• We recommend withdrawing/exchanging a larger amount of money (US$100-200) when in larger towns, or every few days as required, as some of the smaller, more remote places that we get to may not have any banking facilities.
• Banks are generally open Monday to Friday 9am-4pm in most places, exchange centres have longer hours and open weekends.
• Airport Banks generally guarantee the same rate as the downtown banks.

Where can I get New Zealand dollars?

You can change some money at the airport, when you arrive. The exchange rate isn't always very good, but for small amounts of cash it doesn't make much difference. Credit cards generally have the best rate of exchange. Travelers' cheques are nearly as good, and US cash is the worst.

Is tipping expected in New Zealand?

Tipping is neither required nor routinely expected in New Zealand, but it is appropriate for very good service. So in New Zealand you don't usually tip in restaurants, or if you take a taxi, or get a haircut. Many of our clients do choose to tip our guides, at the end of an awesome trip.

Will I be able to call home?

Although telecommunications in New Zealand are pretty good, you'll find we don't spend much time near phones! We certainly don't spend much time near faxes or computers with email! The easiest way to make calls within New Zealand is to buy a phone card (available everywhere in $5, $10, $20 and $50 amounts) and use Cardphones, which are the most common public phones. To make calls home, it's usually cheaper to use a US based phone card, but check the rates with your company before you leave home! Some US based companies charge more than US$5 a minute. Be careful!

Will I have access to the internet?

There are a several internet cafes in Christchurch and Queenstown, and you may be able to send an email home from a few other of the places we pass through on the trip. We encourage you to leave the world behind for a couple of weeks, though!

Is there a number to call in an emergency? How can my family, friends or colleagues contact me?

If you have any difficulties in making the rendezvous for your trip, please call our Operations Manager on the following numbers:

Office: 03 450 0410 (+64 3 450 0410 outside NZ)

Cellphone: 0274 546 137 (+64 274 546 137 outside NZ)

These are also the emergency contact numbers for your friends and family if necessary and are attended 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

IMPORTANT NOTE Cell phone numbers are for GENUINE emergencies only. Please be considerate of time differences - New Zealand is ten hours behind USA Eastern Standard Time.

What is your cancellation policy?

We require a US$750 deposit per person to secure your place on your chosen trip/s. This deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable to another departure date or trip. In the event that it becomes necessary for you to cancel the trip, the balance of the trip cost will be refunded according to the following schedule:

• Prior to 60 days before the commencement of the trip: full refund of balance.
• Within 60 days before the commencement of the trip: 50% refund of balance.
• Within 30 days before the commencement of the trip: no refund.
• The Manuka trip has a different deposit regime if you cancel or change your trip less than 100 days prior to departure. If this happens, we may need to pay up to US$750 in cancellation penalties to the Milford Track concessionaires. We’ll do our best to keep these penalties to a minimum, but ultimately these are your responsibility.

Do I really need everything on the gearlist?

Yes, you really do need all of the required items on the gearlist. We want you to be warm and happy, especially if it's cold and rainy. And it can be cold and rainy at any time of year, although you are most likely to have good weather for most of your trip. We will do a gear check before heading into the mountains, and if you don't have any of the required clothing items, we'll try to lend you it. But if we can't find any for you to borrow, you'll have to buy it.

Do I need hiking boots or are hiking sneakers okay?

You will need proper hiking boots - Trail shoes are not good enough. We'll be taking you to some awesome places where you'll be hiking over a variety of terrain, including uneven surfaces, slippery rocks, and tree roots. Your boots should have boots with full ankle support and a stiff sole with high profile tread. Waterproof boots are a good idea if you have them as there's a good chance you'll be crossing streams and rivers too. As far as your gear goes it's a great idea to get those boots broken in - as far as the boot type goes, as long as they have with full ankle support and a stiff sole with high profile tread they should be fine. I wouldn't be too worried about goretex liners but if that's the ones you want then go for it!

What kind of clothing should I be packing?

In general the best way to pack for New Zealand is to have a layered clothing system - this way you're prepared no matter what the weather as it can change quite considerably throughout the day. Also bear in mind that you can wash your clothes approximately every four days, if that helps with your packing.

What should I wear for hiking?

We recommend wearing clothes made from the quick drying, "breathable" fabrics. There are a wide variety of these types of clothes available at outdoor stores such as REI (Recreational Equipment Incorporated). Brands such as Marmot, Patagonia and North Face are quite popular, although some "no-name" brands can be just as good and more economical. We recommend you don't wear jeans for any activities as they get very heavy & uncomfortable if they get wet, which you will at some stage during your trip. The same clothing can be worn for hiking, cycling and kayaking. We recommend wearing hiking pants or shorts, and shirts or t-shirts made from these quick drying, "breathable" fabrics. In cooler weather we recommend using thermal underwear - these are worn under your pants & t-shirts for an extra layer of warmth. On top we recommend sweaters made from fleece or wool - again because they keep you warm even when you are wet. As an outer layer we recommend a medium weight waterproof jacket - a poncho is not suitable as it is too lightweight and a sailing jacket is generally too heavy for hiking in. Jackets made from Goretex or Marmot's PreCip are highly recommended.

What should I wear for biking, and what is provided?

During the trips we'll provide you with modern bikes. We'll also provide you with helmets which are required by law here in New Zealand, as well as bright safety vests so you're obvious to other road users. Our bikes mostly have pedals with cages/toe baskets. If you'd like to bring your own pedals and shoes for cycling that's fine - I would also recommend bringing the tool for switching your pedals too, as we don't always carry them on our trips. For this activity we recommend bringing cycling shorts and cycle gloves if you have them, and running shoes, otherwise regular hiking gear (NO COTTON!) will do fine.

How much luggage can I bring?

We recommend bringing one medium sized piece of luggage and one daypack per person. If you are doing the backpacking option on the Rimu trip, you could just use your hiking backpack. If you are doing the kayaking or cycling options on the Rimu, then a duffle bag or suitcase would be fine. While you're doing your 3 day option we'll store the rest of your extra gear for you - you don't have to lug it with you! You may wish to bring a soft overnight bag to store this extra gear.

I'm planning a honeymoon. Which would be the best trip for us?

Any of our trips would suit an adventure honeymoon since all our trips are quite flexible and require very little planning on your part. We've done all the research and you can let us worry about the logistics - all you have to do is turn up, enjoy yourselves and each other. Have a look at the itineraries for our most popular adventure honeymoons.

I need to bring extra luggage with me to New Zealand. Where can I store my extra gear?

As far as extra luggage goes, if there's not too much (such as one small extra bag per person) then it shouldn't be a problem to fit it in our luggage trailer during the trip. If you've got more than that, then all major airports have luggage facilities available on a weekly basis. If you are staying at a hotel pre-trip then they may be able to store it for you until you return too.

What types of plugs and voltage do you use in New Zealand?

New Zealand voltage is 240 AC. On the right is an illustration of the socket type used in New Zealand.