Published May 5, 2004 12:00AM
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Local hiking clubs in New Zealand Question: We are honeymooning in New Zealand over the Christmas/New Year holiday and plan to backpack extensively there. We would like to get in touch with local hiking clubs to get recommendations for camping sites, safe places to leave a car, crowd avoidance, etc. How can we find contact names for local New Zealand hiking (“trekking”) clubs? Julia Johnson Greenville, SC johnson2@innova.net Adventure Adviser: A couple of umbrella groups to try are the New Zealand Alpine Club (011-64-4-384-443) and the Great Walk information desk at the Te Anau Department of Conservation (011-64-03-249-8514). Your best bet for detailed, up-to-the-minute information, though, is to talk to the experts in each area. Every national park and government-designated wilderness or hiking area is managed by a Department of Conservation (DOC) office, so once you’ve determined which park or track you’re interested in hiking–be it the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, the Queen Charlotte Walkway, Mount Cook National Park, the Routeburn Track, or the Milford Track–you should then call them with any questions on camping, shuttle service, and safety. The New Zealand Tourism office in New York (212-832-8482) has a whole slew of contact numbers at their fingertips. For additional New Zealand info, consult the write-up, “From Here to Antipodes” in Outside magazine’s Winter 1996-97 Travel Guide. |