From: mm@inf.rl.ac.uk (Mike Mead)
Newsgroups: rec.backcountry,rec.climbing
Subject: Re: Camping and Climbing in New Zealand
Date: 22 Jul 92 14:45:45 GMT
Followup-To: rec.backcountry
Organization: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Informatics Department, U.K.

In article <1992Jul19.140555.26259@mitem.com> unger@mitem.com (Tom Unger) writes:
>My partner Emily and I are planning to travel to New Zealand in
[etc]

I passed this RFI on to a friend.  Thought I would post his reply as
it is of general interest.

(Mark is usually quite literate, don't know what went wrong this time!).

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Dear Tom,
       I am writing to you in reply fof information on NZ.
I lived and worked in NZ for two and a half years from 1987 to 1990.
My interests were caving ,climbing and tramping. I hope the information I 
can provide you with will be of use.
Firstly, do not under estimate tramping form hut to hut!There are literally
thousands  of huts covering the whole of NZ. Most are small and basic providing
no facilities. What all huts do have in them is (1) a wood burning stove ( 
although in the more popular areas these have been replaced with gas stoves to
cut down on over use of wood near to the huts - in these cases these huts will
be frequently visited by rangers and will rarely be without gas). I would 
strongly recommend you carried a stove with you. Unleaded gas (= Colman fuel)
is available at most petrol stations, ask for WHITE SPIRITS ( it has many
comercial names, but most garage attendants will know what you mean and will
have A DRUM OF IT OUT THE BACK - NOT ON PUMP!), (2) bunk beds with materesses 
only. The huts are run by The Department of Conservation (DOC), which replaced the
forestry service which built the huts in the first place. The payment for the
huts is by tickets which you leave in the huts. It is based on a honesty 
system. The tickets may be purchaced from any DOC office or good out door shop.
Most towns will have at least one out door shop specializing in hunting and
fishing and will sell tramping stuff. Specialist out door shops are a little
harder to come by but there is one in most city (eg.'Bivouac' in Auckland, 
Wellington, Christ Church - I'm biased as one of my friends own the one in 
Auckland). There is good tramping on both the north and South islands . I've 
been tramping in the North island and in the North of the South island. If 
your going to do some tramping in the north island I can thouroughly recommend
the tramp around Mt Rhuaphu and Ngarohoi to look at the volcanic lakes (
starting form the Chateau and taking two days. There are also some good crossing
of the Ruahines. Information of good tramps can be got at good book shops. Good 
maps from good book shops and out door shops.
The water in all places is good and requires no treatment. If giadia is
prevalent there will be a vast number of notice warning you of it (there had
been a couple of people get it whilst I was in NZ - but put it this way a 
couple of people gettin it made national news!).
The huts cover most areas and it is quite unusal to meet anyone else in all
but the most popular huts. The huts in all but the most popular areas do not
have a warden and can not be booked. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ON THE ABLE 
TAZMAN WALK AND SOME OF THE POPULAR SOUTH ISLAND WALKS. Walking in the Nelson
Lakes is exellent. Be warned it can snow 1-2 metres of snow even at christmas 
and the passes may become impassable for a few days.
should you want any more information please do not hesitate to contact me I
will be happy to pass names and addresses of usefull people and places to you
if you give me more spcific details.
All the best
Mark Bown 

-- 
  Mike Mead                     Phone: +44 (0235) 44 6710 (FAX: x 5893)
  Informatics Department        JANET: mm@inf.rl.ac.uk
  Rutherford Appleton Lab.      UUCP:  {...!}mcsun!uknet!rlinf!mm
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