Great Walks booking terms and conditions

Introduction

Booking terms and conditions applicable to Great Walks including campsites, huts and sole-occupancy accommodation.

Great Walks booking system

Updated April 2022

Great Walks bookings not meeting the following Terms and Conditions are treated as invalid, and will be reversed (cancelled) by the Department of Conservation ("DOC").

General

  1. A User/Household account must be created to make a booking. Information required to create an account is first and family names, hometown and country and a valid email address and phone number at the time of booking.
  2. Account holders remain the owner of the booking and all correspondence regarding the booking must be received from or will be sent to the email address listed on their account. Account users can change details of their account online.
  3. A booking is required for each adult, child and infant intending to use the facility/service.
  4. The given name, family name, age, gender and country of citizenship or ordinary residence of each party member is requested at the time of booking. Failure to provide true and accurate information will result in an invalid booking which may be cancelled.
  5. Bookings are not transferable from one person/entity to another.
  6. Names listed on the booking as using the facility/service may only be modified for genuine reasons, eg illness.
  7. Bookings are only valid for the date, facility/service and person named on the booking.
  8. Those persons named on the booking may be required to produce proof of identity when collecting tickets or accessing the facilities/services booked. Accepted forms of ID are a passport, driver's license or student ID.
  9. No speculative bookings are permitted (unless authorised, through a concession or other agreement). Any booking identified as speculative is a breach of these Terms and Conditions and will invalidate the entire booking.
  10. If a member of your party has claimed the Ordinarily Resident rate for a Great Walk hut or campsite, they will need to be able to demonstrate that they are eligible for this rate – see Eligibility for the Ordinarily Resident Rate section of these Terms and Conditions.
  11. Commercial and/or guided groups are not permitted to use DOC facilities/services unless authorized by DOC via a Concession or other agreement.
  12. Commercial Agents wishing to make multiple bookings for services on behalf of customers must hold an Agent agreement with or obtain permission from DOC.
  13. The Milford Track is a four-day, three-night walk. For safety reasons those booked are required to stay in all three huts on the night they are shown as booked for on walker’s confirmation.

Age ranges

  1. For booking purposes, the following age classifications apply to Great Walk facilities/services provided by DOC:

Adult: 18 years plus
Child/Youth: 0–17 years

  1. Facilities/services provided by other organizations may use other age ranges. Please check the facilities/services you require.
  2. Persons aged 14 years and under must be accompanied by an adult. Some services may have age restrictions or recommendations.

Prices

All prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST (Goods and Services Tax).

  1. Accepted credit cards are Mastercard and Visa.
  2. No bookings will be accepted without full payment.
  3. Bookings made online will automatically be charged to your credit card through the ANZ eGate secure payment network at the time the booking is made.
  4. Prices may change without notice. Check the DOC website for current information.

Discounts

  1. Discounts are not available online. If you qualify for a discount, you must make your booking online, then apply for your discount through a DOC Visitor Centre.

Eligibility for the ordinarily resident rate

  1. New Zealand citizens and those ordinarily resident in New Zealand are eligible for the Ordinarily Resident rate for staying in DOC Great Walk huts and campsites. You need to be able to demonstrate their eligibility for this lower rate. Please check our website for more information about how ordinary residence is defined and the kind of information you can provide to demonstrate your eligibility.
  2. Demonstrating eligibility for the Ordinarily Resident rate can be by providing a scanned or photocopied version of passport or birth certificate, or your New Zealand driver’s license, or other information that demonstrates that New Zealand is your usual residence – such as a utility company invoice with their name and address on it.
  3. Entitlement to Ordinarily Resident rate documentation must be shown to Department of Conservation staff or their Agents in Visitor Centres, Booking Offices, on the track or at huts or campsites.
  4. If you or a party member you have booked has claimed the Ordinarily Resident rate to stay in huts or campsites cannot demonstrate you/they are eligible for that rate your booking will be invalid. You will need to pay the difference between the rate paid and the Standard rate, as well as an administration fee ($50 per booking), to validate your booking.

Alterations and cancellations

  1. Booking refunds will only be made to the person/agent who made the original booking.
  2. Refunds cannot be transferred to other bookings or customers and will be processed at the time alteration or cancellation is made.
  3. Refunds will be made to the payment type used to pay for the booking. Refunds for bookings made online will be made to the card used for original payment. If you have been issued with a new card you will need to contact a DOC Visitor Centre with your card details for your refund.
  4. For security reasons credit card details are not held by DOC and may have to be resubmitted to DOC office making your alteration, transfer, or cancellation by phone. Sending credit card details by email is not recommended for security reasons.
  5. All cancellations/refunds due to special circumstances must be applied for no later than four weeks after date travel was due to take place.
  6. Modifications may be made to any existing booking and may incur a fee.
  7. Modifying/transferring booking dates on or after arrival date will incur 100% cancellation fee.
  8. If a booking transferred to an earlier date is then cancelled, cancellation fees will apply as of the new booking date.
  9. Bookings may only be transferred within the current open booking period. Bookings must be cancelled if the date required is not open for bookings.
  10. Bookings cannot be transferred between Great Walks.
  11. Any additional fees must be paid at time of modification and credit card details supplied.
  12. Any refunds, less cancellation fees as per the table below, will be issued to the original card used to make the booking at the time modification is made. Refunds cannot be transferred from one booking to another.

Bookings and modifications via DOC office

  1. Modifications which result in a reduction in booking value may be treated as cancellations and cancellation fees will apply. A minimum fee of $5 will apply.
  2. Booking services including, making, or modifying bookings via a DOC Visitor Centre may incur a service fee of $10.
  3. Modifications may be made to any existing booking and will incur a fee.

Cancellations due to natural disasters

  1. If DOC closes a facility/service due to severe weather or facility/service conditions, a full refund of the fee for the unused DOC facilities/services will be given.
  2. If DOC must reduce accommodation space at its huts, lodges, or campsites, for reasons including (but not exclusive to) storms, flooding, geological activity or a pandemic, then DOC will cancel and fully refund the most recently made bookings for any affected dates (Last in – First out).
  3. Those visitors who have already started their trip/booking may be required to leave before their trip/booking is completed.
  4. Refunds or rescheduling bookings due to facility/services closures must be applied for within 30 days.  No refunds will be given after this time and trips will not be rescheduled.

Cancellations by visitors

  1. If visitor / agent cancels their bookings the following cancellation fees apply.
  2. Service and modification fees are not refundable.
  3. These fees are not negotiable.
  4. If a booking has been transferred to a later date and is then cancelled, cancellation fees will apply as of the date of the original booking.
  5. If a booking has been transferred to an earlier date and is then cancelled, cancellation fees will apply as of the new booking date.
  6. Cancellation fees are based on the first date service/s will be used (date of arrival).
  7. All dates and times are in NZST/NZDT.
  8. All dates begin at 12.00 am.

Cancellation fees

Cancellation fees are based on the earliest start date (applies to all booked services).

Type of cancellation Cancellation fee
Cancellation within 24 hours of making the booking except on the date of arrival 0%
15 or more days before the date of arrival and more than 24 hours after making the booking 10%
Between 4 and up to 14 days before the date of arrival 50%
Between 1 and up to 3 days before the date of arrival 75%
On or after the date of arrival 100%
Medical circumstances that prevent customer using a facility/service – must be accompanied by a medical certificate and requested within two weeks of the certificate being issued and no later than one month after the departure date. A medical refund will cover the person named on the medical certificate and one support person. 0%

Travel insurance 

  1. DOC recommends that you arrange travel insurance to guard against the loss of costs associated with cancellation or delay of your trip.

Non-DOC bookings

  1. Delays can occur on any Great Walk at any time. DOC is unable to rearrange non-DOC booked transport, accommodation, and flight bookings if delays should occur.

Liability disclaimer

  1. DOC will not be liable for injury, damage, delays, or any costs incurred by visitors. 
Back to top