Tramping in New Zealand

An extensive network of trails allows hiking in New Zealand, and opens up the diverse and still original nature of this country. The well-developed infrastructure of many accommodation facilities and various transport systems makes the New Zealand hinterland accessible. The vast majority of the trails leads through the Department of Conservation (DoC ) managed nature reserves.

• 3.1 charges

• 9.1 risks
• 9.2 Landscape
• 9.3 plants
• 9.4 Animals

Development

Many of the trails that are now developed as trails that are ancient compounds of Māori. Later prospectors, hunters, loggers, and settlers Gumdigger have created more routes before the road network reached its present state of development. On these old and newly established roads ( tracks ) migrate in increasing numbers, both local and foreign tourists.

In the North, South and Stewart Island as well as some smaller islands, many areas have been designated as Special Protection Areas; There are currently 14 national parks, 20 forest reserves, 32 marine protected areas and their coasts and many regional parks. In the Alps of the South Island and in all of about 40 mountain landscapes (mountain ranges ) can be migrated. There are many hundreds of different trails in all the provinces and in almost all regions of New Zealand known and described.

Many walks are possible even by horse, bike or canoe. The comparatively tranquil hiking are facing other, sometimes quite unusual outdoor activities such as jet boating, canyoning, abseiling, bungee and skydiving.

Term Royal

Hiking ( walking, more precisely, hiking ) can last from a few minutes (short walk ) to many days ( long distance walk ). Multi-day hiking (multi -day walk ) is also known as trekking, tramping, referred bushwalking or wilderness backpacking.

The term backcountry can be only inadequately translated as hinterland. Backcountry is defined more by the circumstances than geographical relation; it usually means rough nature to desolate terrain where there is a lack of the most civilizing institutions. Not to be confused or equated it with the vastness of the Australian outback.

Outdoor or outdoors referred to everything in nature outside of buildings, meant recreational activity is usually at a considerable distance from civilization.

All naturally vegetated landscape of the desert to the rain forest is called bush.

Right of Way

Depending on the ownership can be distinguished in

• Public ownership ( crownland ), not just state-owned, also community facilities (domain ) may freely enter and be used unless there are local restrictions. A special form are projected roads (paper roads ) that have been true once defined by law, but neither present in nature have yet to be seen; they must always be committed, even if they run on private property.

• Māori land - legally Māori appropriated as a possession and protection zone. Some sacred sites, such as forests, beaches and mountain heights with spiritual significance, may not be entered.

Mostly run the trails on public grounds. With a few very special conservation zones and habitat protection areas apart, allows access to the park is free of charge. From private entrepreneurs guided hikes are offered with additional services such as transportation, meals, accommodation and care, so that even completely inexperienced visitors can go to nature in some areas ( guided walks ). In contrast, for unguided walkers ( independant walkers ), only the nights in the huts charges. Quite generally, might as well be hiked Great Walks, unless stayed: some athletes run the designed at three to four day Kepler Track cozy within a day.

By various organizations on numerous cabins are entertained. In particular, the DoC has between 900 and 1000 backcountry huts and many shelters, backcountry shelters, and numerous backcountry campsites sites for a very simple camping on.

With few exceptions explicitly stated Login is not required to overnight stays. If sometimes arrive too many hikers, they must come to terms with the narrowness. In contrast to the huts of the Great Walks most other cabins are not always managed by hut waiting. There is no management of the manner in which it is offered on many mountain huts of the European Alps. The DoC regularly publishes information about the condition and equipment of the huts.

Until the early 1990s, many of these facilities were available free of charge, then fees and ever since then increased several times. The fees shall be paid with so-called tickets, alternatively, it is possible to use a cheaper annual pass (Annual Hut Pass, AHP) to acquire or semi-annual pass, which is not applicable in all cabins.

Huts are divided into five categories, and there are four age categories for users. The few of the simplest huts, shelters and bivouacs are free of charge, for accommodation in cabins of the better category multiple tickets are required. For the Great Walks special fees apply systems.

Bookings are also the private cabins of other operators, for example,

• FMC Federated Mountain Club
• NZac New Zealand Alpine Club
• New Zealand Deer Stalkers Association

For the use of entrained tents near the huts a lower fee. Tents at some distance from the tents remains free of charge because it is not claimed their infrastructure.

Orientation

In recent years, the trail markers have been largely unified, orange plastic triangles replace the label with white and red Blechstreifchen previously applied and show now also the direction.

Is on a longer stretch not attaching the signposts possible, such as on -drenched beach malls, river crossings, landslide areas or other non-vegetated areas, highly visible triangles are used in oversize.

For very many hiking trails are at the DoC short descriptions (track pamphlets ) available that contain a folder on all the essentials as well as sketches of the way. The trails, which are regarded as important, there are additional detailed maps (track maps, park maps, info, maps).

More general overviews of areas and access roads there are in tourism service providers and the New Zealand Auto Association ( Automobile Association, AA), for example, the Leisure Maps of some landscapes.

Difficulty levels

One of the permanent tasks of the DoC to build new roads and maintain existing ones. In recent decades, more and more facilitate bridges, often simple rope bridge ( swing bridges or walk wires ), numerous river crossings and make many roads impassable even in inclement weather. Especially in environmentally sensitive areas serve boards webs ( boardwalks ) not only for the protection of plants and the prevention of erosion, they also bend the formation of sludge digits before and make walking more comfortable. Since the wood surface when wet can be very slippery, protects a set nageltes wire mesh before slipping.

Way system

Nine trails are considered Great Walks: these are very popular, sometimes excessively high traffic multi-day hikes, subject to special rules.

• Abel Tasman Coast Track in the Abel Tasman National Park ( South Island )
• Heaphy Track in the Kahurangi National Park ( South Island )
• Kepler Track in Fiordland National Park ( South Island )
• Lake Waikaremoana Track in Te Urewera National Park ( North Island )
• Milford Track in Fiordland National Park ( South Island )
• Rakiura Track in Rakiura National Park ( Stewart Iceland )
• Routeburn Track in Fiordland National Park ( South Island )
• Tongariro Northern Circuit in Tongariro National Park ( North Island )
• Whanganui Journey in the Whanganui National Park ( North Island )

Security

DoC, New Zealand Mountain Safety Council ( NZMSC ) and other organizations have security in the nature of the task. With events, tours, training courses and information sheets not only outdoor activities more popular; it is also drawn to the responsible use of nature, and how the hazards may be encountered. This includes information on proper preparation and equipment, safety rules and behavior in emergency situations (survival situation ).

For a small fee can emergency call devices, Notbaken - be based on long wave, borrowed or mountain radio (PLB personal locator beacon ). Especially in the New Zealand Southern Alps many huts with stationary radio stations ( "radio" ) are equipped.

Hikers are advised to sign before each hike with all the details of their project ( sign in ), to the standardized forms intentions are offered, when overdue, a search is then initiated. In order to follow the path of a missing person in such cases for defining the search area, are all huts hut Books ( hat books), in which the most important data is left behind. After returning to civilization outputs a message ( sign out ) to trigger any false alarm.

The New Zealand authorities have well-equipped rescue systems that start immediately in case of need.

Conservation

For the many possible outdoor activities the DoC has compiled recommendations for considerate behavior. The Environmental Code (environmental care code ) into the form of a checklist of ten points all, what you should look for a stay in nature, to preserve the environment clean and intact. This concerns the protection of animals and plants, the avoidance and disposal of waste, the care with fire, the careful management of waters, the respect for the cultural heritage and the consideration of others.

With the slogan " Take nothing as images - leaving nothing behind but footprints " everything is summarized into a central statement. Nevertheless remanent waste is disposed of by volunteers.

Special

As a special feature of hiking in New Zealand, great scenic contrasts are in a confined space. Besides the well known attractions of the fjords, thermal areas, volcanoes, geysers, deserts, glaciers, caves, rain forests, coasts, lakes, mountains and waterfalls there are numerous other hiking destinations.

Although neither dangerous nor large animals snakes or poisonous insects are present in New Zealand, but many dangers and difficulties that differ from European conditions. It may be climatic and geological conditions, but also to local or entrained flora and fauna. Good hiking literature sets out what is to be observed in New Zealand.

Risks

The exposed position in the Roaring Forties of the Tasman Sea is responsible for a lot of wind and heavy rainfall. This can make the crossing of unbridged streams and rivers dangerous. The combination of cold, wet and windy conditions with inadequate equipment can very quickly lead to life-threatening hypothermia.

Despite the mostly excellent marker seems to occur over and over again that hikers get lost ( getting lost ). Even after careful planning on the basis of weather forecasts the special landscape structure entails the risk that hikers the way for a longer period of time can not continue due to unexpectedly swollen rivers - the local name for it is beaches ( stranding ).

Since an entrained in the 1980s intestines parasite, Giardia lamblia, spread in the waters, in the abstraction of drinking water hygiene and safety practice. A separate fact sheet ( fact sheet ) provides information on symptoms and treatment of giardiasis, and shows what prior to infection protects: boil, filter or chemically treat water.

The expansion of the ozone hole and the strong sunlight in the Southern Hemisphere makes adequate protection against ultraviolet radiation is essential.

Correct behavior while bathing in thermal springs avoids the risk of bacterial pneumonia.

Cars on hiking parking are not always and everywhere absolutely secure against criminal access.

Depending on the region are mud, Bushlawyer and sandflies (English sandflies ) most unpleasant.

Landscape

The combination of soft ground, frequent rain and many hikers results in boggy sites ( bogs ), which are always trampled and deeper wider. Some trails are virtually mud -free, but in the rainy west of the South Island and on Stewart Iceland must always be expected. If there are eight to fourteen days no rain, dry as a mud puddle ( mud hole) from, usually you can then think about running without much sinking; but as long as rain breaks or periods of sunshine are rare. Maintain Experienced hikers gamaschengeschützt to run through mud paths in the middle, instead of balancing along the edge or dodge. This avoids problems with plants and vegetation is considered to be gentler.

On lying across the path trees is often hard to come by. Evasive maneuvers can cause hundreds of meters through the toughest terrain with only little progress. Another risk such evasion is completely astray. The same applies in case of spilled by landslides or washouts washed away roads.

The surfaces of boards webs ( boardwalks ) are usually secured with a wire mesh, but sometimes it is missing. Also wet trees and roots, smooth wet stones and clay bodies are slippery and can lose all support.

Modern hiking poles are a great help, especially on smooth places and at river crossings.

Rivers can swell very quickly and become impassable when it rains. See the separate leaflet " Water - the Power to Kill " and the instructions of the NZMSC to river crossing. When fording not to deep water can help to dry feet lasting good leggings. Flood is usually a few hours after rain has stopped quickly back and can wait in doubt, as deep and raging water is very dangerous - Principle: If in doubt, sit it out.

Plant

The climber Bush Lawyer (Rubus cissoides, Māori: tātarāmoa ) often depends on other shrubs down in the way. It makes painfully noticeable when it retains the skin with their barbs or tears.

The endemic nettle (Urtica ferox, Māori: ongaonga ) should absolutely be avoided, any contact with insufficiently protected skin to avoid. Meanwhile, spread the entrained European nettle.

The up to five centimeters long spikes of Matagouri ( Discaria toumatou ) end in a needle- fine point that can easily penetrate through protective clothing. The entrained gorse gorse ( Ulex europaeus ) also has many spines that can penetrate through light clothing. Just as the bramble can also overgrow the broom in a few years enormous areas man-high and impassable with impenetrably dense undergrowth.

The velcro -like hook grass ( Uncinia ) is spread by hikers along the tracks more and more. Although harmless, these plant hooked in all textiles, to the skin and to the body hair. Very smooth leggings to protect and prevent oneself unintentionally this plague continues to spread before it.

Although the tracks often be cut free, they can quickly become overgrown by bushes and ferns again. Shoots of finger-thick dark brown wooden Liane Supplejack ( Rhipogonum scandens ) meander back and forth through the bush up and down and can form a dense network. Get through here is not possible, and dodging can be tedious.

Grasses may have sharp cutting edges of the media. Some fern species cause by its roughness and wetting skin lesions by their ability to retain water, shoes and clothes. Other way on sprawling plants, the poisonous tutu ( Coriaria ruscifolia ) or tussock grasses such as can dump a lot of water in the Wanderers shoes.

Animals

The sandflies in New Zealand called black flies are a nuisance of the first rank, as the females bite holes in the skin. They are usually numerous and often ubiquitous, but rather slow and only diurnal. Especially numerous and aggressive sandflies are on the South Island and Stewart Iceland, in some weather conditions, and at certain times of the day, especially in the evening. Mosquitoes, however, are mainly active at night. Introduced in the early 1980s, wasps can at times occur invasive in some areas. Ants can become a nuisance, cicadas can sometimes seasonally and regionally occur in large numbers and harass hikers due to noise and collision.

The Nestor parrot Kea ( Nestor notabilis ) of the Southern Alps is known for his great curiosity, his thirst for research should not be left negligence equipment.