Hike Planner

It is recommended you to visit the local Department of Conservation (DOC) Visitor Centre to be most prepared.

The Visitor Centres have great information about the area, that all-important weather report and latest track information. We encourage you to visit at least a couple of days before your walk. Though we understand it might not be possible.

If your travel arrangements prevent this, let us know and we will provide further information.

• Provide us with your car description (Make, Model, Colour) and licence plate number. If it is a rental, we also need the rental company AND booking reference (so that we can add our driver to your rental agreement assuring the driver is insured while driving).
• Test your lockbox (with your car and key).
• Check your food and gear, and rearrange items if you wish.
• Check the weather and be prepared.
• Visit the local DOC office and collect your hut tickets.
• Fuel your car (fill ‘er up please).
• Drive to the start, park, and secure your key.
• Ensure your lights are off (we do not want a flat battery) and all car doors are locked.

• Check your food and gear.
• Check the weather and be prepared.
• Check your transport details and arrive 15 minutes early.
• Visit the local DOC office for the all important latest weather report and track conditions.

1. Drop off your borrowed gear to the Alpine Centre, 2 Sandy Brown Rd, Te Anau.
2. If doing a car relocation, please drop off your lockbox:

• Te Anau. RD Petroleum: 7 Town Centre, Te Anau
• Queenstown. Mobil petrol station: 1 McBride Street, Frankton, Queenstown.

1. Enjoy a well-earned, refreshing beverage (perhaps even soak in a bath/hot tub!).
2. Tell your friends and family about our service!
3. Share your hiking photos with us #easyhikenz @easyhike.nz.
4. Start planning your next hike. 🙂

We have partnered with the Alpine Centre, situated at 2 Sandy Brown Rd, in Te Anau. Unless you have opted for a gear delivery and/or gear pick up, this is where you will collect your gear pre-hike, and drop off your gear post-hike.

Inside is a cupboard which we will use to leave your gear/food inside. The code to access the cupboard is 369.

All the information about our car relocations is found here: www.easyhike.co.nz/car

You drive to the start of the track,  we move your car to the end while you are walking.  You are unlikely to meet us at the track.

We provide a lockbox for you to secure your car key when you park at the start of the track. You will need to pick it up from one of our locations. It includes an instruction card and the combination to open the lockbox.

Rental cars – we will need:

– Your booking details (as soon as you make a booking with the rental company), your booking will show as TBA until we receive it. We need the rental company and booking reference. This allows us to add our driver to your rental agreement.

and

– Your car description (once you’ve collected the vehicle). We need the Make, Model, Colour, and most importantly, the licence plate.

Please call us with any questions, but don’t leave this to the last minute!

Step by Step Process:

1. Ensure your car is full of fuel before starting your walk.
2. Park your car, place the lockbox on the car, and lock your car.
3. Secure your key inside using the combination provided with the lockbox.
4. Our driver will pick up your car, drive it to your finish point, and leave your key in the lockbox.
5. Locate your car and access your car key with the same combination.
6. Enjoy the fresh clothes, drinks, and your favourite snacks you left in the car before hiking!

Note: Drop off the lockbox as you pass Queenstown or Te Anau.

Milford Water Taxi:
Departs Te Anau Downs for Glade Wharf at 11.30am or 2pm. Duration: 1 hour.
Departs Sandfly Point for Milford regularly between 12pm and 4.30pm as required. Duration: 10 minutes.

Kepler Water Taxi:
Departs Te Anau for Brod Bay at 8.30am, 9.30am and 10.30am daily. Duration: 10 minutes.

The huts along the track have a communal area and bunk rooms. Each bed has a plastic-covered mattress (no pillow) and a hook/space for your gear. When the huts are full, bunk rooms can be crowded. While there is no electricity, there are often solar lights in the communal areas but not in the bunk rooms. You will need a head torch (included in your equipment).

These Great Walk huts have flush toilets and usually loo paper, plus hand sanitizer. Some have an area where you can freshen up, so perhaps take a small travel towel. Tip: Heat some water for a hot facecloth in the morning – the best way to start the day! 

There are gas stovetops in the hut kitchen for cooking food and boiling water. Most of the food we provide simply requires boiling water to prepare (quick and easy meals!). We’ve also included a kitchen tidy kit to help with your dishes.

You may like to arrive at the hut early so you have time to relax and enjoy your surroundings.
The sooner you arrive, the sooner you can choose your bed for the night. Be sure to layout your sleeping bag so other people know that space is taken. It is also quite nice to freshen up and square away your belongings for the evening. Perhaps even prepare your pack and clothing for the next day. This way, you won’t be rustling in your pack late at night or early in the morning while others are trying to sleep.

Always be considerate of others and keep your belongings tidy.

Use your spare time to relax, take a short walk, read a book, play cards, or chat with your fellow hikers. Daylight hours can be rather long during summer – the longest day is 23 December, and it is daylight from 5am till 10pm (approx).

Further information from the DOC Conservation Blog:  Six ways you can be the best hut guest.

Boots aren’t allowed in the huts. So, consider taking some light footwear like slip-on sandals to wear inside. Remember to consider the benefit of carrying them – everything in your pack adds up!

If you have wet gear, the chances are others will too, so drying space will be minimal. While it is possible, don’t count on drying your clothing by the fire.

If your clothes aren’t too wet, consider continuing to wear them and let your body heat do the drying.

Taking too much or too little clothing is a balancing act. Take at least two sets of socks and thermal/merino underclothes, and ensure you have a dry set to put on each night.

Each night the DOC hut warden will do a talk about the track and weather the next day.  Usually, they also include information about the local flora and fauna and other points of interest.  They are very approachable if you have any questions.  They are also there to assist in case of an emergency.

The huts have cold running water, and while it may fine to drink, please take note of any DOC instructions/signs about boiling it (due to unknown chances of bugs).

It’s the same along the track. Take notice of any DOC signs and if you collect water for drinking, consider boiling it first. If you wish to collect water along the way, choose flowing streams over stagnant tarns.

It is essential to take a drink bottle to use during the day.

Cooking in the huts

There are gas stove tops in the hut kitchen for you to use.  Generally (due to your food package and most options being dehydrated meals) you only need to heat water to cook with and also to wash your dishes.  You have a kitchen tidy kit to help with your dishes.

Cooking dehydrated meals

With dehydrated meals, in short, you will shake the meal pouch loose a bit while you boil water, then you will add water to the meal pouch up to the recommended amount. Once the water is added, you need to stir very very well to ensure all parts of the meal get water through it. Then you let it sit for at least 10 minutes, if you want to do 15 minutes, it won’t hurt, instead it will allow for the flavours to come back together and be activated. Once ready, you can either eat straight from the meal pouch, or you can pour it onto your plate.

We provide you with some salt and pepper if you need to enhance the taste, if you feel it needs it.

HOT TIPS

Mix thoroughly – the main mistake hikers make is not mixing their meals properly. Once you have added the correct amount of water, stir it thoroughly, meaning get your spoon to the bottom of the meal pouch and into the corners of the bag. Count at leats 30 seconds.

Reuse the meal pouch – If you clean the inside of your meal pouch, you can then reuse it as a zip-lock bag. They become waterproof pockets to keep small items dry if you need.

Crush to a powder – with the smoothie in particular, make sure to shake and massage the pouch to ensure a smooth, lump-free powder. Once satisfied, add water, and there you have it, a great smoothie or shake.