FAQ's
If you cant find an answer to your question below simply call us on 0800 666 044 or CLICK HERE to email us your question, we are only too happy to give advice
HOW FIT DO I NEED TO BE FOR A GUIDED WALK?
Each hike with Southern Wilderness by its nature is an active journey, so a good level of fitness is required for each of the hikes. Southern Wilderness have different options for each fitness or comfort level. A person who is new to hiking might like to start out on the Nelson Lakes Three Day Guided Hike, the Three Parks Experience, or even the Kakadu Outback Safari. Each of these options are broken up into day walks suited to the level of the group; your back pack will only weigh a few kilograms as it only needs to have your lunch and limited clothing. Each evening you return to your accommodation, where you can enjoy a hot shower before you restaurant meal (Although if you choose the Kakadu Outback Safari, the evenings are spent camping in the outback, some camping areas do have showers). If you have hiked before, then the Heaphy Track is a great journey. It requires a moderate level of fitness, you will be carrying a pack around 10-12 kilograms for 4-5 days. Leading up to your Heaphy Gourmet Guided Walk you should be heading out at least twice a week for a walk around 2-3 hours long. This preparation will help you to enjoy your hike far more. And for those more adventurous types, we have the Travers Sabine Back Country Circuit. This is for those who have been on a number of multiday hikes, and have a good level of fitness, the track can be rough in places and you are expected to carry some group food or equipment, your pack weight will be around 15 kilograms.
WHAT WILL THE WEATHER BE LIKE WHEN I AM ON MY TRIP?
Weather is some thing no-one can guarantee, so we always insist on guests coming prepared for any weather conditions. For each of our trips we supply detailed trip notes that includes a suggested gear list. This list should be adhered to for maximum safety. We have put together some tables of each of the areas we operate in to give you an indication of the average rainfall, and temperatures in degree Celcius.
PLEASE NOTE THESE TABLES ARE AN INDICATION ONLY, AND IN NO WAY ARE A GUARANTEE OF THE WEATHER YOU MAY FACE ON YOUR TRIP.
The Heaphy Track in Kahurangi National Park
| MONTH | AVE. DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE |
AVE. DAILY LOW TEMPERATURE |
AVE. NUMBER OF RAINY DAYS |
| JULY | 13 | 1 | 13 |
| AUGUST | 14 | 3 | 14 |
| SEPTEMBER | 15 | 5 | 14 |
| OCTOBER | 17 | 6 | 15 |
| NOVEMBER | 19 | 8 | 13 |
| DECEMBER | 21 | 10 | 12 |
| JANUARY | 22 | 11 | 11 |
| FEBRUARY | 23 | 11 | 9 |
| MARCH | 20 | 9 | 10 |
| APRIL | 18 | 7 | 12 |
| MAY | 16 | 4 | 13 |
| JUNE | 14 | 2 | 13 |
The Abel Tasman National Park
| MONTH | AVE. DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE |
AVE. DAILY LOW TEMPERATURE |
AVE. NUMBER OF RAINY DAYS |
| JULY | 13 |
3 |
10 |
| AUGUST | 13 |
3 |
10 |
| SEPTEMBER | 17 |
7 |
10 |
| OCTOBER | 17 |
7 |
10 |
| NOVEMBER | 17 |
7 |
10 |
| DECEMBER | 22 |
13 |
6 |
| JANUARY | 22 |
13 |
6 |
| FEBRUARY | 22 |
13 |
6 |
| MARCH | 18 |
8 |
8 |
| APRIL | 18 |
8 |
8 |
| MAY | 18 |
8 |
8 |
| JUNE | 13 |
3 |
10 |
The Nelson Lakes National Park
| MONTH | AVE. DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE |
AVE. DAILY LOW TEMPERATURE |
AVE. NUMBER OF RAINY DAYS |
| JULY | 8 |
-2 |
10 |
| AUGUST | 10 |
-1 |
12 |
| SEPTEMBER | 12 |
2 |
13 |
| OCTOBER | 14 |
3 |
14 |
| NOVEMBER | 17 |
6 |
13 |
| DECEMBER | 19 |
8 |
12 |
| JANUARY | 21 |
9 |
10 |
| FEBRUARY | 22 |
9 |
9 |
| MARCH | 19 |
8 |
10 |
| APRIL | 15 |
5 |
10 |
| MAY | 11 |
2 |
12 |
| JUNE | 9 |
-2 |
11 |
Kakadu National Park
THE RAIN IN THIS TABLE IS MEASURED IN MM RATHER THAN DAYS.
| MONTH | AVE. DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE |
AVE. DAILY LOW TEMPERATURE |
AVE. MILLIMETRES RAIN |
| JULY | 31 |
17 |
3 |
| AUGUST | 33 | 18 |
6 |
| SEPTEMBER | 35 |
21 |
12 |
| OCTOBER | 37 |
24 |
25 |
| NOVEMBER | 35 |
25 |
155 |
| DECEMBER | 34 |
25 |
225 |
| JANUARY | 34 |
24 |
300 |
| FEBRUARY | 33 |
24 |
275 |
| MARCH | 33 |
24 |
225 |
| APRIL | 33 |
23 |
75 |
| MAY | 32 |
22 |
12 |
| JUNE | 30 |
18 |
0 |
WHAT ARE THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION HUTS LIKE?
If you are travelling with us either on the Heaphy Track or the Travers Sabine Back country circuit, you will be staying in Department of Conservation (DOC) huts. These are public huts that anyone can book in to. They are basic but very comfortable. The huts are usually (but not always) divided into three main rooms. Two unisex bunk rooms with mattresses provided (but no linen or pillows) and space to organise your gear. The usual etiquette in these situations is that once you arrive at the hut, you place your sleeping bag on a mattress, thus 'claiming' your bed space, and keep your personal possessions in a tidy manner (its very easy to misplace things if they are scattered around the room). The third room is a communal living and cooking area. There is running water and a fireplace within the huts. Toilets are usually found outside, and are either a long drop or sometimes a flush type. The huts are a great place to relax and meet new people. They are often located in beautiful locations, many stories are shared and there is a definite feeling of camaraderie.
WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF SHOES FOR MY HIKE? 
For each of the hikes you will want sturdy but comfortable shoes. They should have ankle support and be footwear that you could comfortably all day. Your footwear should be worn in prior to your hike. You should avoid pulling out the pair of boots from storage that haven't seen the light of day for more than 10 years. The last thing you want is your boots soles falling off half way through your hike. But neither should your boots have been bought the week before your departure, often this will result in sore uncomfortable feet at the end of each day, or even worse bad blisters.
CAN I HIRE A SLEEPING BAG OR PACK?
Yes, there is a local shop in Nelson called Rollos they have good quality equipment at very reasonable prices CLICK HERE to be taken to their web-site. It is recommended that you contact them directly to organise your equipment early.
HOW WARM WILL IT BE AT NIGHTS?
Depending on the trip that you are on and the time of year, the evening temperatures can fluxuate quite a bit. Look at the tables above to get a rough indication of how cool it will be. Then of course think about the package that you have chosen. The Heaphy, and Travers Sabine Hikes all stay in Department of Conservation (DOC) huts. These huts are well built and have very cosy fires situated within them. With this as well as the body heat of everyone in the hut the environment is warm and comfortable. As a general rule of thumb a 400-500 gram feather down sleeping bag is great for most of our walks during the summer season. If you are on the Nelson Lakes Three day, or the Three Park Experience your accommodation wll be in a hotel type room, so this is not an issue. In Kakadu you can see by the above weather tables that you'll be quite warm, and sleeping bags are provided for this package.
HOW DO I GO TO THE TOILET IF I AM NOT AT AN ACTUAL TOILET?
A delicate question but one that should be asked. Every hut we stay at will have a toilet, and quite often the shelters and huts between our accommodations will also have toilets, however, if you get caught between the two it's often hard to know the right thing to do. What follows is a description of how to sensibly do your business in a no fuss environmentally friendly way. Firstly ALWAYS leave you pack on the track; this is so the guide at the back of the group won't leave you behind. They won't stand by your pack waiting for you, but will wander ahead with the knowledge you are a little way behind. Remember to take your hand sanitizer and wet wipes that were supplied to you by Southern Wilderness (you'll need them soon). Walk off the track always looking behind you to make sure you have a good visual bearing of where you came from for the return trip. You won't have to walk far, maybe about 10 metres. The rule here is that once you have done your business, it shouldn't look like anyone would know you have been there. First scrape out a shallow hole in the ground squat down and do your business. The wet wipes you are provided with are very handy at this point. Once you have finished bury your waste with the soil you scraped away and then cover with sticks and leaves. Remember to use your hand sanitizer! Giardia is a water-borne gastrointestinal parasite that is mainly caused by contamination of drinking water by human or animal faeces. So the prime rule is don t defecate near water supplies, streams or rivers.
HOW BIG DOES MY PACK NEED TO BE AND HOW MUCH WILL IT WEIGH?
We recomend a pack size of around 55-65 litres for the Heaphy and Traverse Sabine hikes. For the other walks a small day pack will be fine. Upon booking we send out to our guests a suggested gear list. This list has all the items that you will need for your walk, plus what we provide. Depending on the weight of your personal gear, your pack will weigh between 6-12kgs. The guides will carry all of your food and equipment for your walk.
DO I HAVE TO BE IN NELSON BEFORE MY WALK DEPARTS?
Yes, all of Southern Wilderness's trips depart from Nelson. We will have a pre-trip briefing at the Rutherford hotel in Nelson to go over questions and any last minute details including an up to date weather forecast. We will then pick you up from your acommodation early the next morning and after your walk deliver you to anywhere in Nelson before lunch on the final day.
HOW BAD ARE THE SANDFLIES?
Depending on the time of year and the weather conditions, they can vary from non-existant to quite prolific. We strongly suggest bringing some insect repellent and have it handy througout your journey.
I HAVE DIETARY REQUIREMENTS WILL THIS BE A PROBLEM?
Not at all. We cater for any diet, as long as you let us know well in advance to prepare, your food will be just as delicious as everyone elses.
Feel free to call from New Zealand on 0800 666 044 or Australia 1800 355 768