Meeting Places

For maps of where to meet for tramps and social evenings, see here.

WHAT TO TAKE ON A TRAMP

Take enough food and water for the day, plus extra in case your return is delayed.  

Make sure you have the required gear, including a first-aid kit, and a change of clothes and footwear for the bus. 

We recommend wearing shorts on the track.  Jeans or long pants may get muddy, or soaked if it rains or you need to cross a stream. 

There are great videos for what to pack on day and longer tramps, and how to pack on the Mountain Safety Council website at https://www.mountainsafety.org.nz/activities/tramping-walking/.

You can find a list of suggested gear following:

 - Gear Lists

Safety Guidelines

All outdoor activities of this nature attract some risk, and the club does its best to ensure the safety of all its members and guests.  However, ultimately you are responsible for your own safety. 

For your safety and comfort, please read these guidelines:

 - General Info & Safety Guidelines

Good Tramping Practice

Always tramp together as a party. Always be in sight of the persons in front and behind you. Do not go off on your own. There should be at least four people in a group. 

Always wait at all track junctions, tree windfalls and stream crossings until the party has reassembled. 

Carry your own first aid.

To help keep the club bus clean, don't wear muddy clothing or footwear in the bus, and bring a bag to put your boots in after the tramp. 

Kauri dieback disease is spread by contaminated soil and water. To avoid spreading the disease within a forest, please clean and disinfect your boots and poles wherever treatment stations are provided.  Clean your gear between tramps to prevent contamination between forests.

TRIP GRADINGS

For multi-day trips and more challenging day trips, the Club includes a trip grading category to assist choosing a trip suited to your fitness and ability.

Trip gradings are given as a guide only, and weather and track conditions can make a trip harder. Steep hills can occur for all trip grades. Read the trip description in the trip's programme and discuss your intended tramp with the organiser before registering.

Tramping fitness is different to general fitness, so don’t assume you are fit enough simply because you can perform in a gym environment. The best way to become tramping fit is to tramp more.

Factors such as type of terrain, prevailing weather conditions, general party fitness (a party is as fast as its slowest member), and leadership, never repeat themselves in an identical fashion, so times are estimates only.

Please be aware that signing up for trips beyond your capability is not fair on other members of the group.  We are all here to have fun and share the experience, and your decisions can have an impact upon others.

GRADING	DESCRIPTION
Easy / Short	Up to 4 hours per day, pace slower than Easy / Medium grade. Usually formed tracks and easy pace.
Easy / Medium	Up to 5 to 6 hrs per day, pace slower than Medium grade. Have tramped before and can climb a steep hill.
Medium	Up to 7 hours per day, at moderate to quick walking pace, some  off track travel and above bush line travel. Suitable for those with some experience and good fitness.   Able to climb hills over 1000m. Have adequate gear and bushcraft skills.
Distance /  Medium to Fit	Up to 8 hours per day, and pace faster than Medium grade.  Off track and above bush line travel to be expected. Varied and challenging terrain. Experience and a high level of fitness and stamina necessary.
Fit	Over 8 hours per day, and pace faster than Medium to Fit grade.

Trip BOOKINGS

All our tramps are meticulously planned, with experienced leaders. Multi day tramps can be on or off track, hut based or camping.

Registrations are required for weekend and longer trips. They are generally not required for Sunday tramps.

When registering for an away trip via our website, the trip organiser and Club Safety Officer are notified of your registration, and will assess if the party you have registered for is right for you based on your previous experience, current fitness, right clothing or equipment, and feedback from trip leaders and other members.   If you are asked for more information, please accept that it is with your best interests at heart.

We aim to confirm acceptance within several days of registration.  We reserve the right to decline registrations, so please only arrange flights etc., after your registration has been accepted.  

If after reading the trip description you are unsure if it is suitable for you, or you are unclear on the trip requirements, please phone the Trip Organiser.  The Organiser will not necessarily be the Trip Leader for a particular party, but will liaise with each Trip Leader to coordinate the individual trip requirements.

We may accept a registration from a non-member if they are known to the club, e.g. past member.  There is an extra fee for non-members  of an extra 25%, with a minimum of $15.  Contact our Trip Bookings Officer for details here.

Register early, as numbers are limited.  Members have priority for places.

Unless otherwise specified, bookings for a trip closes on the Thursday, 8 days before the trip departs.

EQUIPMENT FOR LOAN

The club has equipment available for members to use for free on club trips, and for a small charge for private use.  Especially if you are new to tramping, it's a great way to have gear to go on an away trip without having to buy everything upfront. The gear includes:

• 2 x burners for cooking
  
• 2 x single person tents
• 1 x two person tent
• 3 x inflatable sleeping mats
• Assorted backpacks for day and away trips

Contact the Gear Officer here for information about what's is currently available and to arrange collection.

PRIVATE TRANSPORT

If there is room on the club bus but you choose to use private transport, we ask that you still pay the trip fee. If the bus is full or not used on that day, please pay the trip fee to the driver of the private vehicle used.

LATE RETURNS

Return times are always uncertain so avoid giving a definite time you expect to be home.

Overdue TRIPS AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS

A tramp can become overdue for a variety of reasons, depending on the experience of the group, the route, whether it is a day trip or multi-day trip, the  weather and daylight conditions. Following are guidelines for those waiting back at the bus.

 - Overdue Parties and Emergency Contacts

TRIP CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS

If you need to cancel a booking, please do so as soon as possible as someone else may be able to take your place.

To cancel, find the registration for the trip on the website, and select Cancel.  Otherwise, please contact the trips bookings officer at bookings@nstc.org.nz .

A refund will be given wherever possible and according to the club policies:

• If the club cancels a trip, full refunds will be given
• If cancelling before the closing date for a trip, we can usually provide a full refund
• If cancelling after the closing date for a trip, we may not be able to offer a refund if we are unable to fill your place, and there are non-recoverable expenses
• You may apply to the trip bookings officer for a refund, no later than one week after the trip departs.

MOBILE APP

A free mobile app is available making it easy to view upcoming trips, make bookings, and contact other members.  

Non-members who have registered with the club can also use the app to view trips and make bookings.  Non-members can register here.

To use the app:

• Install Wild Apricot for Members:
• • Android - here
    
  • Apple - here
• Login with the email address you have registered with the club
• Enter your password.  Forgotten your password?  Reset it here.

Newsletter Contributions

Trip reports and photos, news and everything else club related are welcomed for publication in the club newsletter. Please send to the newsletter editor here.

POSTING PHOTOGRAPHS

You can post your photos and comments from a trip on the club's Facebook page here and Flickr here.

USEFUL WEBSITES

• New Zealand weather information - here
  
• New Zealand Topographic Maps - here
• Department of Conservation - here
  
• Auckland City Regional Parks information - here
• Alltrails.com - track maps for New Zealand and the world - here
  

PRIVACY ACT

The North Shore Tramping Club takes your privacy seriously and aims to comply with the new Privacy Act which came into effect in 2020.  Personal information is collected to facilitate your participation in club activities and assist with administration of the club.

The Club’s Privacy Officer is our Membership Secretary. Please contact our Membership Secretary at membership@nstc.org.nz if you have any concerns on the use of personal information.

Your privacy and membership profile settings can be updated by logging onto your Membership details and editing information under your Profile and Privacy Settings.

The Club shares accounts of its activities with photographs in its newsletters and other media. This may include names of participants. Our policy is too only to use first names in publications.

Your membership is agreement to do this, unless you advise the Club you do not agree.

If you would like your name and / or image to be omitted from all publications,

• please advise the Membership Secretary
• choose the “Opt Out” options under > My Profile > Edit Profile > Profile > Personal Profile
  
• or from individual articles, by advising the Trip Organiser.  In such cases, your first name may still be used in the article.

ORGANISING TRIPS

 - Trip Organiser / Leader Guidelines

 - Guidelines for use of Club PLBs

If you are organising a day trip, here are guidelines to help to you prepare:

 - Guidelines for Organising a Day Trip

 - Day Trip Sheet

Club CONSTITUTION

The club operates under the terms of its constitution.

 - Club Constitution