Information for those travelling to New Zealand. 

Booking and Cancellation Policy. 

Enrolment.  Please provide us with a postal address in an email, and we will send you an enrolment form to fill in and return to:-  Travel and Learn, c/o W Lockhart, 24 Motukari Pl, Onaero, RD 43, Waitara, New Zealand 4383.

Deposit.  A non refundable deposit of $US500 ( or 200 sterling ) should be paid by bank transfer within fourteen days of the enrolment reaching us and an acknowledgement sent.

The account is BRIMAC HOLDINGS LTD.
A/c 060789-0057835-00 
NATIONAL BANK OF NEW ZEALAND LTD
41 QUEEN STREET
WAITARA   NZ
Final Payment.
The balance of the money should be paid by bank transfer to the account listed immediately above, sixty days before the trip begins.
Cancellation Policy.
Between 60 days and 31 days...50% of the money is refundable
30 days or less from the start of the trip...no money is refundable.
Insurance.
  We do not accept responsibility for sickness or accidents of any kind to the participants. While we make every effort to ensure the safety of all, accidents however can happen, and consequently we strongly recommend that you take out personal travel insurance before departure which includes cancellation and medical coverage and emergency evacuation. 
Notes.
1... All our costs are land costs only and do not include international airfares, nor airfares from the place where the tour ends back to the international airport.
2..Passports. ...A valid passport which must still be valid for at least six months beyond the end of the trip, is required.
3..We Pay...We look after all your general requirements from the beginning of the tour in New Zealand to the end of the tour. This includes all transportation, accommodations, meals, day trips and guide services.

4...You pay... All alcohol etc if you wish to drink with your meals. Airfares from the end of the tour, if they are necessary to get you back to your airport of overseas departure.

Location. New Zealand is located 1200 kms east of Australia and are 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. We operate daylight saving from October to March.
We are the southern part of Polynesia, where the Hawaiian Islands represent the northern part.

The Landscape. Generally the country has a mountainous backbone in both islands, with fertile plains on either side. Sixteen percent of the land is flat. Volcanic activity has been responsible for several landscapes especially in Auckland, Rotorua and Taranaki.

History. New Zealand is a 'new' country, settled first about the middle of the 19th Century by people from Europe, but more particularly from the British Isles. This 'British' influence is clearly still dominant in our community, although in the last fifty years, there has been a considerable change in the makeup of the population. The Maori were the initial inhabitants ( the 'tangata whenua' ) and today represent about sixteen percent of the population. Over the years, Maori and European have intermarried, so that most people who say they are Maori ( you have a choice ), also are part something else as well.

Many people prefer to be known as 'New Zealanders' and at the last census, over ten percent of people wrote 'New Zealanders' in as their preferred choice and ignored the official 'European' or 'Maori' choice. The next census will have 'New Zealanders' as an official option.

Most recently, many immigrants have come from the Pacific Islands, mainly from Tonga and Samoa, and they make up about six percent of our population. A slightly larger group are the recent arrivals from Asia who make up seven percent of the population. India, China, Japan and Korea are the main home countries for these immigrants.

Language. Both Maori and English are the official languages, although the number of people who are able to speak Maori fluently is only about seven percent. Many Maori words and phrases are incorporated into New Zealand English and thus are used in everyday speech. In many places both languages are used on signs ( e.g. Libraries )but an English speaking person will have no problems making themselves known here.

Currency. New Zealand dollars are the currency. One NZ$ equals about 80 US cents and 37UK pence. There are many banks and ATM machines, so the changing of money is no problem.

Driving. New Zealand drives on the left hand side of the road. The open road speed limit is 100kms per hour, while the in town speed is limited to 50kms per hour. The roads are in a good state of repair and are well signposted. Gravel roads exist in some backcountry areas. There are ferries which link the north and the south islands, the ferry crossing takes three hours normally and they run three to four times a day in both directions.

Climate. Being islands, New Zealand is strongly under maritime influences. Generally we get highs and lows which tend to alternate and move always towards the east. Hence the main wind is some component of west. If it is NW, is generally is warm, whereas SW is more likely to be cool. Summer temperatures are between 16 and 25 degrees C ( 65-75F ) while winter temperatures are between 8 and 15 ( 45-60F ). Rainfall, generally the western side receives over 40 inches of rain a year, while the eastern side gets as little as 10 inches annually. Sunshine hours almost everywhere are over 2000 per year, and in the brightest places, 2600 per year. Snow falls on the mountains making for good skiing in the winter, but seldom falls on the lowland. If it does, it almost certainly will make the national news!

Government. We have a system loosely based on the Westminster Parliament. About forty years ago we abolished the Upper House and now just have one. Elections are held every three years, under a MMP ( Mixed Member Proportional ) system, which means that if a party gets over 5% of the vote, they will be represented in Parliament. The system seems to be working well, although some people may argue with this.

Health. There is a good public health system, and many people have a private health scheme as well. You would be well advised, however, to have medical insurance when you come.

What to Bring. Often room in the vehicle is at a premium and we ask that you restrict your luggage to one 20 kg piece of luggage ( and what you are allowed to take on the plane with you.) One test is, can you carry your bag comfortably for 50 metres? We travel through the country informally, and when we go out at night to eat, we dont need to 'dress up.' The weather may be cool on a couple of occasions even in summer, so you will need a jersey and a light raincoat.

The Water. Everywhere the tap water is of a good quality and is safe to drink.

Electricity. We have a three point plug connection to 240 volt system, so you will very likely need to bring an adaptor.

DVDs etc. We run a commentary for most of the time as we move through the country, so there is very little time to play CD etc en route.

Details about the Tours.
1..The fourteen/seventeen day tours  tours usually start from Auckland and finish in either Queenstown or Christchurch. Sometimes the tour runs in reverse,   beginning in Christchurch and ending in Auckland

2..The ten day South Island tour begins and ends in Christchurch.

Time En Route. New Zealand is bigger than it looks ( or the roads more windy ), for many we travel through the country are surprised at the length of time it takes to get from one point to another. Only one day do we travel more than 330kms ( on the Queenstown/Milford/Te Anau leg of the trip.)

Additional Information.

The 'Lonely Planet' book ' New Zealand', is an excellent source of information, more especially as we will be traversing over many of the areas that are mentioned.

newzealand.com also has good information.