Register to Walk

What your Te Araroa Pass includes

Whether you’re walking a section, an island, or the full length of Aotearoa, your Te Araroa Registration gives you more than access – it gives you confidence, connection, and real value on your journey.

With your pass you’ll receive:

• A Te Araroa walker pack and exclusive merchandise
• Membership benefits, including discounts at local businesses and trail-friendly services
• The satisfaction of supporting the care and future of Te Araroa

You’re not just walking the trail, you’re becoming part of a community that protects it and the legacy behind Te Araroa.

The cost of the pass depends on:

• Whether you’re a New Zealander or an international visitor.
• How much of the trail you plan to walk.

New Zealand Citizens and Residents

If you’re a citizen or ‘ordinarily resident’ in New Zealand, your Te Araroa Registration is made up of four parts:

• Registration and Membership – $60
  Includes your Te Araroa pack, your membership and a $10 contribution to the Whakahou Nature Fund
• Trail Pass – $250
  Provides access to DOC huts and campsites along the trail
• Queen Charlotte Track Land Cooperative (QCTLC) Pass – $50
  Provides access to the Queen Charlotte Track
• Trail Contribution – Optional
  A donation to support trail care, maintenance, and future development.

This flexible structure allows you to tailor your support while helping protect Te Araroa for future generations.

International Walkers

For international walkers, your Te Araroa Registration is a bundled package that includes:

• Registration and Membership Includes your Te Araroa pack, your membership and a $10 contribution to the Whakahou Nature Fund
• Trail Pass (included for South Island or Full Te Araroa walk only) – Gives you access to accommodation on public conservation land at DOC huts and campsites.
• Queen Charlotte Track Land Cooperative (QCTLC) Pass – giving you access to the Queen Charlotte Track
• Trail Contribution – supports ongoing care, repair, and development of the trail

Your registration depends on your journey:

• Full Trail or South Island (Te Wai Pounamu): $1,350 NZD
• North Island (Te Ika a Māui) or Section Walks: $605 NZD (Trail Pass and QCTLC Pass not included)

All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). Here is a quick guide to help you convert these prices to your home currency:

Please note these are estimated conversions based on the last six months’ exchange rates. They don’t represent live conversions.

Join Te Araroa

Te Araroa is a taonga (precious treasure), that we all work together to care for and protect. Your Te Araroa Pass represents your commitment to the trail, to the protection of the unique environment that surrounds it and to the many walkers to come in the future. The difference in pricing reflects the support already provided by New Zealand taxpayers and ensures international walkers contribute fairly to the trail’s upkeep.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Te Araroa registration?

Te Araroa registration is your registration package for walking the trail. It includes everything you need to walk, while helping protect and sustain Te Araroa for future generations.

Depending on your journey and where you’re from, your Te Araroa Pass may include:

Registration – official recognition as a walker, membership to Te Araroa Trust, access to updates, and a $10 contribution to the Whakahou Fund.

Trail Pass – access to DOC accommodation and facilities along the trail. You must have the Trail Pass if you are walking Te Wai Pounamu (South Island) or the full Te Araroa journey.

The Queen Charlotte Track Land Cooperative (QCTLC) Pass – giving you access to the Queen Charlotte Track

Trail Contribution – your part in supporting trail maintenance, signage, and community partnerships

Whether you’re walking a section or the full length of Aotearoa, the Te Araroa Pass ensures you’re part of something bigger – caring for the trail as you experience it.

What benefits come with my Te Araroa registration?

Your Te Araroa Pass unlocks a range of practical and meaningful benefits to support your journey:

• Your Te Araroa pack with your official bag tag and other great information and goodies
• Access to our Te Araroa Locals – great businesses along the trail that offer discounts and deals to registered walkers.
• Your Trail Pass that gives you access to over 100 DOC huts and campsites along the trail, making it easier and more affordable to plan your overnight stays.
• Your QCTLC Pass – that gives you access to the beautiful Queen Charlotte Track
• Planning support and walker resources, including the Te Araroa Trail Pack, locally made merchandise, and access to partner discounts.
• Support for trail care and development – part of your pass fee goes directly to maintaining and improving Te Araroa for future walkers.
• Support for nature – $10 from every registration goes directly to projects that support biodiversity along the trail

What is the Te Araroa pack?

When you register to walk Te Araroa, you’ll receive a Te Araroa Pack. It’s a welcome bundle to support your journey. It includes your official bag tag, which acts as proof of registration and unlocks discounts at Te Araroa Locals along the trail. These are businesses that support the trail and offer special deals to walkers. Your pack also contains key trail information and some great Te Araroa goodies. It will be sent to the address or pickup location you selected during registration. Packs will start being posted from 3 Aug 26.

Where will my Te Araroa pack be sent?

You’ll choose your pack destination when you register. If you don’t have an Aotearoa New Zealand address to send your pack to, you can choose one of the drop locations we have arranged. Make sure to note their opening days when planning to collect them.

You can also choose to send your pack to one of your accommodation options – please check this with them first as we can’t be responsible for packs that go missing. We can’t deliver packs to PO addresses.

Please note that we don’t post Te Araroa packs internationally to reduce their impact on the environment.

If you have already registered, you will see the address your pack was/will be sent to in the welcome email you recieved.

I sent my pack to a drop location – where are they?

These are the drop locations for registration packs, their addresses and contact phone numbers.

If you have forgotten which one you sent your pack to, login to your user account to find out.

Note – these are only for walkers who nominated a drop location instead of a New Zealand postal address.

KAITĀIA FAR NORTH ISITE VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE
Kaitāia iSITE, 30A South Road,Kaitāia.
Phone: +64 9 408 9450, Email: kaitaia@fndc.govt.nz

Open: 8:30am-5pm Mon-Fri. 9am-1pm Sat. Closed Sun.

PACK & SEND TAKAPUNA – AUCKLAND
77B Barrys Point Road, Takapuna, Auckland 0622.
Phone: 09 486 3355, Email: takapuna@packsend.co.nz

Open: 9am-5pm Mon-Fri. 10am-12pm Sat. Closed Sun.

PACK & SEND AUCKLAND CITY
8 Mahuhu Crescent, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010.
Phone 09 909 9099, Email: aucklandcity@packsend.co.nz

Open: 8:30am-5pm Mon-Fri. 9am-12pm Sat. Closed Sun.

PACK & SEND WELLINGTON CITY
(Closest Service centre to Wellington International Airport) 60 Adelaide Road, Mt Cook, Wellington, 6021.
Phone: 04 894 3893, Email: wellingtoncity@packsend.co.nz

Open: 8:30am-5pm Mon-Fri. Closed Sat-Sun.

SOUTHERN ADVENTURE

31 Tay Street, Invercargill 9810
Phone: 03 218 3239, Email: southernadventureinvercargill@gmail.com

Open: 8:30am-5:30pm Mon-Fri.10am-3pm Sat. Closed Sun.

When your pack is dispatched, you will receive an email from Pack and Send confirming your drop location.

These businesses keep different opening  hours and you will need to contact them directly if you can’t get there during business hours. In some cases they may be able to forward your pack to another location for a fee.

When will I receive my Te Araroa Pack?

Te Araroa Packs begin shipping on 1 August and should arrive at your designated address or drop off location within a couple of weeks.

From August onwards, packs will be posted out weekly on Mondays.

Make sure to allow enough time between registering and collecting your pack (2-3 weeks).

What if I arrive in New Zealand before my pack is ready?

Your digital registration and Trail Pass are the most important items.

Your physical pack and bag tag are helpful, but you can still begin your walk if your digital registration is active.

Contact us if your pack has not arrived and it has been 3 weeks since you registered info@teararoa.org.nz

Can I register for my partner, friends or family?

Yes you can, but you must register each person individually, with their own unique email address. Registering multiple people under one email will result in issues with your account and not being able to access your passes.

Make sure to log out of your user profile before registering someone else.

If you are registering for a child who does not have an email address you can use ‘plus addressing’ (e.g. youremail+childname@gmail.com).

If you’d like help registering your group, please email info@teararoa.org.nz.

What is the Trail Pass and do I need it?

Find out more about the Trail Pass and how it works

Together with the Department of Conservation (DOC) we’ve developed the Trail Pass. It’s an accommodation pass offering easy access and discounted rates on conservation land huts and campsites along the trail. It’s designed to make it simple and cost-effective for walkers to access over 100 huts and campsites, as well as discounts on other DOC facilities.

If you’re walking the full trail or Te Wai Pounamu (South Island) the Trail Pass is required.

How do I know which fee applies to me?

The New Zealand rate applies to New Zealand citizens and people who are ‘ordinarily resident’ in New Zealand only.

‘Ordinarily resident’ in New Zealand means you:

• have lived in New Zealand for at least six of the 12 months immediately prior to your walk start date,
• and hold a residence class, student, or work visa,
• and New Zealand is your primary place of established residence.

You may be asked to provide proof as part of your registration.

What is the trail contribution?

Every dollar of your trail contribution goes directly to work on the trail. Your support helps cover care and repair of the trail, providing facilities, environmental care, and community partnerships along the trail. Te Araroa is a precious taonga that we all work together to care for and protect. The trail you walk today is a result of the hard work of volunteers and donations from past walkers. Supporting the trail makes you part of the legacy of Te Araroa.

If you are an international walker your trail contribution is part of your trail fee. If you are eligible to pay the New Zealand rate your trail contribution is a voluntary donation. Chartiable donations are tax deductable meaning you can claim back 1/3 of your chosen donation amount through IRD if you pay tax in New Zealand.

Why is the trail contribution optional for New Zealanders but not internationals?

For New Zealanders, the Trail Contribution is optional because many of the public services and infrastructure that support Te Araroa, including tracks, bridges, huts, Search and Rescue, and ACC, are already partly funded through taxes and levies paid by New Zealand residents.

International walkers are required to pay the Trail Contribution because they are not already contributing to the upkeep of the trail via taxes and levies. Overseas visitors make up a large proportion of Te Araroa users, and their contribution helps support the ongoing maintenance, management, safety, and protection of the trail.

This approach helps share the cost of caring for the trail fairly between locals and international walkers.

I’m having problems logging in?

When you register, you’ll be sent an email with instructions on how to login to your account. The first time you login you’ll need to change your password.

Log in for the first time:

If you are logging in for the first time you will need to reset your password first:

https://my.teararoa.org.nz/user/password

Logging back in later:

If you have already reset your password you can login here

https://my.teararoa.org.nz/user/login

If you have issues with your account, please email us on info@teararoa.org.nz.

Do I need insurance for my walk?

Insurance is strongly recommended, especially for international visitors. You travel insurance should cover medical emergencies, evacuation, trip changes, and hiking-related activities. New Zealand residents are covered by ACC for injuries, but not for evacuation or trip cancellations. Many trail sections are remote so having insurance gives you some extra peace of mind if something goes wrong.

For more information about insurance and safety on the trail, check out this article on the Trail Hub.

Can I get a refund if I cancel or leave the trail early?

Registration supports the ongoing care and management of Te Araroa and is not simply a pay-per-use product. Because of this, refunds are limited.

If you need to cancel before starting, please contact us at info@teararoa.org.nz.

If you leave the trail early after beginning your walk (e.g due to plans changing, injury etc), we generally cannot refund the trail contribution or used pass components.

Register to walk