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Regional field advisors

Contact an advisor to investigate or negotiate public outdoor access. 

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Make the most of summer with these handy tools

Published 8 January 2013

The Christmas holidays may be behind us but there's still plenty of warm summer weather to be enjoyed over the next few months. Here are a few helpful New Zealand Walking Access Commission resources to help you make the most of it:

Walking Access Mapping System 
Check. Respect. Enjoy.

The Walking Access Mapping System is a great tool for anybody planning a trip into the outdoors. It shows publicly accessible land across New Zealand, as well as points of interest such as fishing access points, tramping tracks and beaches with resident surf life saving clubs. The system includes aerial and topographical maps of most of the country and is free to use. Find it online at www.wams.org.nz.

New Zealand Outdoor Access Code
Follow the Kiwi way

Ready access to our beaches, mountains, rivers and the coast is part of the New Zealand way of life, but do you know how to follow the Kiwi way when you're accessing them? The New Zealand Outdoor Access Code outlines people's responsibilities in the outdoors, whether they are accessing public land, crossing private land, carrying a firearm for hunting or walking a dog. Take a look at the Outdoor Access Code brochure or read the full publication here.

Both Sides of the Fence
This curriculum-aligned website is a great tool for kids who want to learn about different perspectives around outdoor access and its importance to the New Zealand way of life. Designed for teachers in primary and intermediate schools, the site uses fun and engaging animated videos to introduce children to characters like Barry the Farmer, Kush the dog and Kate the girl guide. Visit the site at www.bothsidesofthefence.org.nz.

The Country and Outdoor Recreation Calendar
This free quick-reference calendar displays common New Zealand fishing, hunting and farming seasons. Farming seasons shown on the calendar include breeding season for bulls, calving, cattle droving, grain and seed harvesting and lambing. Hunting and fishing seasons shown include game bird hunting, freshwater fishing, whitebaiting and the roar hunting season. Download the calendar for free here.

FAQs for landholders and people accessing the outdoors
Have you ever wanted to know about access along rivers, lakes and the coast? Do you know your rights and responsibilities on unformed legal roads? The Frequently Asked Questions page of our website has the answers.

Publications The publications page of our website offers links to many useful publications produced by the New Zealand Walking Access Commission and other organisations with an interest in access to our great outdoors.