Aotearoa is full of unique and exciting places to visit and explore.

The access we have to rivers, beaches, forests, and mountains are what makes living in Aotearoa so incredible, but this access also comes with responsibilities.

Special thanks to the New Zealand Walking Access Commission for sponsoring this article.

Before heading off on your next walking, biking or camping adventure, you should always take the time to check where you are allowed to go and what you are allowed to do in the place you wish to visit.

Accessing our amazing places may sometimes require special permission from private or Māori land managers. We also have a responsibility to work together to protect both the places we visit and those we travel through to get there.

Download the Outdoor Access Rights and Responsibilities brochure (produced by The Walking Access Commission Ara Hīkoi Aotearoa) using the button below AND read all the tips below to find out how you can be a responsible explorer.

By working together, we can protect and grow access to the incredible places in Aotearoa.

What YOU can do to protect access to Aotearoa and its amazing places…

When out and about exploring our beautiful country there are rules, just as there are at school. Here’s what you need to do to ensure everyone continues to benefit from public access to our amazing places…

Be responsible

When accessing land, be considerate and respect the interests of other people. Some ways you can do this include…

• Leaving gates as you found them – open or closed.

• Don’t climb unsupported fence wires.
  If there is no gate or stile, go through the fence wires, or climb over at posts.

• Don’t block or obstruct gateways, tracks or entrances.

• Walk in a single file around farm animals, without scaring them.

• Walk around, rather than through, crops.

Care for the environment

Protecting our special places means taking care of the environment around us…

• Leave the environment as you found it.

• Take home any litter that you create or find.

• Be careful not to disturb or damage any stock, wildlife, crops, vegetation or historical sites.

• If you see any stock in difficulty, damage to property, or anything suspicious, report it to the land manager.

A great saying to keep in mind while exploring Aotearoa and its amazing places is…

“Leave only footsteps. Take only photos.”

Seek necessary permission

If land is fenced off or appears to be private and there are no signs indicating access, then ask for permission. There may be valid reasons why you can’t access private land.

If you want to access Māori land you need to seek permission from the owners or those authorised by them.

Māori land is often of cultural, historical or geographical interest to people. It generally doesn’t have public access rights and the local iwi and/or hapū act as kaitiaki of the land and waters.

In te ao Māori, kaitiakitanga refers to guardianship or protection and includes a deep relationship between the spiritual realm, humans and the natural world. A kaitiaki is a guardian, keeper, preserver, conservator or protector. The addition of tanga denotes preservation, conservation and protection.

It is also essential to learn and follow the relevant tikanga (protocol) if you are given the authorisation to access the land.

Be aware that if you are granted access to Māori land this may be on the condition that you respect specific taonga including wāhi tapu (sacred places).

Access to such land is a privilege that we are all responsible for protecting, by following the rules.

Limit outdoor fire risk

• Do not light fires without permission.
  Find out if there are any rules about lighting fires where you’re camping/hiking. You may need to check with the local council, landowner or campground operator to determine if it’s alright to light a fire.

• Make sure you fully extinguish fires before leaving the site where you had one.
  Douse the campfire with lots of water. If there’s no water around, use dirt to put out the embers. Stir the remains of the fire until it’s cold to the touch.
  Don’t bury your campfire ashes when you’ve finished – the embers could smoulder and reignite.

• Be aware of closed fire seasons.
  You will need a fire permit in some fire seasons, and may not be allowed to have a campfire in hot, dry, windy weather. You can check your local rules by using Check It’s Alright website…