Safety Terms & Conditions
In any adventure activity, there is an element of risk involved. Risks in undertaking this activity include hypothermia, heat exhaustion, physical injury caused by environment i.e. rock falls and physical injury caused by self i.e. tripping over tree roots. Kayaking risks can include drowning if you capsize, repetitive strain injuries from paddling long distances, sun-burn and dehydration, injuries from collisions with other vessels, hypothermia and damaging the environment.
The staff and management of Wilderness Guides Picton New Zealand take all practicable steps to identify and minimise potential dangers. However, you must follow our instructions (and use any safety equipment provided) at all times. Adults accompanying any person under the age of 18 must ensure that the underage person follows our instructions at all times. You must release or indemnify Wilderness Guides Picton New Zealand and our staff against any liability we incur to anyone else, resulting from your failure to follow our instructions or the failure of any person accompanying you under the age of 18 to follow our instructions.
We reserve the right to withdraw any person who in our opinion is likely to endanger them selves or others. We also reserve the right to cancel the walking tour if we become concerned for any reason for your safety or that of any other person.
WARNING: Under New Zealand law, it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to sue anyone if you are injured. In addition, New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme provides only limited assistance to visitors to New Zealand who are injured. We strongly recommend that all visitors to New Zealand have full insurance covering any injury they might suffer, including medical treatment cover, before undertaking this activity.
EXCLUSIONS: To the extent permitted by law, all our liability for damage to your property, disruption to travel plans, or mental injury is excluded. This exclusion is subject to any rights or remedies you may have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.
Please list on this form any medical conditions or other information we need to know to include you safely in this activity. For example, asthma, allergies, heart conditions, epilepsy or pregnancy. You are entitled to access any information we hold about you or to request its correction at any time.
Payment Terms
Booking Policy: $200NZ per person deposit required on booking for all multi-day independent and guided tours/packages; 50% ($100NZ per person) is a non-refundable administration fee.
Cancellation Policy: No refunds for multi-day independent and guided tours/packages if cancelled within 12 days of travel; 50% of total refundable if cancelled within one month of departure less the $100NZ per person non-refundable booking fee. No refunds for day trips cancelled within 24 hours. Full refunds are given for cancellation due to weather conditions.
Cancellation Due to Government-imposed Travel Bans: If you cannot travel due to a Government-imposed travel ban or border closure, we can transfer your booking to a later date with no penalty or transfer fee as long as this is within the next 12 months from your original date. This will depend on availability and differences in the package price may apply. Otherwise, our standard cancellation policy applies.
If you test positive for Covid and you need to postpone because you are a close contact with someone with Covid, then our Cancellation Due to Government-imposed Travel Bans policy will apply (we will need proof of the positive test).
If you do not wish to travel, and your date of travel is more than one month away, we are able to rebook you for a new date as long as the new date of travel is within the next 12 months. There is a $25 per person administration charge for this. Any payments already made for your trip will be transferred to the future trip. Please note next season’s rates will apply.
If you have a booking and wish to either cancel while New Zealand is at any traffic light setting, our standard cancellation policy applies.
Please note - Wilderness Guides will not be able to cover the costs to self-isolate during a trip.
Luggage
Please rest assured that our water transport providers take the utmost care whilst transporting your luggage as part of your track package with us, however during the process of the day this can be handled by many different persons, i.e. at the hotel while being taken to your room or by other operators or walkers placing bags on top of yours whilst at campsite drop off points. We suggest that no sharp objects (walking poles) or items (shoes, pots and pans,) are hanging off your bag as they can cause damage to other bags or get lost. Unfortunately, Wilderness Guides cannot take responsibility for your bag being mishandled whilst in the care of other parties, and we suggest that costly or breakable items such as laptops, cash, jewellery, be kept in storage in Picton or are carried on your person.