Find answers to some general FAQ’s below. If you still have a question or prefer to talk to a real person, please get in touch with one of our friendly team.
OENZ employs highly skilled and qualified instructors and guides. They all hold nationally recognised qualifications and are active and passionate outdoors people who have dedicated themselves to passing on their skills and passion for the outdoors.
We staff our programs a few weeks before the course, so your instructor may not have been confirmed yet. If you would like to request a specific instructor/guide or would like to know who is likely to be running your course before booking, give us a call or email.
Yes, we have almost everything you’ll need to attend a course, and it will be provided as part of the course or available to hire directly from us.
Yes, we run a lot of private courses & custom training. Some of our clients include the Department of Conservation (DoC), Northland Regional Council, Christchurch Tramping Club, and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
We are often asked about family courses or youth participants. Below is an outline of the ages we can accept for our general courses. If your child is younger than this or you would like your family to undertake training together, we recommend a private course instead. This allows us to fine-tune your training to meet everyone’s level.
Exceptions to age can be made for private training courses only; the minimum age for private training is approximately. 8 years old.
Have a look at our suggested training pathways below. If you have any questions or are unsure what course would be right for you, please call us to discuss your situation.
Have a look at our suggested training pathway below. If you have any questions or are unsure what course would be right for you, please call us to discuss your situation.
Alpine Training Pathway
Bushcraft Training Pathway
Hunting Training Pathway
Sea Kayak Training Pathway
Rock Climbing Training Pathway
Find answers to some travel and cancellation questions below. If you still have a question or prefer to talk to a real person, please get in touch with one of our friendly team.
It’s very easy, we provide a list of recommended hotels/backpackers that we offer free pickups from in Christchurch (note: this option is not available for all courses). We will even drop you back at the airport at the end at no extra cost!
It’s very common for our clients to arrive the day before a course and fly home on last evening. We recommend booking your accommodation in the city centre or near the airport as we provide a free pick-up service from the following locations:
City Centre:
Airport:
Yes. Depending on the course you are booking on, we can arrange for you to be picked up and dropped off. Feel free to call or email to discuss your options.
We can run private training or custom courses in nearly any location by request. Our scheduled courses, however, only run in Canterbury.
Unfortunately, the North Island has a real lack of professional outdoor training providers. The central North Island has some providers and good terrain, but travel costs are often more expensive than flying into Christchurch. We recommend making a weekend of it and coming to Christchurch for your training. We have lots of clients flying in to attend our courses.
Please contact us as early as possible if you need to postpone or cancel a course.
*Please refer to our terms and conditions for full details.
Most of our courses can be run in bad weather, and our instructors will tailor the course to ensure you get the most out of your time with OENZ.
If the weather is too bad for us to run the activity safely, we will offer you the opportunity to transfer your booking to another course. A partial or full refund will be offered if you cannot attend another course. Our instructors will contact you during the lead-up to your course and advise you what the weather forecast for your training area.
