Environmental Care Code

Protect plants and animals

Treat New Zealand’s forests and birds with care and respect. They are unique and often rare.

Remove rubbish

Litter is unattractive, harmful to wildlife and can increase vermin and disease. Plan your visits to reduce rubbish, and carry out what you carry in.

Bury toilet waste

In areas without toilet facilities, bury your toilet waste in a shallow hole well away from waterways, tracks, campsites, and huts.

Keep streams and lakes clean

When cleaning and washing, take the water and wash well away from the water source. Because soaps and detergents are harmful to water-life, drain used water into the soil to allow it to be filtered. If you suspect the water may be contaminated, boil it for at least 3 minutes, filter it, or chemically treat it.

Take care with fires

Portable fuel stoves are less harmful to the environment and are more efficient than fires. If you do use a fire, keep it small, use only dead wood and make sure it is out by dousing it with water and checking the ashes before leaving.

Camp carefully

When camping, leave no trace of your visit.

Keep to the track

By keeping to the track, where one exists, you lessen the chance of damaging fragile plants.

Consider others

People visit the backcountry and rural areas for many reasons. Be considerate of other visitors who also have a right to enjoy the natural environment.

Respect our cultural heritage

Many places in New Zealand have a spiritual and historical significance. Treat these places with consideration and respect.

Enjoy your visit

Enjoy your outdoor experience.

Toitu te whenua / Leave the land untouched

Take a last look before leaving an area; will the next visitor know that you have been there? Protect the environment for your own sake, for the sake of those who come after you, and for the environment itself.