The terms and conditions below cover hunting block booking details, rules and behaviour, prices, cancellations and refunds.

Online permit system account

1. A user account must be created to apply for a permit or book a hunting block. Information required to create an account is:

• • first and family names
  • residential address and country
  • date of birth
  • a valid email address which can be used for sending confirmations, booking notifications and safety information as required.

2. Account holders can change some details of their account online. Some account details will indicate that they aren’t able to be changed by the account holder, these can be changed by contacting DOC.

Hunting block bookings

3. The online permit system will enforce limits on the duration of hunting block bookings, including how far in advance bookings can be made, and how many hunting party members can be on a booking for a given block.
4. The online permit system will prevent bookings of multiple restricted hunting block by the same hunter on the same day and prevent consecutive bookings (less than two un-booked days between bookings) of the same block by the same hunter.
5. A completed request for a restricted hunting block booking will be provisional while waiting for payment to be made. Provisional bookings will reserve the block for the booking duration until the booking becomes confirmed or cancelled.
6. No changes to the hunting block or booking dates can be made after a provisional booking is made.
7. Bookings are confirmed when any applicable fee is received and confirmation is provided to the hunting party leader by email, phone or in person.
8. Bookings are only valid for the booking dates, block and person(s) named on the booking.
9. Each person(s) hunting on the block must be added to the hunting block booking and hold a valid hunting permit.
10. Speculative bookings are not permitted. Bookings must be made for real people intending to travel at time of booking. Failure to provide true and accurate information will result in an invalid booking which may be cancelled.

Hunting party roles

Party leadership

11. A hunting block booking has a party leader. The party leader for a new booking will be the account holder who made the booking through the online hunting permit system, or the person who has made the booking using an offline application process.
12. The party leader will be contacted via email, text message or phone call in relation the management of their booking.
13. Party leaders have sole discretion to make decisions on behalf of the hunting party. They can request removal of party members, add new party members and cancel the booking. These requests can be completed by contacting DOC and no service fee applies to these requests.
14. The hunting party leader can transfer the party leadership to any party member who has confirmed their intention to join the hunting party. After a transfer of party leadership has taken place, the new party leader will take on all responsibilities of the party leader and the former party leader will remain as a party member.
15. Changes to the party leadership or the party members is only possible up to the start date of the booking.

Party members

16. A party member on a restricted hunting block booking will be invited to confirm their place in a hunting party by email, SMS message or phone call. This invitation must be accepted before the party member is included on the booking and entitled to hunt the specified block for the booking dates.
17. A party member invitation will use the first and last name, and email, mobile phone or home phone number as supplied by the party leader.
18. The party member name and contact information will only be provided to the party leader. No information will be supplied to other party members, and additional information supplied by the party member will not be shared with the party leader.
19. Party members must complete their acceptance of the invitation by the start date of the booking. Failure to do so will result in the member not being issued a hunting permit.
20. The party member will be contacted via email, text message or phone call in relation their booking or permit.
21. A party member may decline an invite to join a hunting party and may elect to remove themselves from a hunting party if they have accepted the invite previously.
22. A party member may be removed from a hunting party by the party leader, or the party leader may cancel the booking the party member had previously joined.

Places to stay

23. Hunting block bookings do not include the use of any hut or campsite.
24. Information about available places to stay while using a hunting block are available on the DOC website. Additional conditions and fees may apply to the use of these facilities.

Expected behaviour

25. All accommodation/sites and surrounds must be left in a clean and tidy state.
26. All rubbish must be taken with you on departure.
27. No use of drones unless permitted.
28. Users must be considerate of and respect the rights of other groups in the vicinity.
29. Smoking and vaping are not permitted in huts or toilet blocks.

Fees and payment

35. Administration fees are in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax (GST).
36. Full payment is required within 21 days of making a booking, or by the end of day on the start date for the booking, whichever is earlier. If payment is not made by the required date, the booking will be cancelled, and no permits will be issued.
37. Payment made by made by credit card over the phone or using credit card or EFTPOS at a visitor centre.
38. DOC reserves the right to change fees without notice. Check the DOC website for current information.

Refunds

39. Administration fees are non-refundable, except at DOC’s discretion when a hunting block is closed for safety reasons or due to other exceptional circumstances.
40. Refunds are made to back to the credit card used to pay for the booking. Customers issued with a new card number since making their booking will need to contact a DOC visitor centre and supply their new card details for a manual refund.
41. Where you do not advise that you have a new card number since booking and the refund is processed, delays of up to three months in receiving the refund may occur.
42. In normal circumstances refunds may take up to five working days to appear on card statements.
43. Refunds for bookings made by EFTPOS card can only be obtained from a DOC visitor centre.

Travel insurance 

44. DOC recommends that you arrange travel insurance to guard against the loss of costs associated with cancellation or delay of your trip.

Liability disclaimer

45. DOC will not be liable for injury, damage, delays or any costs incurred by visitors.
46. In event of modifications, or cancellations, DOC is not liable for any differences in exchange rates or bank fees that are incurred by the customer.
47. Delays due to, but not exclusive to, weather events can occur at any time. DOC is unable to rearrange non-DOC booked transport, accommodation or flight bookings if delays should occur.
48. Weather events or urgent maintenance may mean you may, at times, be unable to start your trip or access your accommodation. In this circumstance you will not be able to access preferential treatment to pre-booking your trip again for future seasons.

Privacy

49. DOC’s privacy statements and information can be found on our website
50. No credit card details are held by DOC systems.
51. To request your online account to be deactivated, contact DOC. Please note that information relating to hunting permits will need to be held for a period of time to meet our record retention requirements.

Commercial or guided activities

52. Commercial and/or guided groups are not permitted to hunt on public conservation land without a concession or other authority.