From navigation ‘zero to hero’ in two days!

This is a comprehensive introductory course for anyone who enjoys venturing into New Zealand’s beautiful bush and mountains. The course will equip people with the basic skills needed to plan routes, navigate through the bush (both on on and off tracks), and get back on route when things don’t go according to plan. The instructor to student ratio is purposely kept low to allow for ample one-to-one tuition. The course is based within a short drive of Nelson city centre.

Programme

Over the course of the two days, we will cover the following skills:

Getting familiar with a NZ topographical map
Scale and distance
Three kinds of North
Map symbols
Orientating the map and using tick features
Understanding contours as a representation of the ground
The five D’s
Taking and using grid references
Taking and using grid and magnetic bearings
Different methods of measuring distance
Lost procedure
An introduction to GPS, cell phone mapping apps and altimeters

Itinerary

Meet at venue (location details will be sent on booking)
(we can arrange pick up in the Nelson and Richmond areas if you prefer)
Course starts at 9am and finishes at 5pm on both days
There will be a short session of theory on each day before heading off to the hills. The walking pace will be very relaxed, but there is a short, steep hill to be climbed at the start of each day

What you will need

Suitable clothing for the weather and temperature
Water/windproof jacket (optional over trousers)
Warm layers
Your lunch and snacks
At least 1 litre of drinking water (optional flask if cold weather)
Small first aid kit and personal medications if needed
Suitable compass (if you don’t already have access to one, please contact us before purchase so we can advise of the most suitable one to buy)
Pencil and pad
Map case if you have one
(Maps and compasses can be provided if needed)

Please note: this is a practical, hands-on course, and we want to create a good learning environment where students can get the most out of the course content. For that reason, we may suggest rescheduling the course if the weather conditions are forecast to be adverse.

Course Dates

2025
Sep 27 & 28 (1 place left)
Nov 1 & 2 (all female course) (FULL)
Nov 29 & 30 (2 places left)

2026
Jan 17 & 18 (all female course) (3 places left)
Feb 21 & 22
Mar 21 & 22 (4 places left)

Contact us for group bookings outside of these dates.