A typical daily schedule looks similar to the one below:
8am - 9am breakfast
9am - 9:30am communal area clean-up
10am - 12pm morning working activity
12pm - 1pm lunch/picnic
1pm - 4pm afternoon working activity
4pm - 6pm leisure activities (free time)
6pm - 8pm dinner
8pm - 10pm leisure activities (sunset watching, listening to the dusk bird chorus, game or movie night)
The activities will be decided on the day depending on weather, fitness factors, interests, etc...
Pupu Rangi can accommodate up to four Explorers at a time. Due to the remote location and the basic training required, the start day can only be on a Monday and the program lasts seven days.
Male participants must be 20 years old prior to the start of the program.
Female participants must be 18 years old prior to the start of the program.
If you are in good physical shape, able to comfortably walk 10 kilometers every day, and you finish reading these pages wishing that you were here, you have not reached the maximum age requirement yet.
You will need good English language skills to be able to get the most of this program. The better your English skills, the more freedom you will have in exploring our forest.
Keep in mind that most of our participants have English as their second language, however if you are unsure of whether your English level is sufficient, we can have a quick WhatsApp call to discuss about the program and at the end of it, we would be able to confirm on whether or not you will be able to join us.
Based on our experience and observations we list below the types of people that seem to have enjoyed our program the most:
Expect your boundaries to be challenged on a daily basis: we live on a philosophy of "we can do with what we have" and that requires patience, adaptability and innovation. It will not be easy but you will learn a lot if you persevere.
Expect to learn a lot and to be ready to apply your learnings.
Expect to be involved; it is participants like you that make this project a reality.
Expect to learn that while individual choices are acknowledged, the well being of the team is more important. When you are out there in the middle of the forest, it is going to be the whole team that has to deal with a problem and find a solution.
Expect to have the type of experiences that others only dream about. The more open to change you are, the more opportunities you have to see things in a different light: kiwi, kokako, snails, ferns, moss, impenetrable rainforest, giant trees, glow worms, waterfalls, there is a whole universe out there!
Together with your team mates, we expect you to treat the sanctuary as your own home. Keep it clean, put everything that you use back, fix what needs to be fixed, and propose ways of improvement.
Together with your team mates, we expect you to behave with maturity and to participate to the well being of the team. Learn, care, and share your experiences with the others.
100% of your money go back into conservation, infrastructure improvement, or operating costs.
Previous Explorers have used their time at Pupu Rangi to complete their Service section of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Meals will be provided three times a day. After a long day in the forest, there is nothing better than a delicious meal savoured while watching the sunset. The menu includes muesli in the morning, sandwiches/wraps or leftovers for lunch and for dinner: stir-fry, homemade hummus and falafel, organic burgers, rösti, tika masala, dahl, couscous, chili con or sin carne, pancakes, and the occasional blackberry crumble.
If you do not know how to cook, you will learn, everyone contributes to the meal preparation and by the end of your stay you would be able to cook a delicious dinner for ten people.
We cater to most dietary requirements (vegetarian, gluten free) if we are told beforehand. Black tea, hot chocolate, and instant coffee are included and available throughout the day. For snaking outside of the scheduled meals, please bring your own snacks, special food, or drinks. We will not be able to keep them in the fridge, but we could store them in the pantry for you.
The cleaning of the kitchen, washing of the dishes, etc... is part of the daily tasks that each participant has to complete.
Our daily activities are very intense and very energy consuming. Due to our off grid, remote location, we are not able to provide the variety and quantity of plant based food required for someone to be able to comfortably head out deep into the forest. Therefore, unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate participants that are on a vegan diet.
We are able to accommodate any other type of diets like vegetarian (must eat eggs and cheese), gluten free, etc...
The Pupu Rangi Nature Sanctuary is an alcohol and drug free zone. You are not allowed to consume or bring alcohol or drugs into the sanctuary.
We cannot accommodate participants that smoke (e-cigarettes are ok) due to the risk of fire to the forest.
Our facilities are basic but functional. One of the principles behind our sanctuary is to be as kind to the environment as possible. We are off-the-grid and we try to use as few resources as possible. The main facilities (kitchen, showers, dinning room) are housed in recycled shipping containers. We reuse as much second hand material or furniture as we can find.
Small items can be washed in the sinks and we do a load of washing once a week.
The cleaning of the facilities is part of the daily tasks that each participant has to complete.
The accommodation consists of insulated cabins fitted with two bunk beds (four beds per cabin). There is a cabin for males, one for females, and another one reserved for couples.
Should you require a special accommodation arrangement, please get in touch before making a reservation.
Please note that we are off the grid and do not have electricity or running water. Depending on the rainfall, hot showers are available daily or every other day when we return from the forest.
It is best to work on the assumption that you will be able to charge your phone only once a week.
Strong mobile phone signal on the Telecom, Vodafone, Skinny, and 2degrees networks is available in the common area for both Internet and voice. There is no phone signal in the forest. There is no free wifi at the sanctuary, you will have to buy your own mobile broadband plan (we recommend Skinny, good signal and cheaper plans).
To allow you to immerse in the forest experience and to be part of the team, the use of mobile phones (except for taking photos) is not allowed between 8am and 4pm. You can use your mobile phone to check news or contact family before breakfast time and after we return from the forest. Mobile phone usage is not allowed during meals as they distract from the social experience. If you don't think that you can live with these rules, please do not join our program.
We often work in groups and we do not perform any dangerous activities. Each volunteer will receive training on how to use the compass/radio thus ensuring continuous contact and positioning. Staff is trained in first aid and a first aid kits are be available.
The New Zealand forest is very safe and it has no animals and no reptiles that can harm you.
The closest medical clinic is in Dargaville, about 50 minutes and 50 km away. The closest hospital with an emergency room is in Whangarei, about 100 minutes and 100km away.
The CDC and WHO recommend the following vaccinations for New Zealand: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles.
You need to have medical travel insurance to be able to work with us. An example of a company that offers affordable travel insurance can be found here.
You will also need to have liability travel insurance (minimum coverage USD 5,000). You will be working with equipment worth thousands of dollars and you will be asked to pay for it if you damage it.
The weather can be quite chilly and wet even in the middle of summer. Here is the minimum that you will need to bring with you:
You might also consider bringing:
It would be best if you bring some used clothes as not to ruin your best outfit.
If you do not have your own wheels we will pick you up in the closest town (Dargaville) on Monday at 4:30pm. This time is chosen to coincide with the arrival of the public bus from Whangarei. To get to Whangarei, you can use Intercity departing from Auckland early in the morning .
We will also drop you off in Dargaville on Monday morning at 7am to connect with the bus to Whangarei.
More detailed information about pick-up times, meals, clothing required will be provided after you make a reservation.
If you ever wondered whether there still is a place in this world that has not been explored yet, the answer is yes!
This seven day program is a week-long variant of our Conservation Volunteer program and it allows you the freedom to explore our forest while taking the time to observe, reflect, and learn. You will start by learning about the history that led to the development of the unique New Zealand flora and fauna. Then, you will learn the basic navigation skills required to orient yourself in such a dense jungle-like rain forest. As the week progresses, through the conservation activities that you will participate in, you will build the skills and confidence required to venture into the unknown. Previous explorers have discovered a string of waterfalls, a number of a hundred year old trees, eels, and a magic place lit by countless glow worms. What will you discover?
Here are some of the things that you will learn and do during the program:
While staying with us, you will also have the opportunity to participate in any of the conservation activities listed in the Volunteer section, either in the sanctuary or in the nearby Department of Conservation (DOC) managed forests.
Fallen tree deep in the middle of the sanctuary
Heading for an exploration along the creek
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