The list and comments below refer primarily to the 2003 trip. A great deal of the pleasure of travelling is the preparation. However, once you know where you want to go and have read
all there is to know about it then there are many practical matters to attend to. Here is a list of things to think about. Start preparing in time and you won’t have the last minute rush which is when things tend to
go wrong.
Travel Checklist (The paperwork): Passport Visa Health Documentation Transportation Tickets Frequent Flyer Cards YHA membership card
Emergency Information Insurance Hotel Reservations Traveller's Checks Currency Credit Cards Driving licence Guide Books and Maps Trip Cancellation/ Medical Insurance Personal Identification
Copies of Airline Tickets & Passport Special Event Reservations
Home Checklist: Stop deliveries (e.g. newspapers) Have Post Office hold mail Arrange care for pets, lawn and plants Set-up a timed lighting system
Notify local police, neighbours and friends of absence Leave house key and trip itinerary with a neighbour Empty refrigerator! Eliminate possible fire hazards (unplug appliances, etc.)
Turn down thermostats Turn off water heater Store valuables in a safe place Lock all doors and windows Reconfirm with airlines
Packlist 2003: This list can be made as long or short as you like and depends to a great deal on the type of trip you are
planning. In this case it is more or less what I will be taking with me.
Rucksack
(no more than 90L) or equivalent capacity in other format (As yet I am undecided. I may take a wheeled suitcase as we will be in a car most of the time and suitcases tend not to get mistreated as easily as a rucksack in airport baggage handling lines)
Day pack (30/35L - ish!) Leatherman Torch (LED/krypton bulb headlight) Camera (and film, batteries, etc.) Wash bag Soap Shampoo Comb Aftershave
(even though I don’t shave) Deodorant Mirror (metal) Toothbrush/toothpaste Moisturiser Glasses + prescription Polaroid sunglasses + case Trek towel Sewing/Repair kit
Small combination lock (for rucksack) Diary + Pen Address book Alarm clock Sun cream/block Lip balm
Experiences 2003: Again, no big problems, just a few adjustments and one absolute miss. As it
turned out I took a suitcase with me which was great for putting my four piece rods in when flying but not so good when it came to packing the luggage for three people in the boot of a small Toyota. The miss was not
having a thermos with me! It is good to have with you filled with hot water for those times you really need a cup of coffee. I bought a pair of Polaroid sunglasses that fit over my normal glasses for 100 NZD.
At first I thought that it was expensive but it proved to be a real bargain. The sun was strong and they really were needed. A useful addition was a string. Very practical when I was tying on flies and needed to
take off the sunglasses. A roll of toilet paper was also something necessary. Ask those who needed it in a hurry! I wasn’t too happy with the trek towel and was lucky enough to be able to borrow a proper towel from
friends in Christchurch.
Modifications 2005: As mentioned above there were no big problems. However, on this trip I did some business as well. I had to weigh up the pros and cons of taking
a lap-top computer with me which is of course an additional item to carry, is a potential theft risk, but helped in my work, I was able to use the mapping facilities together with my GPS and it was available to
store my digital photos during my trip. So it is listed below, but not a given item to be taken Afterwards I can say that I am still a bit undecided as to if it was a good thing to have it with me or not. I had one
bag with clothes in it and a rucksack with the laptop and various gadgets to connect things together and charge them. All very well when electricity is available but a few days away from an outlet and I ended up
having nothing that worked.
