New Zealand outdoor agencies join efforts to enhance walkers’ experience

New Zealand’s Outdoor Access Commission (Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa) recently partnered with NZ Mountain Safety Council’s (MSC) Plan My Walk app to ensure walkers have access to the largest collection of public tracks and trails data and the best access to safety information.

Herenga ā Nuku will provide funding and support for MSC to complete further Plan My Walk developments over the next two years. Plan My Walk will incorporate Herenga ā Nuku’s public walking tracks, previously available through their platform, Find My Adventure.

In recent years, both organisations have developed their own digital information platforms, each offering different benefits to walkers and other trail users. MSC and Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa have collaborated for many years, and it became evident that walkers and trail users would benefit from a single platform with all the information in one place.

Herenga ā Nuku Chief Executive Ric Cullinane says people want to see agencies that spend public money work together to create great public services.

Cullinane advises "In this case, instead of possibly duplicating efforts by developing similar platforms, we can support the NZ Mountain Safety Council to continue to create a great app that helps people explore the outdoors and be safe while they do it."

Find My Adventure, by Herenga ā Nuku, provides mapping information about Aotearoa’s tracks and trails, with the goal of creating a single national dataset. Whereas Plan My Walk by MSC, was developed to enable effective planning and preparation for walking and tramping trips with the aim to reduce preventable outdoor safety incidents.

Find My Adventure will remain a mapping solution to support the work of local community projects such as trail trusts and Te Araroa.

MSC Chief Executive Mike Daisley adds "It is a powerful example of how collaboration will always trump the solo and siloed approach.

"Plan My Walk has always been about partnerships and sharing data from a range of agencies to create one powerful platform. This collaboration with Herenga ā Nuku is a great example of this.

"As an NGO, it’s incredibly exciting to have another government agency partner with us, and in this case, commit funding. That’s a huge recognition of our work and the success of Plan My Walk so far.”  

The NZ Mountain Safety Council launched Plan My Walk in May 2021. The free platform, available as both a website and an app, was designed to make the important planning phase easier by bringing the most critical information needed to one place.

Walkers and recreationalists using Plan My Walk have access to over 1300 (and growing) tracks, MetService forecasts and weather warnings, New Zealand Avalanche Advisory (NZAA) forecasts, and track alerts, including special alerts such as Kauri dieback or rāhui. After finding the right track for their abilities, walkers can work through a trip plan and suggested gear list, which can be sent to group members and emergency contacts.

About Plan My Walk 

NZ Mountain Safety Council’s (MSC) Plan My Walk app