What Is The Course Schedule?

Courses are from 8:45 am -12:30 pm and 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm with breaks for morning and afternoon tea and lunch. Field trips may make the day longer at times.

What Food Is Included?

We provide morning and afternoon tea and lunch on most days.

Is Accommodation Provided?

Cost of accommodation is not included in your course fees. We can assist you in finding other accommodation in the area by providing a list of people who are interested in renting to students. There are many options from private rooms in a family home to backpackers (hostel), to B & B, to camping in local. We highly recommend you join "Golden Bay Community Noticeboard" and "Takaka Homes for Rent of Sale, NZ" on Facebook.

What Do I Need To Bring To The Course?

It is our goal to make our course as sustainable as possible. For that reason, 80% or more of the course materials will be available digitally stored in Google Drive. Therefore, you will definitely need your own laptop or other device to be able to access the course materials and the course calendar which is also stored online. If this is not possible, we may be able to print you a set of materials, but often materials are uploaded the day of the teaching module. The cost of printing will be the responsibility of the student.

How Do I Get To Golden Bay?

The nearest large airport is Nelson & there is a shuttle available from the airport Golden Bay Coachlines. Your final destination is Takaka.

Participants flying in from overseas - fly into Christchurch or Auckland then connect through to Nelson. You can also fly directly from Wellington to Golden Bay via Golden Bay Airlines.

What Is The Weather Like?

You will be in Golden Bay for Fall/Autumn or Spring/Summer arguably the best times of year to be here. Generally days stay warm enough for swimming in local rivers and at the beach from December through April. Mornings and evenings can be cooler. Early Spring weather is somewhat erratic and can feel like summer one day and like winter the next. So be prepared for anything. You can also expect some rainy days. For the most part though, days are warm and sunny, sometimes even hot.

Will I Have Time To Connect With the Golden Bay Community?

Experiential tours of Golden Bay sustainable businesses, craft shops, bee-keeping, alternative buildings, organic farms and other attractions are included in the course. On your days off and Wednesday afternoons. you will have the wonders of Golden Bay, a natural paradise of beaches, untouched bush, the Abel Tasman, and Kahurangi Parks, clear rivers, and much more to explore at your leisure.