Southern Lakes NZDA upcoming events

2026 HUNTS course (Hunter National Training Scheme) (17 Oct 2026)

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Hunter National Training Scheme

Get started on your hunting journey with HUNTS

We're now at the point of firming up participant numbers and would appreciate hearing from those who are still keen to take part, having seen the proposed course dates and cost outlined below.

The NZDA HUNTS Course is New Zealand's nationally recognised hunter training program and has helped generations of hunters develop the skills, confidence, and knowledge required to hunt safely, ethically, and responsibly in New Zealand's outdoors. Whether your goal is to harvest your first animal, develop your bushcraft skills, improve your marksmanship, or simply gain confidence in the hills, this course provides a fantastic opportunity to learn from experienced hunters while meeting like minded hunters from around the Southern Lakes region. The program combines classroom learning, practical training, range time, and a mentored hunting experience, providing a solid foundation for a lifetime of hunting and outdoor adventures.

No firearms licence is required—just a keen interest and a reasonable level of fitness.

Course Overview

17-18 October | Queenstown (NZ)

Build the foundations of safe, ethical, and successful hunting while developing the knowledge and decision-making skills every hunter should have before heading into the field. The weekend concludes with a practical game meat care and butchery session, teaching participants how to make the most of their harvest.

31 October - 1 November | Queenstown and Cardrona Valley Shooting Range

Continue developing practical hunting skills before spending the day on the range, building confidence in firearm handling, marksmanship, and safe shooting techniques under experienced instruction.

14-15 November | Hunt Weekend (Location TBA)

Put everything you've learned into practice during an overnight hunting experience, applying your new skills in a real-world environment alongside experienced hunters. The weekend also includes river crossing skills training and development.

Backup Hunt Weekend: 21-22 November (if required).

Course Contents:

Hunting techniques
Species knowledge
Game utilisation (skinning, butchering, etc)
Firearm safety in a hunting context
Practical shooting and hunting ballistics
Essential bush skills
River safety

Participants must have a reasonable level of physical fitness and access to personal tramping equipment.

Cost per person TBC (Incl GST)

Includes:

Southern Lakes NZDA membership through to March 2027
Public liability insurance cover required for participation on approved private hunting properties
NZDA HUNTS course fees and manuals
Accommodation during the hunt component
Stoney Creek high visibility vest and cap
Course completion certificate

Weekend 1

Saturday, all day, start time 8:30am

Location: Queenstown

Welcome, housekeeping, and introductions. Bring a pen/pencil and paper for taking notes, and your lunch. Tea, coffee, biscuits, and manuals will be provided.

Modules covered:

Ethics, Ecology & Regulations
Game Animal Species in New Zealand
Meat, Skins & Trophies
Hunting Techniques
Firearms Selection, Safety & Marksmanship

Sunday, start time 8:30am (done by early afternoon)

Location: Local hobby farm – details provided Saturday

Hands-on butchery session and knife sharpening

Weekend 2

Saturday, all day, start time 8:30am

Location: Queenstown

Course modules covered:

Equipment & Food
Travel & Navigation
When Things Go Wrong (Emergency management)

Sunday, most of the day, start time 8:30am

Location: Cardona Valley Shooting Club

Full day using a range of different firearms
Firearms safety
Sighting in
Shooting positions and techniques
Firearms maintenance and cleaning

Weekend 3

Friday

Meet at pre-arranged accommodation (within 2 hours from Queenstown) at 7:00pm. Bring all required gear—we’ll send out a gear list ahead of time.

Saturday

Full day hunt plus bushcraft and navigation skills.

Sunday

River safety and river crossing exercises — be prepared to get wet!

Travel home in the afternoon.

Graduation

Successful participants will be invited to attend a Southern Lakes NZDA club meeting to receive their certificate of completion.

November Club Night - Great Times & Tall Stories (26 Nov 2026)

Thu, 26 Nov 2026 06:00:00 GMT

November Club Night – Great Times & Tall Stories

Join us on Thursday 26 November at the Arrowtown Bowling Club for another great NZDA Southern Lakes club night.

This month we’re keeping things a bit more relaxed, with three of our club members sharing some of their favourite hunting stories, experiences and photos from the field.

Expect plenty of good stories, questionable decisions, memorable hunts and hopefully a few impressive animals along the way. It’s a chance to hear from members about their experiences, learn a few things, and have a good laugh with the club.

Whether you’ve been hunting for years or are just getting started, come along for a social evening and hear what some of our members have been up to in the hills.

Can't make it in person? Join us via Microsoft Teams:
https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/45052446816124?p=b7nPnd0pahWjaQNW9G

When
Last Thursday of the month
Bar opens at 7:00pm for social catch-up
Meeting starts at 7.30pm

Where
Arrowtown Bowling Club
6 Hertford St, Arrowtown
(next to the Arrowtown Fire Station)

All members and interested guests are welcome. Come along for a relaxed social catch-up, hear from a great guest speaker, and be part of another enjoyable club night.

New member?
Join us for social drinks before the meeting and meet the members. New faces are always welcome.

Committee Meeting (10 Dec 2026)

Thu, 10 Dec 2026 06:30:00 GMT

Our committee meetings are open to all members, and we encourage anyone interested in helping to organise and support the club to come along.

These meetings are where we plan upcoming events, discuss conservation projects, and make decisions that keep the branch running smoothly.

Members are encouraged to contribute ideas or propose events for the committee to consider. To keep meetings efficient, we ask that any proposals be submitted by email 7 days in advance so they can be circulated to the committee before the meeting.

For more information or to submit a proposal please email info@southernlakesnzda.org.nz.

Voting on decisions remains the role of committee members.

When: 2nd Thursday of every month, 7:30pm
Where: Online via Zoom
How to join: A Zoom link will be shared with members on registration

December Club Event - NZDA Picnic at the NZDA Range (12 Dec 2026)

Fri, 11 Dec 2026 11:00:00 GMT

December Club Event - NZDA Picnic at the NZDA Range

Join us on Saturday TBC December for our NZDA Picnic at the NZDASL Range as we round out the year together.

For December, we'll be taking a slightly different approach with a relaxed club picnic at the NZDA range. This will be a great chance to catch up, enjoy the summer atmosphere, and celebrate the year with fellow members, friends, and guests.

It promises to be an easygoing and enjoyable event, focused on good company, conversation, and finishing the year on a positive note.

Further details about timing, what to bring, and any picnic arrangements can be confirmed closer to the event.

When
Time details to be confirmed

Where
NZDASL Range

All members and interested guests are welcome.

Family-Friendly 4x4 Adventure & Hunting Trip (22 Jan 2027)

Fri, 22 Jan 2027 06:30:00 GMT

SLNZDA Family Weekend at Oteake Conservation Area

January 22-24, 2027

Join us for a family-oriented weekend in the beautiful Oteake Conservation Area. This trip is all about spending quality time outdoors with your loved ones and fellow SLNZDA members and their families/friends

There may be space if you do not own or have access to a 4WD vehicle, we are asking when people register if they have space, so register your interest (Don't pay till we can confirm there is space) and we will try and connect you up with someone happy to take extra people.

We require that one person in the vehicle (Ideally the driver) is a NZDA member (for Insurance purposes) the others can be non members.

(Did you know your NZDA insurance covers you should you accidentally set light to the campsite etc )

What we've got planned: TBC

Family-friendly activities and nature exploration
Camping under the stars at Homestead campsite (Friday)
4x4 driving through scenic Oteake terrain to Tailings hut
A Night at Tailings hut, camping (Saturday)
4x4 out to Nasbey via Historic Buster diggings
Hunting opportunities

See DOC website for more information

Whether you're keen to introduce your kids to the joys of the outdoors, want to meet other outdoor-loving families, or simply fancy a relaxed weekend away, this trip has something for everyone.

We'll keep things low-key and flexible, with plenty of time for kids to play, adults to chat, and everyone to enjoy the stunning surroundings. For those interested, there will be some hunting options*, but that's not the main focus of our weekend.

* please ensure you have the right hunting permit before going

Important Vehicle Requirements:

Must be a true 4x4 with a low-range gearbox
Mud or All-Terrain tires are required (no low-profile tires) You must have a full-size spare tire
Fire extinguisher, First aid kit, Shovel or spade must be carried, All vehicles must have a toolkit and basic spares.
Not suitable for 4WD cars, station wagons (e.g., Subaru Legacy), or 4WD vans

What to Bring:

You will need to be self sufficient.
All your camping equipment (tents, sleeping bags, etc.)
Food and water for the weekend (plus something to share for Saturday's BBQ)
Appropriate clothing is required for variable weather conditions in the alpine.
There are fireplaces in both camps we aim to stay at, so chuck some wood in each. Hopefully, it will be warm enough that we won't want it lit and can leave it for the next people that need it.

Cost - TBC

Where & When - TBC

Friday 22nd January meet at Homestead Campsite
Sunday 24th Return to Naseby by 3pm.

The Homestead Campsite is 2 1/4 hours from Frankton.

It is a DOC Basic Campsite. Link here

Tallings Hut is a standard 12 bunk hut.
We will plan to camp here, there may be bunk spaces if available.
Link here

We can accommodate ~25 people in 10 vehicles.

When you register you are registering the whole group/family so you only need to do it once but please include who you are bringing in the form

To join us or learn more, reach out to Dave Veitch.

We'll cover all the necessary safety information before we head out, so everyone can relax and enjoy the weekend.

Looking forward to sharing some fresh air, good food, and great company with you all in Oteake.

Committee Meeting (11 Feb 2027)

Thu, 11 Feb 2027 06:30:00 GMT

Our committee meetings are open to all members, and we encourage anyone interested in helping to organise and support the club to come along.

These meetings are where we plan upcoming events, discuss conservation projects, and make decisions that keep the branch running smoothly.

For more information or to submit a proposal please email info@southernlakesnzda.org.nz.

Committee Meeting (8 Apr 2027)

Thu, 08 Apr 2027 07:30:00 GMT

Our committee meetings are open to all members, and we encourage anyone interested in helping to organise and support the club to come along.

These meetings are where we plan upcoming events, discuss conservation projects, and make decisions that keep the branch running smoothly.

For more information or to submit a proposal please email info@southernlakesnzda.org.nz.

Committee Meeting (10 Jun 2027)

Thu, 10 Jun 2027 07:30:00 GMT

Our committee meetings are open to all members, and we encourage anyone interested in helping to organise and support the club to come along.

These meetings are where we plan upcoming events, discuss conservation projects, and make decisions that keep the branch running smoothly.

For more information or to submit a proposal please email info@southernlakesnzda.org.nz.

Committee Meeting (12 Aug 2027)

Thu, 12 Aug 2027 07:30:00 GMT

Our committee meetings are open to all members, and we encourage anyone interested in helping to organise and support the club to come along.

These meetings are where we plan upcoming events, discuss conservation projects, and make decisions that keep the branch running smoothly.

For more information or to submit a proposal please email info@southernlakesnzda.org.nz.

Committee Meeting (14 Oct 2027)

Thu, 14 Oct 2027 06:30:00 GMT

Our committee meetings are open to all members, and we encourage anyone interested in helping to organise and support the club to come along.

These meetings are where we plan upcoming events, discuss conservation projects, and make decisions that keep the branch running smoothly.

For more information or to submit a proposal please email info@southernlakesnzda.org.nz.

Committee Meeting (9 Dec 2027)

Thu, 09 Dec 2027 06:30:00 GMT

Our committee meetings are open to all members, and we encourage anyone interested in helping to organise and support the club to come along.

These meetings are where we plan upcoming events, discuss conservation projects, and make decisions that keep the branch running smoothly.

For more information or to submit a proposal please email info@southernlakesnzda.org.nz.