Terms and Conditions

Home Terms and Conditions

Standard Booking Terms and Conditions

Basis For Our Policy for sea kayaking and mountain bike guided trips and independent rentals.

  1. Marlborough Sounds Adventure Company (MSAC) understands that travel plans vary due to illness, accident and people simply changing their minds.
  2. In turn, we ask our clients to understand that we may have turned away a number of keen people for the places we have reserved for you.  We may also have committed expenses for food, staff, transport or accommodation for your trip.  We will have incurred expense in processing your enquiry and bookings.
  3. Finally, we have learned to respect the sea and the New Zealand weather, and not to take unnecessary risks.


Safety Policy in Exceptional Weather Conditions

Our policy is not to launch a Guided Trip or Freedom Rental on safety grounds if we consider that the wind and sea conditions are unsafe for that group.  This is our decision.  In this situation, we give a full refund.

If the forecast is for improving weather, we will ask clients if they can accept a delayed start, or reschedule onto another trip.  If a guided trip starts and the weather deteriorates to the point where safety is compromised, MSAC will bring the group out by water transport.  In this case, there is a partial refund based on a pro-rata per day refund for each full day not spent on the trip, less the cost of the water transport (maximum $90 per person).


Rental Periods

Sea Kayaking: The half-day rental period is from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm and 12.30 pm to 4.30 pm.

One day rental period is from 9.00 am (earlier by arrangement) and finishes at 4.30 pm on the same day.

Multi-Day – the rental period begins at approximately 9.00 am (earlier by prior arrangement) and finishes around 4.30 pm on the last day of your rental period.

Mountain Biking: The half-day rental period is 3 hours from departure.

One day rental period is from 9.00 am (earlier by arrangement) and finishes at 5pm on the same day.

Multi-Day – the rental period begins at approximately 9.00 am (earlier by prior arrangement) and finishes around 5pm on the last day of your rental period.


Trip Specific Policies

  • Half-Day and One Day Guided Sea Kayak Trips
  • Kayak and Mountain Bike Rental
    1. If booking received outside 30 days of trip departure – deposit not required
    2. Final payment required 30 days prior to trip departure
    3. Bookings inside 30 days require final payment at time of booking
    4. Cancellations received up to 24 hours prior to trip departure – receive full refund.
    5. Cancellations received inside 24 hours prior to trip departure – no refund provided
  • 3 Day Outer Sounds Adventure
  • 2 Day Explorer, Kayak & Hike
  • Guided & Freedom Walks
  • Freedom Bike Ride Packages
  • 3 Day Ultimate Sounds Adventure
    1. A non-refundable deposit of $100 per person is required to confirm your booking
    2. Full payment is required 30 days prior to departure date.
    3. Cancellations received 30 to 8 days prior to departure date receive -50% of total package refunded
    4. Cancellations received 7 days or less from date of departure – no refund

 

Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend you take out comprehensive travel insurance.  If you are living in NZ, we know it is not commonplace to take out domestic travel insurance, however the investment in your holiday with us can be substantial therefore it is worth considering taking out domestic travel insurance for this purpose.  Companies such as https://www.covermore.co.nz/travel-insurance/domestic-travel-insurance are worth considering.

Warning:  Under New Zealand law it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to sue anyone if you are injured.  In addition, New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme provides only limited assistance to visitors to New Zealand who are injured. We strongly recommend that all visitors to New Zealand have full insurance covering any injury they might suffer, including medical treatment cover, before undertaking this activity.

Exclusions:  To the extent by law, all liability for damage to your property, disruption to travel plans or mental injury is excluded. This exclusion is subject to any rights or remedies you may have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.

 

Government Imposed Travel Bans
We understand that Governments can unexpectedly impose travel bans that disrupt your plans. We have modified our standard terms and conditions to try and provide more flexibility, should you be affected by changes in government restrictions, while at the same time ensuring that we comply with the terms and conditions required by our suppliers.

Please note that we will be recommending, that should changes be required due to travel restrictions, you transfer your booking to a later date (within 12 months of your booking). There is no fee for change of bookings under these conditions, but there may be seasonal rate changes.

 

Your Privacy

Pre-payment is required for all trips where accommodation is required.  The name that will appear on your credit card statement or transactions will be Marlborough Sounds Adventure Co.

For secure credit card payments, online Marlborough Sounds Adventure Co uses Payment Express (Windcave), a PCI-DSS compliant provider.  Marlborough Sounds Adventure Co does not store any credit card numbers.

Should you share personal information via the telephone, email or in person we will do our utmost to protect that information.  However, these forms of record are not as secure as Payment Express.