Great Walk Availability Notifications - Never Miss a DOC Booking

The Department of Conservation (DOC) manages the Great Walks booking system:

• Booking Season: Opens in May/June for the upcoming season (October to April)
• Peak Times: December to March are the most popular months
• Booking Process: All bookings must be made through the DOC website
• Preparation: Create your DOC account before booking day

Success rates depend on several factors:

• Milford Track: Most competitive - books out within hours
• Group Size: Better chances for 1-2 people vs larger groups
• Timing: Peak season (Dec-Feb) is hardest to secure
• Flexibility: Having multiple date options increases chances
• Cancellations: Regular spots become available through cancellations

Our alert system helps you secure cancelled spots:

• 24/7 monitoring of the DOC booking system
• Instant email notifications when spots match your criteria
• Track multiple huts and dates simultaneously
• Customizable group size requirements
• Real-time availability updates

We offer three plans to suit different needs:

• Free Plan ($0):
  • 1 alert at a time, 3-day monitoring window
  • Email notifications only
  • 4-hour notification delay
• Advanced Plan ($8.99):
  • Unlimited alerts, 14-day monitoring window
  • Instant email notifications
  • Perfect for single trek planning
• Premium Plan ($9.99) — Most Recommended:
  • Unlimited alerts, 30-day monitoring window
  • Instant notifications via Email, Telegram & WhatsApp
  • 95% success rate for Premium users securing cancelled spots
  • Best option for serious Great Walk planners

Why Premium is Most Effective: Instant multi-channel alerts (Email + Telegram + WhatsApp) mean you're notified within minutes of a cancellation — before free-plan users even see it. Premium users achieve a 95% success rate securing spots.

You can easily manage your alerts in a few simple steps:

1. Log in to your account
2. Navigate to the "My Treks" page
3. Find the alert you want to stop
4. Click the "Delete Alert" button next to it

Additional tips:

• Alerts will automatically expire after their duration period (3, 14, or 30 days depending on your plan)
• If you've successfully booked your trek, please remember to cancel the corresponding alert
• You can always set up new alerts if your plans change

Explore detailed information about each Great Walk and set up availability notifications:

• Milford Track: Fiordland's finest - waterfalls and fjords
• Routeburn Track: Alpine scenery and lake views
• Kepler Track: Mountain vistas and native forests
• Tongariro Northern Circuit: Volcanic landscapes and emerald lakes
• Abel Tasman Coast Track: Coastal paradise with golden beaches
• Heaphy Track: Diverse landscapes from forest to coast
• Lake Waikaremoana: North Island's premier forest and lake experience
• Paparoa Track: New Zealand's newest Great Walk with coastal cliffs
• Rakiura Track: Stewart Island's remote wilderness experience
• Whanganui Journey: Unique river journey through cultural heritage

💡 Pro tip: Each track page includes detailed availability monitoring information and direct access to set up notifications for that specific Great Walk.

Consider these seasonal factors:

• Summer (Dec-Feb): Best weather but hardest to book
• Autumn (Mar-Apr): Quieter trails, stable weather
• Spring (Oct-Nov): Fewer crowds, variable conditions
• Winter: Some tracks closed or require alpine skills

Follow these tips for best results:

• Set up alerts early - ideally months before your planned dates
• Include multiple consecutive dates in your alert
• Consider both huts and campsites if available
• Check your email promptly when notifications arrive
• Have your DOC account ready for quick booking

Act quickly with these steps:

1. Check your email immediately - spots can go quickly
2. Click through to DOC's booking system
3. Log in to your DOC account
4. Complete the booking process
5. Deactivate or update your alert if successful

We're here to help with any questions or support needs:

• Email: contact@greatwalks.online
• We aim to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours
• For urgent booking issues, please include your alert ID in the subject line
• We can help with:
  • Technical support with alerts
  • Booking strategy advice
  • Account issues
  • General questions about Great Walks

Contact us if you:

• Are not receiving expected alerts
• Need help setting up alerts
• Have questions about track availability
• Experience technical issues with the website
• Need to report a bug or suggest an improvement

If our notification emails are appearing in your Gmail Promotions tab instead of Primary, here's how to fix it:

1. Open the email in Promotions tab: Go to your Gmail Promotions tab and find an email from "Great Walk Tracker" or "admin@greatwalks.online"
   
2. Drag the email to Primary: Simply drag the email from the Promotions tab to the Primary tab, OR
3. Use the Move option:
   • Open the email
   • Click the folder icon (or "Move to" option) at the top
   • Select "Primary"
4. Set for future emails: When you move the email, Gmail will show a notification asking "Do this for future messages from admin@greatwalks.online?" - Click "Yes" to ensure all future notifications go directly to your Primary inbox
   

Alternative method using Filters:

1. Click the gear icon (⚙️) in Gmail and select "See all settings"
2. Go to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab
3. Click "Create a new filter"
4. In the "From" field, enter: admin@greatwalks.online
5. Click "Create filter"
6. Check "Never send it to Spam" and "Always mark it as important"
7. Select "Categorize as: Primary"
8. Click "Create filter"

💡 Why this matters: Moving our emails to Primary ensures you see important availability alerts immediately, rather than missing them in the Promotions tab. This is especially critical for time-sensitive cancellation notifications!