Our Environment

Nomad Safaris has a strong commitment to the environment and we take active steps to minimise the impact of our operations on both the local and global environment.

We are Qualmark Enviro Gold endorsed, which means we have the highest rating of New Zealand companies for our sustainability practices.

We have won numerous environmental awards including the Sustainable Business Network Trailblazer Award 2008 and New Zealand Tourism Environmental Awards in 2004 and 2006. We have also won local council environmental awards for our water conservation and recycling efforts.

Each member of staff is trained in eco-friendly driving techniques that minimise fuel consumption and the impact the vehicles have on the local environment.

Everyone who is employed by us is also made aware of energy conservation, waste minimisation, sustainability and environmental emergency reaction procedures. We recycle a significant amount of our waste and staff separate waste when disposing of it into what can and cannot be recycled.

We only have cold water taps and only heat water as we need it for customer refreshments thus saving on energy usage.

Nomad Safaris also undertakes a range of environmental projects and actively encourages members of the public to participate. Please contact us for information on the next environmental day if you are interested in volunteering.

You can access our complete Environmental & Social Sustainability Policy here

Tiaki Promise

The Tiaki Promise is a wonderful initiative to encourage visitors to New Zealand to commit to caring for our country the same way we do. By following the Tiaki Promise, we are making a commitment to Aotearoa New Zealand – to act as a guardian, protecting and preserving our home. Not only for us, but for future generations.

Be Prepared

Make sure you read your trip essentials, check your gear list and fill out your online booking information pages. And of course, if you ever have any questions, just get in touch with us!

Show Respect

Treat people the way you’d like to be treated. We’re a friendly bunch down here and we pride ourselves on our Kiwi hospitality – so you’ll feel at home with us. We find that this helps to encourage respectful behaviour all-round.

Protect Nature

This can be achieved in so many ways, and with sustainability it’s all the little things that add up to make a difference. Here are a few tips, and of course these will become familiar to you as your explore with us:

Be careful what you bring into the country – read the border control guidelines closely!
Avoid single-use plastics and coffee cups
Don’t feed wildlife
Stay on the trail
Recycle!
Compost your organic material wherever possible
Use natural cleaning products

Keep NZ Clean

You (hopefully) wouldn’t drop rubbish in your garden, so why would you drop it in the wilderness?

New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment

Tourism strongly contributes to protecting, restoring and enhancing New Zealand’s natural environment and biodiversity.

Restoring Nature We contribute to protecting and enhancing Aotearoa New Zealand’s environment, including water, biodiversity, landscapes and clean air.
Carbon Reduction We act urgently to contribute to Aotearoa New Zealand’s transition to a net zero carbon economy.
Eliminating Waste We take responsibility for the entire life cycle of products and services we use and ultimately eliminate the waste associated with these.

Wilding Tree Control

Settlers introduced exotic plants and invasive weeds into New Zealand and did not realize the impact this would have on our native species, ecosystems and conservation lands. Wilding pines are one of the most aggressive of these exotic species. Wilding trees not only affect the visual nature of the environment, but also the native plant and animal communities and impact soil composition and acidity and water yields. Nomad Safaris organizes regular volunteer days during the summer months to clear large areas of these trees.

We run CSR days where corporates book with us to spend time culling the wilding pines. These days are extremely well received and time is spent out in the open on Queenstown Hill Station pulling up wilding pines. They are great fun and are enjoyed by the delegates. A lot of ground is covered on each event, as they say, many hands make light work! Transport is in our 4WD vehicles to access the locations and the whole event is turned into a fun day. A local company, Wilding & Co, has pioneered distilling the pine oil from the culled trees and we can also involve them to demonstrate how the work done is turned into a very desirable essential oil product. So the delegates can actually see the positive benefits of their work over a lunch organized at the sheep station woolshed to finish a fun CSR event.

Rubbish Collecting Days

Macetown is an area of outstanding beauty that attracts many visitors every year, often resulting in litter being left behind. As Nomad Safaris is one of the regular users of the Macetown track we organize rubbish collection days with staff and volunteers, keeping this wild landscape pristine for future visitors. We do this as part of the Arrowtown Autumn Festival and anyone is welcome to join us.

NZ Gold Panning Championships

This is an event we have aligned ourselves with as volunteers and organizers. The company donates time and helps to make sure this event happens each year. Also aligned with the Arrowtown Autumn Festival, it is run through the Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust. Competitors from all over New Zealand and Australia come to compete and win the title of NZ Gold Panning Champion. The winner is then funded to represent Nz in Australia the next year.

It is our aim to ensure that the ‘sport’ of gold panning is kept thriving and to celebrate the European pioneers who settled in Otago as part of the New Zealand Gold Rush. One day we would like to hold the World Gold Panning Championships in the Southern Lakes….