TERMS AND CONDITIONS

To reserve your place on a Surfari Trip, you must complete the Booking Form and pay a non-refundable deposit per person per trip to Water Nomads. 

The prices quoted on our website waternomads.co.nz represent the most current prices, are per person and are subject to minimum numbers. Where minimum numbers are not met by the balance payment due date, a small group surcharge will be offered to ensure the Trips operation. Refer to the Surfari Trip notes for all Trip inclusions and exclusions. Once you have paid a deposit for your Trip any subsequent discounts or price reductions that are advertised may not be retrospectively applied. Water Nomads reserve the right to amend Surfari Trip prices at any time.

The total trip balance is payable 45- days prior to your departure date. If the balance is not paid by such date, Water Nomads reserves the right to treat the booking as cancelled.

• Bookings more than 6 months prior to departure date: a non-refundable and non-transferable 10% deposit of the total trip price is required and due at invoice date, with a further 20% due 6 months prior to departure date.
• Bookings less than 6 months prior to departure date: a non-refundable and non-transferable 30% deposit of the total trip price is required and due at invoice date.
• Bookings less than 45- days prior to the departure date: 100% of the total trip cost is payable upon invoice. 

Deposits can be paid to our bank account, Visa or MasterCard through Stripe (3.5% fee) or International Bank Wire Transfer.  Please note that you must cover all fees associated with banks transfers.

All prices are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include all taxes.

Paying a deposit and reserving a Surfari Trip, you are agreeing (or confirming your agreement, as the case may be) to be bound by our Terms and Conditions.

4.1 To make amendments to your Surfari Trip arrangements, you must notify Water Nomads in writing. Each amendment to your tour arrangements will incur a $100 administration fee and you will be liable for any increase in airfares or operational expenses occasioned by the amendment.

4.2 If you wish to transfer from one Surfari Trip to another, you must notify Water Nomads in writing after which the transfer will take effect subject to the following. Transfers may only be made to another Surfari Trip to commence within 12 months of your original departure date and the following transfer charges will apply:

• If your notice is received more than 70 days prior to your original departure date, a $100 transfer fee will apply. In addition, any increase in airfares or operational services or extra permit/deposit penalties will apply: or
• If your notice is received within 70-35 days prior to your original departure date, 25% of your original tour price will be forfeited: or
• If your notice is received within 35-8 days prior to your original departure date, 50% of your original tour price will be forfeited: or
• If less than 8 days prior to your original departure date, 100% of your tour price will be forfeited.

Due to the nature of our business and that we only work with small groups, cancellations affect us significantly and we apply a strict non-negotiable cancellation policy.  A confirmed booking means that you have read, understood and accepted the conditions of our cancellation policy. Gift vouchers are non-refundable.

5.1 If you wish to cancel your tour, you must notify Water Nomads in writing where after the cancellation will take effect subject to the following:

• If cancellation takes place more than 70 days prior to your departure date your full deposit will be forfeited.
• If cancellation takes place between 70 & 35 days prior to your departure date 50% of the Surfari Trip price will be forfeited.
• If cancellation takes place less than 35 days prior to your departure date 100% of the Surfari Trip price will be forfeited. Variations to the conditions outlined in clauses 3, 4 and 5 may apply. Please refer to individual trip notes for details. The Surfari Trip price is quoted as a package. No partial refunds or credit will be given for services not used. Any amount forfeited, which has not then been paid to Water Nomads by you, may be recovered from you by Water Nomads as a debt due and payable.

5.2 Postponement, cancellation or delay (either in relation to the departure or arrival times or the duration of the Trip) of any such aspect of the Trip if, in the absolute discretion of Water Nomads, it is necessary to do so due to inclement weather, or circumstances that are known to us and are otherwise likely to be hazardous or dangerous or due to any other adverse or threatening conditions whether political or military or terrorist or otherwise or if, in the absolute discretion of Water Nomads, there is a likelihood of any such event occurring which may impact upon the safety of the participants, or if an act or omission of a third party prevents the Trip or the aspect of the Trip being undertaken in accordance with your booking or for any other reason considered necessary by Water Nomads. In the event of any change, modification, cancellation, postponement or delay under this condition, you acknowledge that you will have no right of refund of the Surfari Trip price (whether in whole or in part) and no right to claim compensation for any injury, loss or damage or other additional expenses incurred by virtue of the change, modification, cancellation postponement or delay.

To fully enjoy and benefit from your holiday experience you should be in good health and physical condition. We recommend you contact us if you have any concerns. All Surfari Trips and activities have inherent risks involved and can be dangerous.

Some of these Surfari Trips operate in areas that maybe remote, have rapidly changing and sometimes extreme weather, have difficult to access paths, uneven or steep terrain, or on cold water.

While all safety precautions are taken it is the participants responsibility to ensure they have brought with them appropriate clothing and have the appropriate fitness/skill level for each Surfari Trip.

You declare and warrant that:

• you are in good health and mental and physical fitness at the time of booking this Surfari Trip;
• you have disclosed to Water Nomads every matter concerning your health and mental and physical fitness of which you are aware, or ought reasonably be expected to know, that is relevant to Water Nomads decision to permit you to go on the Surfari Trip;
• immediately upon any adverse change in your health or fitness that may be likely to affect Water Nomads decision to permit you to go on the Surfari Trip, you will notify Water Nomads in writing of any such adverse change;
• you acknowledge that the obligation to disclose under this condition continues from the time of booking the tour through to departure and extends for the duration of the Surfari Trip.
• you have taken out a travel insurance policy that adequately covers you for medical eventualities including cover specifically for pre-existing medical conditions.

No refunds will be given to travellers in circumstances when the traveller has not advised Water Nomads of their medical conditions and its severity and decided to continue with the tour anyway.

Water Nomads Surfari Trip leaders take their responsibilities seriously. If for any reason a Trip leader believes, in his or her absolute discretion, that you should not participate in the Surfari Trip, before your departure, they may exclude you from the Surfari Trip. In this event, you will be offered the option of taking another Surfari Trip considered suitable for you or a full refund. If for any reason during a Surfari the Trip leader considers you should not participate further due to you committing an illegal act, or in the opinion of the Trip leader, your behaviour is causing or is likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others, or your fitness or health (mental and/or physical) is questioned, he or she may direct you not to continue and you must follow the Trip leader’s instructions. In this case you will not be entitled to any refund.

If while during your trip you have a problem, please bring this to the immediate attention of a Water Nomads representative.

Water Nomads reserve the right to nominate a small group surcharge where a Surfari Trip has not reached minimum numbers or to cancel the Trip. In case of a Trip cancellation you will be given a full refund of the Surfari Trip price. You will not be entitled to claim any additional amounts or seek any compensation for any injury, loss, expenses or damage or for any loss of time or inconvenience which may result from such cancellation including but not limited to visa, passport and vaccination charges, gear purchases or non refundable flights and taxes.

Itineraries and other details are published in good faith as statements of intention only and reasonable changes in the itinerary and related items may be made where deemed necessary or advisable by Water Nomads. The information contained on Water Nomads website, brochures, trip notes and pre departure information is to the best of Water Nomads belief, correct at the date of publishing.

Personal travel insurance is not included in the Surfari Trip price. We strongly recommend that you take out full personal travel insurance including accident, illness and travel cancellation for all Surfari Trips to guard against the unexpected. If, at any stage, you experience unexpected changes to your schedule, please call and discuss these matters, contact us directly.

It is your responsibility to obtain proper identification or proof of citizenship as required by the authorities of the destination to which you are travelling. You will not be entitled to a refund if you are denied boarding or entry on any basis, including without limitation, improper documentation (ie, visas) or failure to provide information. It is a requirement of many countries that your passport is valid for six months beyond the date of your return home to your home country and it is your responsibility to check you have such validity.

Any material published by Water Nomads, the Booking Form and these conditions of contract are not issued on behalf of, and do not commit any airline whose services are used or proposed to be used in the course of the Surfari Trip. If an airline’s proposed travel or fare schedule is amended or cancelled, such amendment or cancellation will not be considered a cancellation of the tour by Water Nomads. Any flights or other transport forming part of the Surfari Trip arrangements are subject to the conditions of the carrying airline or other transport entity, which in most cases limits the airlines’ or other transport entity’s liability to passengers in accordance with applicable international law and conventions.

If Water Nomads is prevented (directly or indirectly) from performing any of its obligations under this agreement by reason of an act of God, strikes, trade disputes, fire, breakdowns, epidemics and pandemics, interruption of transport , government or political action, travel bans imposed by governments, acts of war or terrorism, acts or omissions of a third party or for any other cause whatsoever outside Water Nomads reasonable control, Water Nomads will be under no liability whatsoever to you and may, at its option, by written notice to you cancel the tour wherein clause 5 of these conditions will apply in respect of cancellation charges.

You acknowledge and agree that:

• by the very nature of adventure travel and multi activity holidays, they are more challenging and demanding with a commensurately higher level of risk compared with conventional holidays, and involve potential exposure to injury and possibly death;
• in the countries and regions in which adventure travel is undertaken, standards of accommodation, transport, health care, hygiene, safety and service provision generally are often not as high as those standards in your country of residence and may require flexibility and patience on your part;
• the additional dangers and risks associated with adventure travel may include difficult and dangerous terrain; high altitude; extremes of weather, including sudden and unexpected changes; political instability; remoteness from normal medical services and from communications; and evacuation difficulties in the event of illness or injury;
• the enjoyment and excitement of adventure travel is derived in part from the inherent dangers and risks associated with adventure travel and that those inherent dangers and risks are a reason why you wish to undertake the adventure tour, and
• you have submitted your booking for the Surfari Trip after giving due consideration of relevant travel information including, without limitation, any relevant information or advice given by the governments of Australia, New Zealand and Canada, the British Foreign Office and US Department of State and that it is your responsibility to acquaint yourself with that information or advice. For the above reasons you therefore accept the inherent and increased dangers and risks associated with the proposed adventure tour and the accompanying risk of injury, death or property damage or loss.

You acknowledge and agree that:

• To the fullest extent permitted by law and unless caused by the negligent or reckless conduct of Water Nomads, Water Nomads will not be liable for any claims, actions, loss or damage arising out of personal injury or death, or property damage, loss of service including consequential, exemplary or punitive damages which may arise in connection with your participation in any tour.
• Water Nomads will not be liable for any breach of any law by any person with whom you travel on the tour; and
• you may not rely on any representations concerning the Surfari Trip made by Water Nomads which are not contained in these conditions.

To the extent permitted by law, by accepting the additional inherent dangers and risks associated with the tour, you release, waive and discharge all Water Nomads representatives (including our ground operators in the country/countries in which you tour will take place) from all claims, actions or losses for personal injury or death, property damage, loss of services, loss of profits, consequential, exemplary, indirect or punitive damages or otherwise which may arise:

• out of or occur during your travel in connection with the Surfari Trip or any activities conducted in conjunction with the tour unless caused by the reckless conduct of Water Nomads representatives, or
• in connection with any optional activities which you may undertake during the course of your tour but which do not comprise part of your Surfari Trip itinerary and you accept that any assistance given to you by Water Nomads representatives in arranging such optional activities will not render the Water Nomads representatives liable to you in any way.

A party will not be deemed to have waived any of its rights or remedies under these conditions or at law by allowing any time or indulgence or by not exercising any right or remedy arising out of any default by the other party.

If any part of a condition is illegal, unenforceable or invalid, it is to be treated as removed from the conditions, however, the remainder of the conditions are not altered.

This agreement and the rights and obligations of the parties will be construed and take effect in accordance with and be governed by the laws of New Zealand.