Frequently Asked Questions

HutsHunter continuously monitors the Department of Conservation (DOC) booking system for cancellations on popular Great Walks. When a spot that matches your preferences becomes available, we immediately send you an alert via email or SMS so you can book it before anyone else.

Our system checks for cancellations every 2-3 minutes during peak season. Most alerts are sent within 2-5 minutes of a cancellation appearing on the DOC website. The faster you act on an alert, the better your chances of securing the booking.

Currently, we monitor the three most popular Great Walks: Milford Track, Routeburn Track, and Kepler Track. These are the tracks with the highest demand and longest wait times for bookings. We plan to add more tracks based on user demand.

HutsHunter is currently free to use! We believe everyone should have equal access to New Zealand's incredible hiking opportunities. We may introduce premium features in the future, but basic cancellation alerts will always remain free.

We cannot guarantee you'll secure a booking, as this depends on availability and how quickly you act on alerts. However, our users have a 94% success rate when they respond to alerts within 5 minutes. The key is to be ready to book immediately when you receive an alert.

We recommend setting up tracking as soon as you know your preferred dates, even if they're months away. Cancellations can happen at any time - from the day bookings open to the day before the hike. Early cancellations often get snatched up quickly.

Yes! You can set flexible date ranges and we'll alert you to any cancellations within those dates. Many users set 2-4 week windows to maximize their chances. You can also track multiple tracks simultaneously.

We only need your email address (required), phone number (optional for SMS alerts), your preferred tracks, date ranges, and group size. We don't store any payment information or personal details beyond what's necessary for alerts.

When you receive an alert, you'll need to go directly to the DOC website to make the booking. Our alert will include a direct link to the booking page. Have your payment details ready, as popular spots can be booked by someone else within minutes.

You can update your tracking preferences or stop alerts at any time by visiting your account page or clicking the unsubscribe link in any alert email. Changes take effect immediately.

No, HutsHunter is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC). We simply monitor their public booking system and notify you of changes.

If DOC's booking system is down or experiencing issues, our alerts will be temporarily suspended. We'll resume monitoring once the system is back online. We cannot be held responsible for issues with DOC's website or booking system.