Something worth avoiding is giardia , a parasite that inhabits rivers and lakes in some national parks. Infection results from drinking contaminated water, with symptoms appearing several weeks later: a bloated stomach, cramps, explosive diarrhoea and wind. The Department of Conservation advises on the likely presence of giardia in national parks around the country. To minimize the risk of infection, purify drinking water by using iodine-based solutions or tablets (regular chlorine-based tablets aren't effective against giardia); by fast-boiling water for at least seven minutes; or by using a giardia-rated filter (obtainable from any outdoors or camping shop).

The relatively rare amoebic meningitis is another water-borne hazard, this time contracted from hot thermal pools. The amoeba enters the body via the nose or ears, lodges in the brain, and weeks later causes severe headaches, stiffness of the neck, hypersensitivity to light, and eventually coma. If you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately, but to avoid contamination in the first place, simply don't put your head underwater in thermal pools.

Virtually without exception, New Zealand wildlife is harmless. Even shark attacks are rare; you are more likely to be carried away by a strong tide than a great white, though it still pays to be sensible and obey any local warnings when swimming.

The country is free of snakes, scorpions and other nasties, and there's only one poisonous creature: the little katipo spider . Mercifully rare, this 6mm-long critter (the biting female is black with a red patch), is found in coastal areas - except in the far south - and only bites if disturbed. The bite can be fatal, but antivenin is available in most hospitals, is effective up to three days after a bite and no one has died from an encounter with the spider for many years. The West Coast of the South Island in the summer is the worst place for mosquitoes and sandflies , though they appear to a lesser degree in many other places across the country. They are more irritating than dangerous and a liberal application of repellent keeps most of them at bay, albeit briefly.