The Otago Tramping and Mountaineering Club is one of the oldest outdoor clubs in New Zealand, being formed in 1923. The first trampers set out to walk mainly around the local Dunedin area, but soon started heading out further away from home. The first trips were normally on a Saturday afternoon, as well as a full day on Sundays. The OTMC still run a day trip most Sundays, as well as the occasional Saturday. We try to maintain a balance in the types of trips we run so that all grades are catered for. Check the tramping trip programme here to see what we have planned in the near future.

The early weekend trips were still generally close to Dunedin, but as transport improved, the trips headed further afield. These include the National Parks we can reach in a weekend - Mt. Aspiring, Fiordland and Aoraki / Mt. Cook. Other areas like Ohau, Ahuriri, Danseys Pass and the Catlins are also great for weekend tramping. See our weekend trip programme here. The club has always taken advantage of longer weekends like Easter, Kings/Queens Birthday and Labour weekend trips to enable trips to head just that bit further into the wilderness.

We welcome non members on our trips. To become a member you must participate in two club trips first. Over the years the OTMC arranged trips for many different activities, from snowcaving to kayaking. In 1971 the name was changed from the Otago Tramping Club to the Otago Tramping and Mountaineering Club as a reflection of the members aspirations at that time.

Currently the OTMC has a fairly static membership of around 200 members from a wide range of backgrounds. An important part of the club has always been the social side. We are one of the few tramping clubs in New Zealand to meet weekly, on Thursday evenings. We have our own clubrooms at 3 Young Street, South Dunedin (just off Prince Albert Road). The doors are open from 7.30pm, and the formal part of the meeting starts at 8pm. Most weeks we have an organised speaker on an outdoor related topic. Non members are more than welcome to attend any of our meetings, this is the best way to see who we are and if we are suited to what you are looking for. The upcoming Thursday night programme is posted here.

Other activities the Club is involved in is the Federated Mountain Clubs and environmental and recreation access matters. We also run Bushcraft and Snowcraft courses from time to time.

The best way to find out how to become involved in the club's activities is to join us at our weekly meetings - our clubrooms are open from 7.30pm most Thursday nights, with the actual meeting starting at 8pm. A speaker or some other outdoor related topic follows information on upcoming trips and activities.

Prospective members need to complete two trips (or the Bushcraft course) prior to becoming eligible for membership. More information regarding club membership is available at our weekly meetings or on this page.

Alternatively, send us an email if you have any questions or require further information.