NZ Arb national and regional tree climbing championships: organiser, entry route, events and results page
The New Zealand Arboricultural Association's four regional competitions and its national final: the 2026 national dates in Rotorua, how regional results lead to the national, registration and conduct terms, and the results list the association keeps.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the New Zealand Arboricultural Association (NZ Arb) says on its tree climbing pages. The other national events are in the table of championships. NZ Arb calls itself a chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).
Who runs it and what is held
NZ Arb says it holds four regional tree climbing competitions each year, and that the top climbers gain entry to the National Tree Climbing Championship. Its results list names the regions as Auckland, Wellington, the South Island and Waikato with Bay of Plenty. The association also takes volunteer registrations for its competitions.
The 2026 national final is listed in Rotorua from 1:20 PM on October 30 to 3:20 PM on October 31, 2026. The event page names five preliminary events: throwline, ascent, belayed speed climb, aerial rescue and work climb. The South Island regional is listed for Saturday, September 12, at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens. ISA separately lists the Asia Pacific regional final for April 30 to May 2, 2027, in Auckland.
Past editions on the list
The results list gives a date and place for earlier events, which shows how the regional rounds move around the country.
- National finals: November 10 and 11, 2023, at Queens Park in Invercargill; November 4, 2022, at the Wellington Botanic Gardens; and May 27, 2022, at Risingholme Park.
- Waikato and Bay of Plenty regionals: April 5, 2025, at Hamilton Lake Domain; March 30, 2024, in New Plymouth; April 1, 2023, at Wharepai Domain; and April 22, 2022, at Lake Karapiro Domain.
- South Island regionals: August 16, 2025, in Christchurch; September 28, 2024, at Avebury House; and September 17, 2022, at Orton Bradley Park.
- Auckland regionals: October 8, 2022, and February 19, 2022, both at Western Springs Park. Wellington: August 27, 2022, at the Wellington Botanic Garden.
Registration, membership and conduct
The page says regional entry fees are paid by NZ Arb credit card, and that online registration closes at 11:00 AM on the Thursday before the event. On the day, registration is possible where space remains and is cash only. A climber who qualifies for the national final must be a NZ Arb member, or work for a business that is a member. Competitors are asked to bring a completed gear check form.
On registration a competitor accepts a waiver and hold-harmless wording that names the ISA and the NZ Arb chapter. NZ Arb's code of ethics and conduct says behaviour that harms others or undermines safety will not be tolerated, and its drug and alcohol policy states zero tolerance for taking part under the influence, with immediate suspension from the event possible. The page also tells climbers that the ISA list of approved mechanical devices applies, that the committee asks for rope documentation for the newest device on that list at the gear check, and that equipment must carry the marking the ITCC rules require. The rules are the ISA rules, on the ITCC rules page.
Results
NZ Arb keeps a results list on its tree climbing page, with a page for each regional or national event back to 2021. It names competitors, so this site links to it and repeats no name: see the NZ Arb tree climbing page.