Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
help, leave them with as much warm clothing, food and water as it is sensible to spare, plus
a whistle and torch.
Help rescuers find you: mark your position by building arrows or cairns out of rocks and
wood, laying out brightly coloured items or tying them to trees so they can be easily seen
from the air, and by burning green wood and leaves to produce smoke. If you have a person-
al locator beacon (PLB), and you're in a life-threatening situation, activate it so rescuers
know you're in trouble and can pinpoint your location. This can save precious time, and
lives.
In NZ, many search-and-rescue evacuations are done by helicopter. Find or create a clear-
ing approximately 25m by 25m with a flat area for the helicopter to land that is at least 6m
by 6m. Where no landing area is available, a person and harness might be lowered. When
the chopper arrives, indicate wind direction to the pilot by standing with your back to the
wind and your arms pointed ahead of you. Make sure there are no loose items around and
await the pilot's instructions. Never approach a helicopter unless directed to, and always
from the front. Avoid high ground, keep low and follow the instructions of the pilot and
crew.
Communication
There are five ways that NZ trampers equip themselves to communicate with Police Search
and Rescue in an emergency. The main methods for two-way communications are mountain
radios or satellite phones. Mobile phones should not be relied upon as there is very little
coverage in NZ's back country. If you do have a signal and have an emergency, dial 111.
Keep the phone switched off to save batteries, and stowed in a waterproof plastic bag.
The Mountain Radio Service ( www.mountainradio.co.nz ) comprises volunteer organisa-
tions providing backcountry radio communication including regular 'scheds' to relay weath-
er forecasts, locations and intended routes. You can rent radio sets cheaply (from $5 per day)
from the organisations and some outdoor gear shops. It's an excellent way of keeping in
touch and although not all areas are monitored 24/7, there is usually someone listening in on
one of the frequencies. Satellite phones can be also used anywhere there is a view of a satel-
lite. They're expensive to buy and operate, but they can be hired for around $30 per day.
When activated, personal locator beacons (PLBs) emit a radio distress signal that is
picked up by satellite or aircraft and relayed to the Rescue Coordination Centre of New Zea-
land. They are lightweight, require no set-up and could save your life. They are also cheap
to hire (from $5 per day) and readily available from outdoor gear shops and some visitor
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