Kiwi adventurers urged by safety council to take more care
WELLINGTON: The New Zealand Mountain Safety Council wants to bust the myth that international tourists have the most injuries and trigger more searches than New Zealanders.
With the borders closed, more New Zealanders are heading to hills and tracks devoid of international visitors this summer.
Council chief executive Mike Daisley said this summer's injury figures might be quite eyeopening for many.
``For the first time in recent history, we can look at what's going on incidentwise, with just
Kiwis in the mix.
‘‘As Kiwis, we've always been able to point the finger at international tourists causing a lot of incidents in the outdoors,'' Mr Daisley said.
``The reality is there's more Kiwis. [We've] have always had this higher propensity for incidents and accidents.''
He hoped people would take a few quick steps to ensure they stay safe on the trails.
``The two absolute minimum things is checking the weather before you go, so go on to MetService.com, check the weather the day you're going, the morning you're going. Things can change. And telling someone your plans.''
A bit of quick research on the track being taken helped people to prepare, take the right supplies and know if they had the fitness and experience needed for the trail, he said.
The council has published a series of videos on wellknown tramping tracks and the hazards people could face while hiking them.
Anyone heading on longer tramps should consider hiring or buying a personal locator beacon to keep themselves safe on the trails, Mr Daisley said.
``If you're new to tramping and getting in our country's outdoors, it's good to ease into it.
‘‘Start small, and ask for advice. ‘‘It's fantastic to see such an interest and hopefully this will lead to lifelong participation in outdoor recreation.
``But as we see this surge in interest, we are also encouraging those users to think about their personal safety and take a few simple steps to ensure they have a great, safe experience, and make it home.''