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General safety information

Whenever you visit a park or reserve, you need to take precautions. Here are some tips to help you stay safe:

Planning your visit

• Contact the park office to ask about local conditions, tracks, creek or river water levels and fire danger. During hot, dry periods a Total Fire Ban may be declared in the park. At such times you will not be able to cook anything - no fire or fuel stoves can be lit. You'll need to bring pre-cooked or fresh food.
• Make sure you will have at least three people in your group. If there is an emergency, at least one can go for help, while the other stays with the injured or ill person.
• Make sure there's at least one experienced person in the group who can guide and assist others.
• Make sure your activity is something which all participants in your group are able to do.
• Before heading out, leave full details with a relative or a responsible person of where you will be going, who is with you, what equipment you have, and when you expect to return.
• Allow plenty of time to finish the activity in daylight, and pack extra food and water in case of unexpected delays.
• At the very least, make sure you have:

   

  • matches
  • topographic map(s)
  • a compass
  • a space blanket
  • a first aid kit
  • raincoats for everyone in the group
  • warm clothing for everyone in the group
  • plastic bags for rubbish
  • plenty of water
  • ample food
  • torches.
• Weather can change rapidly. Be prepared for heat, rain, thick mist, icy winds, and sleet or snow in mountain areas.
• Many parks have only limited mobile phone coverage. If you intend to use a mobile for safety purposes, contact your phone network supplier to check the coverage in the park you intend to visit.

In the park

• Supervise all children closely.
• Make sure you completely extinguish all fires before leaving an area or going to bed. A small amount of glowing embers can start a huge bushfire. Heavy fines may apply if campfires or other unshielded flames are left unattended.
• Keep to tracks and stay behind safety fences.
• Be on the lookout for falling branches and rocks, uneven or slippery surfaces, and cliff edges.
• Don't feed or touch native animals.
• If you want to swim in rivers or lakes, check the water depth and temperature first and never dive or jump into the water. Be careful of hidden rocks and logs, and floating branches and other debris.