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Bushwalking safety

 

Walking tracks provide all kinds of opportunities to explore the parks and reserves of NSW. You can walk through many different environments from eucalypt forests to heathlands or rainforests to mallee, and find features such as Aboriginal or historic sites, lookouts, waterfalls, whales, wildflowers and more. For an enjoyable and safe bushwalking experience, plan ahead and take the following precautions.

Be well prepared

• Ensure that everyone in your group has researched the walk and planned ahead.
• Check weather forecasts and local park conditions and modify your plans accordingly.
• 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.
• Have a compass and a topographic map and know how to use them. Check directional, warning and advisory signs.
• If you have a mobile phone, remember that it may not receive or transmit in some areas – see below for information on hiring emergency beacons as an added precaution.
• Take appropriate clothing and wear closed footwear – preferably boots or runners. Regardless of the season, always take a windproof/waterproof jacket, and clothing that can keep you warm when wet.
• For camping take a good tent and a sleeping bag appropriate to the conditions.
• For any walk of more than a kilometre or so, take extra water, snacks (such as fruit or health bars) and a first aid kit. Insect repellent and a torch can prove to be very useful.
• Don't overestimate your abilities or those of the others in the group. Always allow time for the unexpected, like thick scrub or cliff lines.
• Remember your safety is dependent on your fitness and experience, as well as leadership and equipment. Every trip should include at least one experienced bushwalker in the group who can guide and assist others.
• Give complete route details of where you are going to close relatives or friends, or the police. Tell them your: destination and intended route; equipment list; any special medical conditions group members have, for example diabetes or asthma and when you expect to get back.
• Remember to tell your friend or relative when you do return or, if you are overdue, to phone them from the first phone box or police station you come to.

If you become lost

• Stay where you are if you become lost - don't keep moving.
• Keep your walking group together during your trip – unless part of the group must go for help in an emergency. There is safety in numbers.
• Don't leave an injured person alone in the bush.

Be water smart

• Be self-sufficient with drinking water. Carry in enough water or ensure you have the equipment and knowledge to make untreated water safe for drinking. Be aware that there is not always water available.
• Drinking untreated water such as creek water, bore water, or sometimes even rainwater, can lead to illnesses including gastroenteritis. Natural water sources should be used with caution and water treatment methods used to make water safe to drink. Remember, think before you drink and treat the water if you are unsure.

Emergency beacons

• Mobile phone network coverage is limited to populated areas and transport corridors. Many parks are out of range. If you're planning a walk in a remote area, you can hire a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) or EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Response Beacon) as an added safety precaution.
• If you’re planning a walk in Blue Mountains National Park, free PLBs are available for loan when you register your walk with NSW Police or the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). You can pick one up from the NPWS Office in Blackheath between 9am - 4pm or after hours from the Police Stations at Katoomba (phone 02 4782 8199) and Springwood (phone 02 4751 0299). You can also find more information about being safe in the bush at www.police.nsw.gov.au/community_issues/crime_prevention/trek
• Kosciuszko National Park also hires out PLBs to bushwalkers for a small fee - contact the Snowy Region Visitor Centre for more information.
• PLBs are also available for hire from commercial providers and can be purchased at most quality outdoor stores.
• Additional information about PLBs and EPIRBs can be found at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority web site on distress beacons or phone 1300 361 967 for find the contact details for NPWS offices.
• Remember the emergency beacon is to be used as a last resort only. Your initial distress alert should still be made by telephone, radio or other direct communication if possible.

 

For more tips and information on staying safe in national parks, visit the Park Safety webpage.