A new national mountain radio service has been established to cover most of New Zealand, combining existing operators in Canterbury, Wellington, the central North Island and Hawke's Bay.
The Mountain Safety Council says it supports the venture and applauds the dedication of the volunteers involved in running it.
The integrated national service provides communication to people entering the back country, from Stewart Island in the south to the centre of the North Island.
It maintains daily updates on the weather, the location of users and other relevant information and is available via radio telephone.
