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Play Safe
in New Zealand - Your Safety
New Zealand is one of the
safest travel destinations in the world, with a relatively low crime rate,
few endemic diseases and a first-class healthcare and accident compensation
system. However, we recommend you observe the same precautions with your
personal safety and your possessions as you would in any other country
or at home.
• Keep copies of your important
documents, eg passport and credit cards, and keep them separate from the
originals.
• Keep a record of the description
and serial number of valuable items, eg digital cameras.
• Dial 111 in emergencies.
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Keeping Yourself Safe
Crime rates in New Zealand
are lower than many other countries, but you can help keep yourself and
others safe by following these simple tips:
• If possible, go places
with someone you know and trust.
• Be aware of your surroundings
when walking and sightseeing.
• Late at night, stay in
places that are well lit and with other people. Don’t take short cuts through
parks or alleyways. Take a taxi or get a ride with someone you know. |
• Drugs and more than moderate
amounts of alcohol can lower your awareness and increase your vulnerability.
• In a bar, avoid accepting
drinks from strangers and don’t leave your drink unattended.
• If using an ATM withdraw
small amounts - preferably during the day - and shield your pin.
• Don’t carry large amounts
of cash or expensive jewellery.
• Keep valuable items close
to your body.
• The police recommend you
don’t accept rides from people you don’t know.
• While still relatively
safe in New Zealand, we recommend you don’t hitchhike. For more tips on
driving in New Zealand see Road Rules and Safety.
• Lock your accommodation
(including campervans) and secure windows at night.
• Carry a mobile phone and
don’t hesitate to dial New Zealand’s emergency phone number if you feel
unsafe or threatened - dial 111.
• Carry a basic first-aid
kit for use in emergencies.
Getting Help
The emergency telephone
number in New Zealand is 111. It is a free phone call. If you have an emergency
and need a quick response from the Police, the Fire Service, Ambulance
or Search and Rescue, dial 111.
There are Police Stations
in all main towns and cities in New Zealand and in many rural locations.
Contact details can be found in local telephone books. Don’t hesitate to
contact the police if you feel unsafe or threatened. And do report any
theft and crime to the police immediately.
Keeping Safe Via Text
Messaging
New Zealand's two main mobile
phone providers offer a txt messaging service for visitors.
You can send updates about
your location and travel movements via txt to number 7233 [SAFE]. These
details are kept on a central database which can be accessed by police
if necessary. Each text message sent to 7233 will be acknowledged by an
automated response, which advises you to call 111 and request police assistance
if you are in danger. Police and the New Zealand tourism industry encourage
you to use this service as another way of letting people know where you
are and what you are doing while in our country.
Keeping Your Possessions
Safe
Follow these commonsense
precautions to help keep your possessions safe:
• Always lock your accommodation
or vehicle and keep windows secure when unattended, and at night.
• Hand your room key to
reception rather than carrying it with you.
• Never leave valuables
in parked vehicles.
• Don’t leave maps, luggage
or visitor brochures visible in your vehicle.
• Store valuables securely,
ideally in a safe at your accommodation.
• Try and park campervans
in designated areas.
• Never leave bags, backpacks,
wallets or cameras unattended in any public place, especially airports,
ferry terminals or railway stations.
If any of your possessions
are stolen or valuable items misplaced, advise local police as soon as
possible
Accidents and Health
Insurance
With a little care and common
sense, your visit to New Zealand should be accident-free. If you are injured
here, you may need the help of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)
- New Zealand's accident compensation scheme.
In New Zealand, you cannot
sue anyone for compensatory damages if you are injured. Instead ACC helps
pay for your care - and that means paying towards the cost of your treatment
and helping in your recovery while you remain in New Zealand.
You still need to purchase
your own travel and medical insurance because ACC does not cover everything.
ACC only covers treatment and rehabilitation in New Zealand, and usually
you must pay part of the cost yourself. If you have a serious injury, with
long-term effects, you may also be eligible to be assessed for lump-sum
compensation once the injury is stable. The ACC does not pay any additional
costs resulting from an accident, for example delayed or curtailed travel
costs, travel home, treatment at home and loss of income in your home country.
We strongly advise you to
arrange your own health insurance. New Zealand's public and private medical/hospital
facilities provide a high standard of treatment and service but it is important
to note these services are not free to visitors, except as a result of
an accident.
Visitors bringing in a quantity
of medication are advised to carry a doctor's certificate to avoid possible
problems with New Zealand Customs. Doctor's prescriptions are needed to
obtain certain drugs in New Zealand.
Vaccinations
No vaccinations are required
to enter New Zealand.
Safety in the water
Given New Zealand's subtropical
climate, it is no surprise that New Zealanders like to spend so much of
their leisure time in the water. However water can conceal hazards. Beaches
with potential hazards are often patrolled by lifeguards, who put up yellow
and red flags - Water Safety New Zealand recommend that between these flags
is the safest place to swim on these beaches.
Other advice includes having
an adult watching over children at all times, to listen to advice from
life guards, never swim or surf alone, learning to recognise rip currents,
always using safe equipment, never swimming or surfing when tired or cold,
considering other surf users and staying out of the water if in doubt.
Safety Precautions
Although there are no snakes
or dangerous wild animals in New Zealand, you should be aware of the following:
• Variable Weather - Weather
conditions in New Zealand alpine areas can change rapidly. Be prepared
for cold wet weather if you plan to walk in our National Parks, whatever
the time of year.
• Sandflies - In wetter
areas, particularly in Fiordland, sandflies can be pests, but are effectively
controlled by use of an insect repellent.
• Giardia - Giardia is a
water-borne parasite that causes diarrhoea. To avoid contracting it, it
is best not to drink water from lakes, ponds or rivers without first boiling,
chemically treating or filtering it.
Sunburn - New Zealand's
clear, unpolluted atmosphere and relatively low latitudes produce sunlight
stronger than much of Europe or North America, so be prepared to wear hats
and sun block if you plan to be out in the sun for more than 15-20 minutes.
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New
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