HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR TIME ON THE GREAT NORTH WALK

Think Before You Trek is a bush safety initiative between the NSW Police Force and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. It aims to provide bushwalkers and adventurers in the Blue Mountains with a free loaned Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).

Every year around 130 bushwalkers get lost and/or require rescuing. Most walkers are found within 24 hours, but occasionally a weekend adventure can turn to tragedy. Between 2004 and 2007 nearly 400 people were reported missing in the Blue Mountains and surrounding area, which led to 200 search and rescue operations.

The Blue Mountains National Park covers over a quarter of a million hectares of land and has Australia’s largest network of walking tracks covering over 250 kilometres. It is also NSW’s busiest park with an estimated four million visitors a year. Much of the park is remote and difficult to access, except via foot, this makes it extremely attractive to bushwalkers from all over the world.

Think before you TREK promotes the benefits of planning ahead for your bushwalking trip by using an easy to remember acronym:

T – Take adequate supplies of food, water, navigation and first aid equipment.

R – Register your planned route and tell friends and family when you expect to return.

E – Emergency beacon (PLB’s) are available free of charge from NSW Police Force and NPWS.

K – Keep to your planned route and follow the map and walking trails.