Every year people get into trouble in New Zealand’s outdoors when trying to cross unsafe rivers.

NZ Mountain Safety Council says these incidents are almost always preventable with the right knowledge, mindset and preparation.

To raise awareness of river hazards and promote essential river crossing skills, MSC is launching its first annual River Safety Month for October.

“Rivers are a leading cause of outdoor incidents for land-based activities in Aotearoa NZ, like tramping, hunting and trail running.

“Tragically, someone dies almost every year as a result of a river crossing gone wrong and there are many more near-misses,” said chief executive Mike Daisley.

“Rivers are dynamic, so constantly changing, and can quickly become flooded with rain and snow melt. People venturing into the outdoors must treat rivers with the upmost respect and every crossing with caution.”

While some tracks, like the Great Walks, typically have bridged river crossings, there are thousands of other routes across the motu that require unbridged crossings.

With NZ’s unpredictable weather and snowmelt through spring and early summer, river levels can rise suddenly, turning a calm river into a raging torrent in minutes, said Daisley.

“With many people planning spring and summer trips after taking a winter break, it’s the ideal time to talk about river safety.

“We want all outdoor adventurers to have river safety knowledge and skills to make safer decisions.”

As part of the campaign, aninteractive quiz allows people to test their river safety knowledge. Free river safety stickers in two distinctive designs highlight the four signs of an unsafe river:

Too fast? Is the water moving faster than normal walking pace?

Too murky? Is the water brown and dirty?

Too messy? Is the water carrying items, like trees or branches?

Too loud? Are there loud noises, like roaring water or moving rocks?

“We’ve created stickers for outdoor enthusiasts to use on their water bottles,” said Daisley.

“They’re designed to spark conversations about river safety while in the outdoors and remind people what they need to look for when they’re deciding if a river is safe to cross.”

The stickers are available through collaborating outdoor retailers, including all Macpac, Bivouac Outdoor and Hunting & Fishing NZ, as well as Department of Conservation visitor centres nationwide.

“We want to stress that rivers represent a significant hazard in the outdoors. But with the right knowledge, preparation and decision-making, they can be navigated safely.

“If you don’t have river crossing skills, stick to tracks with bridges until you do. No destination is worth the risk of an unsafe crossing.”

River Safety Month highlights four key skills – one per week throughout October – to help outdoor enthusiasts safety navigate river crossings:

The four signs of an unsafe river

Safe crossing techniques

Packing the right gear

Avoiding mental traps that can lead to risky decisions.

NZ Mountain Safety River Safety Resources

River safety webpage

How to Cross a River Safety video

#RiverSafetyMonth2025 quiz

River crossing course providers

-NZ Mountain Safety Council