The dangers of backcountry travel are readily apparent: drowning, hypothermia, dropping off some height, carbon monoxide poisoning in a bivvy, etc.
NZ weather is changeable and potentially fearsome.
Blizzard conditions are possible in mid-summer, and the day can start perfectly and crash into savage in an hour. Temperatures can plunge in minutes, the wind turn gale force, the rain torrential. Creeks turn into torrents, suddenly treacherous. Then again, they can go down almost as rapidly
Patience is a virtue. Better to sit and wait it out and let the flood subside.
Recently, people have died on a very popular tramp, the Robert Ridge, on their way up to Angelus Hut. Only a few hours away from civilisation. They did not read the conditions and made poor decisions, like, not turning back when it was clear the situation could deteriorate.
They would have had a better chance of survival had they been carrying a PLB, a Personal Locator Beacon that uses satellite transmission to send your distress call and precise location.
These should be activated as soon as serious danger is apparent. Had they done so, it is likely that they could have been rescued.
New Zealand might be unique in having a decently resourced and highly responsive Search and Rescue Service.
When hiking in New Zealand backcountry the service is highly responsive. They take alerts from your PLB very seriously.
Usually, within 90 minutes, a helicopter will reach you with a paramedic aboard. This might be delayed in extreme weather if it is deemed unsafe to fly, but they are more capable than you might think. Night flights are common, but extremely dense clouds to low-level or seriously strong winds delay response.
Search and Rescue has a philosophy that it is better to call for help before the problem escalates and becomes a life-threatening situation.
Here is the surprise for overseas hikers.
The cost? It’s free.
Use this service judiciously, not just because you ran out of food.
And, if whatever has happened is not life-threatening, wait until morning to push the button.