Thread: Cell coverage in the Kaimais

Hello!

I'm going hunting om the Kaimais, but I don't know, if I can use my cell phone as GPS there? Or do I have to buy a GPS for the purpose? I have Vodafone if that's of any importance.

Best,

Coverage is patchy.

Download the nz topo50s map then it doesn't matter if there is reception, just turn on the location feature on the phone and it should show up on the map

As stated, if you have topo maps downloaded on your phone you can use them offline. GPS on your phone works without coverage. Personally I use the ViewRanger App and find it good.
If you’re thinking from a safety point of view, I get cell reception along the Western side of the Kaimais from SH29 to Wairere Falls, although you generally have to be close to the edge. In the Northern part, typically as long as you are on a ridge or near to the top of one you’ll have coverage.

Should also have added make sure you take a compass if the phone is your only navigation....

Thanks for your good advice. I'm thinking of going hunting along the Thompsons track. Would you say that it's easy to follow the track to the Motutapere Hut or do I need the route on a map/app to find it?

Hey man, It sounds like you are pretty inexperienced in both hunting and/or navigation. Kaimais are thick and confusing at the best of times, and many a more experienced navigator than yourself has become geographically embarrassed in that bush.

If you want to have an enjoyable hunt in new country, and not have to worry about getting lost, a gps or gps app on your phone is pretty much a must. ALWAYS take a map and compass as well.

Pay the $10 or whatever for the phone app. Seriously, you'll thank me after a couple of hours in the bush there

Have fun, be safe and hunt hard

Originally Posted by npnielsen

Thanks for your good advice. I'm thinking of going hunting along the Thompsons track. Would you say that it's easy to follow the track to the Motutapere Hut or do I need the route on a map/app to find it?

Not 100% sure it's legal to hunt off tracks on doc managed land (sure we all do it) but just be aware the tracks are used by others and you will need a safe background I.e. Don't fire along the track

500m from track isn't it? Poor bloke in the Ruahines copped one while on the track, not very good practise imo.

Originally Posted by Gibo

500m from track isn't it? Poor bloke in the Ruahines copped one while on the track, not very good practise imo.

500m seems to ring a bell to me... Plenty of other places in new Zealand you can hunt where there won't be trampers and he animals won't be as disturbed

As said:
Excellent phone reception on the west because you have line of sight to call towers and can be patchy on the east because some valleys dont have line of sight.
Gps on phone doesn't require cell coverage.just satellites and reception is excellent unless you're deep in a ravine.
Several apps allow download of topo maps at home on wifi I use topo50 and you get all north island for about $10 I think.
If you've got cell reception you can use Google or apple maps with satellite layer to see the vegetation and find slips clearings huts but can be confusing to understand ridges and valleys etc.
Paper map with a compass is good. You can download them from doc or linz and print out the section of interest if you've got time.

That part of the kaimais is steep enough navigation is straightforward. Flat areas round wairere falls etc are diabolical but round motutapere you will be fine.

Thomson's track is a poxy mud hole and I think people go there by 4wd and trail bikes so depressing to traverse on foot from either west or east.
Look at the tuahu track and come to motutapere hut from the north. It's an interesting piece of ridge. Dont try to walk straight up over sentinel rock.

Read your doc permit for details of the "no hunting near tracks" rules. They are there to keep people safe on roads like thompsons track and popular tracks. To be honest a large part of the land in the kaimais is within 400m of some track. Review your rules 3,4 and 5 of firearm safety.and use common sense as well. Specially dont annoy endanger or frighten anyone; be a nice guy friendly polite to all you meet hunter tramper or biker.

500 Metres give me a Tui

Originally Posted by Bonecrusher

500 Metres give me a Tui

I didn't think you were allowed to shoot them either.... That's a scary example, doc signs being shot up pissed me off as well, the idiots are just wasting her own tax money

The other thing to consider @npnielsen is that relying on a cell phone can get you into all sorts of trouble with battery life. If you run a GPS app like Memory Map on your cell phone, the best policy is to switch the phone into airplane mode to preserve battery when you put the phone away. And then switch airplane mode off, and relocate yourself, when you want to check the map again. Alternatively, you can switch off Bluetooth, wifi and data only, but... When you are in areas of poor cell signal, the phone "hunts" for signal constantly, and this is the main cause for phones going flat much quicker than usual. Constant checking on the phone doesn't help either, nor does taking photos and videos and re-watching them...

Far better to carry a print out of your phone app map and refer to that are you go. Even in the Kaimais its quite easy to use a proper contour 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 map. Only check on your phone when you absolutely need to.

I do use my phone as my GPS, but I also carry a Anker power bank. The weight penalty is cancelled by not having to carry a phone, a GPS and a camera, and spare batteries. Plus the phone does so much more... ballistics, weather, barometer, altimeter, voice recorder (hunting notes), Google Earth when I've got 4G. And I carry an EPIRB, always.

Battery life is precious, look after it.

Originally Posted by Gibo

500m from track isn't it? Poor bloke in the Ruahines copped one while on the track, not very good practise imo.

500m on the great walks tracks, crappy standard tracks it is free range and that's why he died as well as failure to clearly identify target