Gisborne Land Search and Rescue

31/12/2025

On behalf on Gisborne Land Search and Rescue we would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to Chris Sharp for being recognised in the 2026 New Years Royal Honours list with a Kings Service Medal for services for Search and Rescue and outdoor recreation. This is a well-deserved recognition for his outstanding contribution on so many different levels, various groups, our community and the wider region. His contribution has extended over six decades of exceptional volunteering. Well done Sharpie, you are a legend!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/gisborne-herald/news/new-year-2026-honours-chris-sharp-awarded-kings-service-medal/WMEHX4VYTRF5BKEMV2V5UR2TUA/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPBb19leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeg9o_NGlzdMygkuXkeelS95rTr5NIQaL3G7MMRKpsZlvp_NOqJHJ5fcrTfGA_aem_KGARqyTNGk8sTpNpDh5LPg

Eastern District Police
New Zealand Police
Land Search & Rescue New Zealand

02/12/2025

Thank you Bob and Aileen Harris and The Sunrise Foundation Gisborne/Tairawhiti for your donation to our Wandersearch Programme. to support our vulnerable whanau.

And for acknowledging Chris Sharps' 60+ decades contribution to Gisborne Land Search and Rescue and to our community.

Chris was also one of the instigators for setting up our endowment found with The Sunrise Foundation back in 2018.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=854641520393799&set=a.205763025281655

Gisborne Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) received a grant from the Bob & Aileen Harris Named Fund to help continue their vital WanderSearch programme, a service that provides reassurance and safety for vulnerable whānau across Tairāwhiti.

WanderSearch supplies small, durable devices that can be worn 24/7, allowing LandSAR to quickly locate people at risk of wandering and bring them home safely.

We also want to acknowledge Chris Sharp, who was instrumental in helping establish WanderSearch locally and has dedicated an extraordinary 60+ years of service to LandSAR. His leadership and commitment have shaped the organisation and strengthened search and rescue capability across our region. Chris has recently been honoured as a Life Member, a well-deserved recognition of his decades of service.

Our community is safer thanks to people like Chris and the dedicated LandSAR team. We’re proud to support the ongoing work that protects some of our most vulnerable whānau. 💛

Pictured: Wendy Notting (left) explains to Janine McDiarmid (Sunrise) how the WaderSearch device works.

21/11/2025

Honouring 63 years of dedication 🧡

Last weekend, Chris “Sharpie” Sharp was awarded the Land Search and Rescue Life Membership — a rare honour held by only 11 people across Aotearoa.

Chris joined Land Search and Rescue in the early 1960s and has devoted more than six decades to helping others. From field operations to training, organising teams, mentoring new volunteers and supporting his mates, Chris has been a constant source of skill, wisdom and kindness.

Reflecting on his time, Chris said, “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed what I have been up to, mixed up with all sorts of people. I’ve had a glorious time with search and rescue.”

Chris, thank you. Your commitment has shaped our people, strengthened our teams, and contributed to countless safe returns.

Eastern District Police
Land Search & Rescue New Zealand
New Zealand Police
AREC - Amateur Radio Emergency Communications

12/08/2025

Search Techniques Training Weekend 9th and 10th August 2025 based at Wainui Surf Club, Gisborne.

12/08/2025

Over the weekend our group did some training with National Trainers learning about different search techniques than can be used when we search for the lost, missing or injured.

This course was held over two days and involved a night time component.

Our members learnt how to use sound and light lines using whistles and torches, to attract lost parties to the search teams.

Some of you may have seen our members out and about around the Wainui Surf Club and the reserves in the area which were used to practice their new search techniques.

Thank you to our trainers and volunteers, especially the volunteer from the Whakatane Land Search and Rescue group for giving up their weekend to learn and upskill themselves to help the lost missing and injured.

Well done team. An awesome effort!

Photo credits: Michael Andrews

19/06/2025

Celebrating Gisborne and New Zealand Land Search and Rescues longest serving volunteer for National Volunteer Week!

Chris is truly a man who reflects what a volunteering is about.

He has been volunteering for 63 years helping the lost, missing and injured.

He has has served a a team leader, mentor, a SAR Advisor to the Police, been part of the incident management team who helps form the search decisions, been our Trust Chairman and has helped raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for help provide and and equipment for our group, along with many other important jobs.

Chris was the driving force behind bringing Wandersearch programme to our region to help keep our vulnerable members safe who are cognitively impaired.

Our organisation is only one of many he has freely given his time to in our Tairawhiti Region.

He is a man of honesty, integrity and much mana and is still a very valued volunteer.

His volunteering has often taken him away from family when multi day searches occurred for up to 10-14 days at a time in dangerous, wet, cold and rugged conditions particularly in the earlier days when radio communications were often limited or non-existent.

Without the love and support of his family he would not have been able to do what he has done to help and assist the lost missing and injured.

Chris, you are a true hero because not all Heros wear capes!

Land Search & Rescue New Zealand
Eastern District Police
New Zealand Police
Safer Walking

18/06/2025

This is about the award we Land Search and Rescue New Zealand received last night..

An awesome bunch bunch of people to be a part of.

18/06/2025

Honoured to attend the Safeguard Health and Safety awards last night in Auckland where Land Search and Rescue where recognised for their Peer Support programme which was introduced to help assist our members wellbeing, especially when some searches have a tragic outcome.

This award did not fit in the criteria of the other categories and was a special Judges Award and especially being recognised in National Volunteer Week.
So great to be part of an organisation that looks after and out for members and their wellbeing so they feel valued.

Eastern District Police
Land Search & Rescue New Zealand
New Zealand Police
AREC - Amateur Radio Emergency Communications

15/06/2025

Volunteers are the most important part of our organisation.
Without them we are nothing.
Thank you to our volunteers, their families and employers for allowing us to do what we do!
We couldn't do it without you!
Land Search & Rescue New Zealand,
Eastern District Police
New Zealand Police
AREC - Amateur Radio Emergency Communications

05/06/2025

June is Volunteer Month!

Our volunteers are the backbone of our organisation.

Our volunteers give up their time:
- to help search for the lost, missing and injured.
- attend monthly trainings
- attend committee meetings
- maintain and ensure our gear is ready at all times
- issue WanderSearch pendants for vulnerable whanau within our community

Lets celebrate our volunteers!

Eastern District Police
New Zealand Police
Land Search & Rescue New Zealand
Safer Walking

25/05/2025

Are you prepared? Some good tips for being out in the outdoors for those colder months.

04/05/2025

Mission: To locate a missing WanderSearch Pendant

When: Saturday 3 May 2025

What is WanderSearch?

WanderSearch is a tracking system, provided to our community for our most vulnerable whanau who live with a cognitive impairment and are at risk of wandering and becoming lost.

How does it work?

The user wears a small tracking device which has its own individual radio frequency with a unique number allocated to the user. When the user is reported missing a search is activated by the police and search teams are deployed using a receiver unit along with other skills to help locate the missing person and return them to their whanau. The unique frequency number of the tracking device, which sends out a signal, is put into the receiver unit which we track.

What are the tracking devices?
There are 3 types of tracking devices, A necklace/pendant. A wrist and a keyring device. They are a robust unit and, can be detected up to 5km depending on the environment. The devices do not don’t require cellphone coverage however they do have a battery which lasts for about 8 months, and we replace the device every 6 months.

Who uses this service?

People who live with a cognitive impairment, e.g. Alzheimer's, Dementia, Autism, Brain injury.

Why were we tracking a pendant and not a person?

Sometimes the device and the user become separated from one another , so we deploy a team to see if we are able to locate the lost device. A new device was issued to the user, however we do try to locate the lost device as there is an expense to purchasing these devices through targeted fundraising from various charitable organisations and funding providers along with costs to replace the batteries.

Thank you to those in our community who assisted us in allowing us to have a look around their properties, others taking the time to ask us what we were doing. Our search took us around quite a wide area today, however we were unsuccessful in locating this device. It is a lot easier to locate the device when it is attached to the user.

Thank you to our volunteers who gave up part of their Saturday afternoon to try and locate the missing device.

Do you have a whanau member who is at risk of wandering/becoming lost?
Want to know more?
For more information, go to the Safer Walking NZ website to learn more. https://saferwalking.nz/

Eastern District Police
New Zealand Police
Land Search & Rescue New Zealand
Safer Walking