Southland AREC

13/09/2026

A great little piece of Southland AREC history from 1934!

A transmitter was installed by members of the Southland AREC group aboard the S.S. Tamatea, ready to maintain communications with Awarua during a proposed search for two missing deer stalkers in the Sounds District.

The vessel, with Alex Hyndman (ZL4CH) ready to go, was prepared to sail at a moment's notice to assist with the search and provide vital communications.

Fortunately, the search party wasn't required — both missing men managed to make their way safely back to civilisation.

It's pretty impressive to see that over 90 years ago, Southland's radio amateurs were already putting their skills and equipment to work supporting search and rescue operations. 📡🚢

Different equipment, different era, but the same mission: providing communications when they're needed most.

01/09/2026

AREC training tonight 🌙📻
Putting our communications skills to the test after dark. Tonight’s exercise focused on setting up the portable repeater system, establishing reliable radio coverage, and working together as a team in low-light conditions.
Another good night of practical training for the AREC Southland team — train like you operate! 🚑📡💪

06/08/2026

https://arec.nz/testing-skills-in-rugged-conditions-southland-arec-visits-stewart-island/

The exercise was designed to assess the group’s readiness to support search and rescue incidents in remote environments, where vehicle-based communications assets are unavailable. It also provided an opportunity to work at establishing fully portable radio communications systems, in non-equipped l...

06/08/2026

MeshCore is growing rapidly across Southland!

Get yourself a Companion device and join the network. Enjoy encrypted group messaging, create your own private groups, and communicate without relying on the internet, mains power, or a licence.

Operating on 917 MHz, MeshCore is a great way to stay connected and have some fun. The Wio Tracker L1 Pro has proven to be an excellent device for getting started.

10/05/2026

AREC Southland recently completed a highly successful Stewart Island / Rakiura Communications Exercise, made possible through funding support from AREC - Amateur Radio Emergency Communications.

Over the weekend our team deployed portable communications systems into remote off-grid environments, established field radio networks on Ulva Island / Te Wharawhara, tested repeaters, HF, MeshCore connectivity back to the mainland, and supported Rakiura LandSAR with real operational-style radio traffic during their refresher training.

The exercise provided valuable hands-on experience in remote communications, message handling, teamwork, leadership, and emergency deployment logistics, all while strengthening relationships with local agencies and the Stewart Island community.

A huge thank you to RealNZ, Southern District Police, Southland District Council, Rakiura Charters & Water Taxi - Stewart Island and everyone who supported the exercise.

A fantastic weekend of learning, training, teamwork and radio in one of New Zealand’s most unique environments.