With a very clear and contrasting topography New Zealand offers the best possible areas for developing and learning this skill.

Action Education
KANES can provide skilled teachers to pass on this important skill. You learn how to use maps to find your location using back bearings on a map, Identify  map features with land features, plan safe routes, use a compass effectively, identify features, estimate travelling times and more.

Maps used
KANES use the 1:50,000 scale maps for advance training. these are available at many information centres and provide information to enable experiences bush walkers to safely move without other tracks or signs.

Magnetic Variation
Students are shown how to calculate this and account for it when relying on their compass to navigate accurately.

Orientating your map
You learn how speed up the way you navigate in some areas and conditions simply by orienting you map correctly.  With KANES interested groups   do this at various locations during their tour until practice get it right.

Compass uses
With KANES, groups learn how to find directions, establish a bearing and to follow these correctly. Hands on exercises in interesting areas are undertaken to reinforce this skill.

Creating Back-Bearings
For serious studies the skill to calculate these work these using maps only then setting your compass correctly is the objective.  With this skill you will be able to travel in the dark, fog or mountain cloud.

Identifying land marks & features
Being familiar with these in reality and on the map ensures greater speed and accuracy. With this skill you will be able to visit areas without actually going there.

Calculating travel time with maps
This is one of the most common and important skills for travel planning. We can use this for vehicle travelling as well as walking.

Orienteering exercises
As time permits you can enjoy the activity many people simply do for fun and competition.

Communicating locations
This is important to be able to direct search & rescue help to you.   Correct communication ensures accuracy and speed.