Northland's rescue helicopter team has been busier than usual this holiday season with calls for help coming from people on the sea and on land.
Chief pilot Peter Turnbull estimates callouts for the Northland Electricity rescue helicopter were 30 per cent up on last year, which was the service's busiest year.
In January alone the rescue helicopter team undertook 71 flights. He put the rise down to more holidaymakers in Northland enjoying the outdoors. Remote areas where accidents were happening also required a helicopter for access.
"People are attracted to Northland for all the healthy outdoor activities like diving, swimming and plenty of others that have some element of risk. Sometimes things do go wrong."
Demand had increased more in the Far North. He said that could be due to a population increase but also due to a centralising of health services and technologies in Whangarei.