Police said they were notified at 8.15pm on Friday that a group of teenagers had unexpectedly been caught out while walking the Makarewa Falls track in the Hokonui Hills, Southland.
As the group started to lose daylight they also lost the track route and became lost.
When they realised they were in trouble, the group alerted police by using the SOS function on their cellphone before lighting a fire.
Invercargill police search and rescue co-ordinator Sergeant Alun Griffiths said a group of 10 Land Search and Rescue volunteers, supported by Amateur Radio Emergency Communications, were deployed and the group was located shortly after midnight.
The group arrived in the carpark at 2am in good health despite some miserable weather conditions, police said.
The boys did all the right things and stayed calm, Sgt Griffiths said.
The Makarewa Falls track is a 16km return loop track about 20 minutes out of Winton and takes roughly six hours to complete. Its difficulty is moderate and it features some rough trail.
Police said the summer hours were well and truly over and reminded outdoor enthusiasts to be mindful that a lack of light could change everything.
"What may start as a day walk could turn into an overnight trip faster than you might realise if you lose sight of the track."
The track was opened in 2021 by the Winton Rotary Club, who spent about 600 hours marking the route to a 24m waterfall.
The track is accessible from Hall and Mandeville Rds in the Otapiri Gorge.
- Additional reporting RNZ
