Based at Camp Iona, teams of up to eight, from North Otago, Dunedin, Clutha, the Catlins and Stewart Island were in the annual competition for the Tautuku Cup, which started in 2007.
That was won by the Dunedin 1 team, which scored top points in the field rescue exercise, followed by Catlins, then Clutha.
Catlins won the management section.
North Otago SAR chairman Tony Wood said the competition was very tight, with only 14 points separating the top four teams.
With teams arriving from Friday night, the briefing for the exercise started at 8.15am for the ''injured'' victims and the medical assessors who would judge each team on how they handled the patient.
Teams set out at 10am and were judged on all procedures related to any search, including radio communication, spotting clues leading to the missing person, directional travel and safety.
Once they returned, packs were checked to make sure they all had the essentials for a search, including if they were caught out overnight.
That was followed by an observation test, identifying, items laid out along a route.
Mr Wood said it was the first time North Otago had staged the Tautuku Cup, and Camp Iona was an ideal site with its accommodation, large hall and kitchen facilities.
Search teams also had ready access to bush and forest and the exercise was conducted mostly in the Hood Creek area.
