Police are praising a school group for keeping calm and doing all the right things after getting lost in bush in Western Bay of Plenty this last week.

Fourteen children, two teachers and four parents from Waihi Beach Primary School were exploring the Te Puna Quarry Park in the Whakamärama area when they realised they had followed indicators that marked traps, not a path.

Instead of continuing walking, the group made the right decision to stay put and called Police at 12.50pm.

"In cases like this, Police send a “mobile locate” text, which requests a person’s GPS location; the request was sent to a parent helper and allowed their GPS location and pictures from where the group was to be sent to Police and relayed to staff on the ground," says Senior Sergeant Shannon Clifford.

Police and Search and Rescue headed to the scene and escorted the group out of the bush without incident.

Police say the actions of the adults and children during this unexpected event were commendable.

"The quick thinking of adults allowed for the speedy rescue of the group from the bush and prevented the situation becoming any worse.

"This situation shows why it’s so important to take a fully charged form of communication with you if you head into the bush."

The group also brought food, water and appropriate clothing, and had communicated their intentions and spoken with the park staff about the visit.

"[These are] key safety measures that we urge anyone heading on walks or tramps to follow."

More information for adventure can be found online here - www.landsar.org.nz/prevent