Police's ICT engineers get to some challenging places – and in the depths of a Southland winter, things can get pretty rugged nearly one-and-a-half kilometres above sea level.

In a winter which has seen temperatures fall to -20C in parts of the South Island, these photos were taken by regional support engineer Scott Neill during maintenance work on 1400-metre Mid Dome.

Flag ice on the radio equipment. Photo: Supplied.

With the 4WD track closed due to snow, the only way for Scott and district support engineer Aaron Harvey to get to the Southland peak was by helicopter.

The work is part of the Analogue Radio Assurance project which keeps the analogue network running whatever the weather.

Scott, who is normally based in Auckland, and Invercargill-based Aaron spent four to five hours working to replace older equipment and check everything was in good order before the chopper returned to pick them up.

They were unable to get to two other sites at greater altitude because conditions were less favourable.

'It was certainly different to the Auckland sites I normally look after,” says Scott.

'You don't generally get flag ice in Grey Lynn. You just have to make sure you dress for the conditions.”

He took the photographs with his Canon EOS 650D.

'I enjoy my photography,” says Scott. 'In a place like that you have plenty to work with - it's hard to get a bum shot.”

The helicopter at Mid Dome. Photo: Supplied.