Mystery walker remains a puzzle

THE search for the identity of a man whose remains were located in remote forest south of Hobart continues.

The skeletal remains of what appears to be a tourist caught out unprepared by the hostile environment were found in dense bushland by two bushwalkers on Sunday about 10km west of the Tahune Airwalk at Geeveston.

No man was reported missing in Tasmania around the time he was believed to have perished and police now have the laborious task of searching interstate and international missing persons registers.

“It’s a high priority to identity who this person is,” Kingston CIB acting Sergeant Michael Manning said.

Police are performing forensic examinations but it could be some time before the results are known. The cause of death has not yet been established.

Swiss francs and Hong Kong dollars were found in the backpack located at the site with a receipt showing they were purchased from a Zurich exchange in December 2010.

Police hope the receipt could help lead them to the man’s identity.

Acting Sgt Manning said police may yet go back to the site to hunt for further clues.

New South Wales man Joao De Ornelas, then aged 76, was last seen at Tahune Airwalk on March 3, 2010.

Police have ruled out the remains belonging to Mr De Ornelas, given the presence of the receipt from December that year.