Tramper missing in the Tararuas

‘‘People can underestimate how quickly the weather can turn.’’

Nick Kingstone

The New Zealand Defence Force has joined the search for a 60-year-old man missing in the Tararua Range.

Police said the man started a four-day tramp in the mountain range north of Wellington at the Carterton end of the forest on January 31 and was due home on last Sunday. He was reported missing to police on Tuesday at 9.25 am.

Incident controller Senior Constable Pete Cunningham said a ground search of tracks and huts started on Tuesday and continued yesterday.

Defence Force Air Component Commander Commodore Tim Walshe said a Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopter had been brought in to help with the search yesterday afternoon.

Mountain Safety Council spokesman Nick Kingstone has previously said people often underestimate the Tararua Range and the conditions they can find themselves in.

The safety council completed an in-depth look at New Zealand’s outdoor playgrounds and released the report A Walk in the Park in 2018.

In this report, Kingstone said they found the Tararuas were a hotspot with a large number of people getting into trouble in them.

‘‘They are quite close to the coast and have a reasonable elevation as well.

‘‘People can underestimate how quickly the weather can turn and how severe it can get through the Tararuas.’’