An Air Force NH90 helicopter helped winch the trampers off a ridgeline above waterfalls near Girdlestone, west of Masterton around 5pm. Photo: Police NZ
Two people were found safe after bad weather forced them off track on a hike in Wellington region's Tararua Forest Park.
Police said the pair were on a multi-day tramp when extreme wind conditions and poor weather led them to activate a rescue beacon on Sunday afternoon.
Land search and rescue groups responded from Wellington, Wairarapa and Horowhenua.
An Air Force NH90 helicopter helped winch the trampers off a ridgeline above waterfalls near Girdlestone, west of Masterton around 5pm.
Police said people should always have a beacon on hand when exploring outdoors.
The beacon the trampers carried in this case was a significant factor in their rescue, but the pair were also well equipped to survive, police said.
Search and rescue response can often be delayed due to bad weather and terrain, which the police said could also put responders at risk.
For those reasons, it took over 24 hours to resolve this rescue mission but it could sometimes take several days, they said.
Explorers should register their beacon with Rescue Coordination Centre NZ before they head out.