Four trampers overdue in the Tararuas

You would think so ?. Only due out yesterday afternoon ?.

If they were heading out to Putara Rd from Cattle Ridge hut, the most obvious route is via Roaring Stag lodge. A few minutes north of Roaring Stag is an unbridged stream that can become very difficult/impossible to cross when there has been heavy rain. The most likely scenario I'm imagining is the tramping party are at Roaring Stag enjoying a warm fire in a dry hut while waiting for a break in the weather...

Stuff reports they are out safe now

As I was one of the persons involved here I can only say we were bemused by this report. We didn't even think the weather was that bad (in Tararua terms),not much wind or rain. There was quite a bit of snow but it is winter. We had a beacon and not set it off so would have thought the conclusion was obvious. We didn't get to Cattle ridge as had been forced off the tops by blizzard conditions on Wednesday and ended up at Cow Creek hut and exited through Mitre Flats. A wee way from Putara rd but an hour in a shuttle fixed that. Though the press attention was unnecessarily sensational, the Police and SAR were fantastic. No nonsense professional approach, they weren't going to start searching till we were at least 24hrs overdue. Even offered to run us back to the car.

As I was one of the persons involved here I can only say we were bemused by this report. We didn't even think the weather was that bad (in Tararua terms),not much wind or rain. There was quite a bit of snow but it is winter. We had a beacon and not set it off so would have thought the conclusion was obvious. We didn't get to Cattle ridge as had been forced off the tops by blizzard conditions on Wednesday and ended up at Cow Creek hut and exited through Mitre Flats. A wee way from Putara rd but an hour in a shuttle fixed that. Though the press attention was unnecessarily sensational, the Police and SAR were fantastic. No nonsense professional approach, they weren't going to start searching till we were at least 24hrs overdue. Even offered to run us back to the car.

So Often Newspaper reports are "enhanced" only to sell papers. Safe and well is the important part

Well, somebody raised the alarm isn't it? So must be someone you told about your trip, and for them the PLB wasn't obviously.

Good outcome. :) Some web news-site stuff is pure seratonin. Seratonin is 5-ht https://www.biovaria.org/uploads/tx_biotechnologies/1454599489_to03.00393.bild2.jpg

Do Police remove press releases when they're updated? I'd guess Police put out a press release at some point, which triggered media interest, but I'm unsure why Police would do that when they themselves said they weren't yet worried. There's an official update press release at http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/update-overdue-trampers but I cannot find anything that preceeded it.