Auckland Uni students rescued from heavy snow

Heavy vehicles were used to clear snow off the road in order to reach the students. File photo / Hawke's Bay Today

A group of Auckland students were rescued after they became snowed in during bad weather in Hawkes Bay.

The six students from Auckland University Tramping Club had set out on a four-day tramp in the Kaweka Range, north of Napier, but heavy snow trapped their cars and prevented them from leaving Makahu Saddle on Friday afternoon.

The group contacted police and decided they would stay in a Department of Conservation hut on Friday night to wait out the poor weather. By Saturday afternoon, a decision had been made for the police search and rescue team to retrieve the visiting trampers.

Police Senior Constable Alan Daly said DoC staff and a local farmer assisted with the rescue.

Heavy vehicles including a tractor and four-wheel drive trucks, one with a blade on the front was used to clear snow off the road in order to reach the students.

"There were about six people, all students from an Auckland tramping club. They were fine, in good spirits, and we probably got them out about 4pm [Saturday]," Mr Daly said.

The students were taken to Napier and he expected they would return to Auckland.

They would have to organise when they could retrieve their cars later.

He said parents of the students began calling emergency services when they learnt the trampers weren't coming home when expected. It was a timely reminder for people to check the long-range forecast before "they go into the bush".

"So far we've had three incidents where people haven't checked the weather; two groups became stranded by the snow and another car which became stranded when it tried to cross a ford.

"Also, their cars were inappropriate for the type of terrain they were dealing with."

Mr Daly said the weather was fine when the students began their tramp but people need to look "beyond a few days".

"... and if it is rough, take the safe option and stay away.

The club's captain Harriet Peel said the group had contacted police, family and the club promptly after discovering their vehicles were snowed in.