KEY POINTS:
Hopes are fading for a hunter missing for five nights in the Canterbury high country as severe weather hits the south.
Searchers yesterday failed to find any sign of Corey James Foster, 24, of Ashburton, who has been missing in the Avoca Valley area, near Lake Coleridge, since Sunday night.
When he failed to return as planned from a hunting expedition, his fiancee, Rachel Pawsey, drove from the Avoca Hut by four-wheel-drive to raise the alarm.
A search involving police, defence personnel and civilian volunteers has covered the area by land and air, but search controller Peter Summerfield said there had been no sign of Mr Foster.
Adding to their concerns is a cold front which has moved on to the South Island, bringing snow and bitterly cold temperatures.
Wellington's police dive squad is to be flown into Avoca Valley today to undertake river searches in the search. A specialist cliff face rescue team has already joined the hunt.
While conditions have been mild all week, the weather turned yesterday, with a freezing southerly dropping temperatures and snow.
Despite 5cm of new snow in the search area and cloud on the tops, an air force Iroquois helicopter had already ferried new teams into the area this morning.
Senior Constable Phil Simmons said that visibility was not too bad.
"We are happy he is not on the tops so we shall revisit some of the earlier areas searched today," he said.
Police now have "serious concerns" for Mr Foster.
"While Corey had good gear, he was not prepared for a prolonged stay in the open -- we do have serious concerns for his wellbeing," search controller Sergeant Peter Summerfield said last night.
"The main search area is at 1000m and there is one search team at 1900m -- above the snow line. It is very cold."
Christchurch was just five degrees this morning, with the wind chill making it feel colder.
Snow was reported further inland at Springfield and Sheffield and sleet at Christchurch International Airport.
Snow showers were falling as low as 100m above sea level in Southland and Otago yesterday, and Canterbury alpine passes were also expected to receive dumpings of snow. Up to 30cm of snow was expected above 300m.
Chains are required for motorists on State Highway 73 between Arthur's Pass and Otira, and on State Highway 7 between the Hanmer turnoff and Springs Junction.
Up to 100 households in rural Southland were without electricity after a power line between Clinton and Mataura broke.
Powernet systems controller Kana Shanmuganathan said it was not known whether it was snow or high winds which broke the line.
Contractors had to wait for daylight before heading in to restore power, he said.
Gore police Sergeant Craig Sinclair said State Highway 93 between Clinton and Mataura was closed by icy conditions but there were no other problems to report.
The hills were "thick" with snow and sleet was falling in Gore, he said.
MetService forecaster Paul Bruce said most of the cold air is only clipping Southland, Fiordland and southern Otago and not getting much further north.
The North Island should miss the worst of the weather, but may get snow at about 1300m today.
Despite the freezing weather, there is bad news for southern skiers.
The planned opening of the Mt Hutt skifield will not go ahead tomorrow because there is not enough snow.
Searchers
Mr Summerfield said it was snowing in the Avoca Valley yesterday and searchers had serious concerns for Mr Foster's safety.
"The main search area around the Avoca Valley is at 1000m and there is one search team at 1900m above the snow line. It is very cold. While Corey had good gear, he was not prepared for a prolonged stay in the open."
Yesterday, Ms Pawsey and Mr Foster's family were still holding out hope he would be found but were not up to talking to the Herald.
Twenty-eight searchers concentrated their efforts in bush around the Avoca Hut.
The search will be suspended once they are satisfied all possible areas have been covered.
Meanwhile, Irish tourist Jonno Burton, 27, was lucky to be found safe yesterday after he became separated from a walking party in remote South Westland.
The group set out for a 40 minute return walk through Moccasin Gap at Jackson Bay at 4.30pm on Wednesday, and police were told at 6.30pm that Mr Burton had not returned to the car park.
Volunteers searched the rugged Jackson Bay coastline from 7.30pm to 11.30pm and found a partial footprint in a creek.
They returned by helicopter at first light yesterday and found Mr Burton on the rocks after having spent a "miserable" night in the bush. He was wet but well.
A group of outdoor education students also had to be rescued by helicopter after they became stranded by rising water in the West Coast's Fox River yesterday.
- with NEWSTALK ZB and NZPA
