RNZAF helping hunt for missing Te Papa chief

Kevin Dalzell leads a Palmerston North Search and Rescue team yesterday during the hunt for Dr Bennington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Air Force will be taking advantage of breaks in the weather to fly extra search teams into the Tararua Ranges in the lower North Island to continue the hunt for missing Te Papa chief executive Seddon Bennington and his female companion.

Police last night identified 61-year-old Dr Bennington, chief executive of the national museum since 2003, but would not name his 54-year-old tramping companion because not all her family members had been notified.

But they said she was a family friend.

Concern is growing for the two, who went into the ranges on Saturday and were last seen that afternoon by other trampers on the track above Field Hut.

Dr Bennington had tramped in the area before, and as far as police knew the pair were adequately equipped.

But they say snow is waist-deep in some parts of the ranges, making searching difficult.

Police spokeswoman Kim Perks said last night that searches continued in the ranges until nightfall.

Fourteen police and civilian searchers had been combing the dense bush in rough weather, with some spending the night in the ranges.

An Air Force Iroquois helicopter will be flying another four teams into the area today.

The weather this morning "was not great", but a few fine breaks were forecast during the day, Ms Perks said.

"It's not all doom and gloom. They may not be able to get our personnel right to the very top but they'll certainly be able to look for opportunities to get them in as high as possible."

All three huts along the track above Field Hut had been checked, but there was no sign of the pair.

Ms Perks said the name of Dr Bennington's companion would hopefully be released shortly.

Metservice forecaster Jared Barrow said the high winds, heavy rain and snow that were slowing the search yesterday were likely to continue today.

An improvement in the weather was possible this evening "if things are lucky - the wind dies away, the southerlies die away and hopefully all the precipitation moves out to the east.

"But during the overnight period until the afternoon or evening, it's still going to be problematic weatherwise."

Paul Brewer, a former marketing and communications director at Te Papa, said Dr Bennington was an accomplished tramper, and went tramping often.

"He loves tramping and does it regularly, and yes I would say he is an experienced tramper," Mr Brewer said.

Dr Bennington joined Te Papa in January 2003 from the Carnegie Science Centre in Pittsburgh, United States, where he had been director since 1994.

He has a zoology PhD from the University of Canterbury and has also done university study in art history, anthropology, New Zealand history, and Maori studies.

He spent a year working with Volunteer Service Abroad in Western Samoa in 1966.

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA