Trapped women rescued from forest park

Tararua Ranges

A mother and daughter who went missing in the Tararua Forest Park on Sunday were found early yesterday morning after being trapped by a slip.

The trampers, aged 40 and 60, set off on a walk in the Totara Flats area from the Mt Holdsworth car park about 9am on Sunday.

However, they failed to show up at Waiohine Gorge Rd by 5.30pm as expected and police previously said they were not equipped for an overnight stay.

It is about a 17km walk from Holdsworth Lodge to the Waiohine Gorge Rd end.

Wairarapa Search and Rescue teams entered the park about 10.30pm Sunday and found the pair, about an hour's walk downstream from the Totara Flats Hut, shortly before 5am yesterday.

Inspector Dave Rose of police central communications said the women got caught in a large slip on the track. "They appear to be in good health, having spent the night out in some atrocious weather conditions," he said.

Heavy rain has lashed the area, flooding rivers. The women were airlifted out of the park.