UK tramper had become disorientated

File photo / Brett Phibbs

The English tourist found last night in the Kahurangi National Park had become disoriented and had mistaken his route for the one back to the hut where his day walk began.

James Esbester, 30, reported missing on Saturday, was found by the Summit Rescue helicopter about 8.10pm on the bed of the Crow River, about 10km from Mt Luna. He had intended to climb Mt Luna on the day he went missing.

He was taken to Nelson Hospital with suspected mild hypothermia, treated and discharged last night with no problems, a Nelson Hospital spokeswoman said.

Mr Esbester was following the stream in the wrong direction when he was picked up.

"James was well prepared for a day walk and the clothes he had were good for the conditions but he had had no food with him to last five days," Summit Rescue helicopter pilot Jarrod Colbourne said.

He was exhausted with low blood sugar but once we got him back to the hut and got some sugar into him he came round pretty quickly actually, Mr Colbourne said.

Mr Esbester's aunt Catherine Esbester said the family was very happy to hear the news.

"James was an adventurous bloke, his father described him as a free spirit...he was very determined, fit, healthy - as I guess this whole experience has proved. He is very experienced in this kind of travelling," she told Radio New Zealand.

Ms Esbester had been waiting for news with Mr Esbester's grandmother.

"We were just so happy. After such a lot of time had passed, we were getting anxious to put it mildly."

Mr Esbester had started the Wangapeka track, 75km southwest of Motueka, at the southern end of the park, on Wednesday. The next morning he wrote in a hut log book that he planned to climb Mt Luna as a day trip. However, on Saturday a tramping party raised the alarm after arriving at the hut and finding Mr Esbester's note and his equipment, including his passport and a sleeping bag.

- NZPA