Winds block search for tramper

Andrew Wyatt was last seen at Blue Lake in Nelson Lakes National Park on or about Dec 14.

High winds forecast for the Nelson Lakes area today are expected to frustrate searchers for a British tramper.

Andrew Ian Wyatt, 41, was last seen at Blue Lake in Nelson Lakes National Park on or about December 14.

Police say strong alpine winds are expected to continue until tomorrow, when the air force is due to join the search.

"We've still got high winds in the alpine environment, so we can't get in there," Senior Constable David Cogger said.

Search teams were waiting on standby in case conditions changed.

Mr Cogger said police were still speaking to people who had been tramping in the area, but no new sightings had been reported.

Police were going to try to trace Mr Wyatt's banking records, but public holidays had delayed getting his banking details from Britain.

Mr Wyatt had two choices of paths, either towards the D'Urville Valley or the Waiau Valley, Mr Cogger said.

He had failed to fill in logbooks at Department of Conservation huts "so we've got no real starting point".

His next stop was to have been Boyle Village in Lewis Pass.