Glider tragedy: Bodies of Mt Tauhara gliders recovered

The bodies of the two people killed in yesterday's glider crash at Mt Tauhara near Taupō have been recovered. Photo / File

The bodies of the two people killed in Sunday's glider crash at Mt Tauhara near Taupō have been recovered.

They will be transported to Wellington, where post mortems will take place today.

Specialist teams were helicoptered in today to recover the bodies after the deceased and the glider remained in place overnight.

The incident was reported around 2.45pm on Sunday.

The pair were a pilot in his 70s and a Wellington woman, 43, who had been in Taupo for a couple's weekend, Stuff reported.

Bay of Plenty Police area commander for Tāupo , Inspector Warwick Morehu told Stuff the woman's husband had taken the first trip up with the pilot, before returning to the airfield where his wife boarded for the next trip.

The couple were New Zealand residents and part of the Muslim community, and members of the faith had travelled from Wellington and Hamilton to Taupo to support the husband, Stuff reported.

As formal identification was yet to take place, police would not be releasing any details regarding the deceased at this stage.

The circumstances of the crash would be investigated by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission.

The Tauhara Mountain Trust placed a rahui on the mountain for five days out of respect for the families, it said.

"This is effective immediately and the trust asks that the public and whānau respect the rāhui," a statement said.

The rāhui will end at sunrise on Saturday, June 6.