Body found in Tongariro National Park

A karakia would be held and a rahui placed on the crossing for three days. Photo / File

The body of a man has been found in the Tongariro National Park.

Police and Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) from the central North Island located the body while for a missing 53-year-old man on Mount Tongariro.

A police statement said a karakia would be held on Mangatepopo Road at 3pm today and a rahui would be put in place on the Tongariro Crossing for three days.

A police communications spokesman said emergency services were alerted at 5.30pm yesterday.

Police say four men set out at 8am yesterday to hike over the Tongariro Alpine Crossing from Ketetahi to Mangatepopo.

The group stayed together until the bush edge below Ketetahi Hut, where three of the men continued without the missing man, police say.

Police were notified the man was missing by his wife when he did not return to his vehicle around 5pm.

The search continued until after midnight in blizzard conditions without success and reconvened at 7am today.

A helicopter was also called to help with the search.