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A dog stranded on a mountain ledge since New Year's Day faces at least one more night alone in the wilderness.
Bad weather is blocking attempts to rescue it.
Diff, a 65kg bull mastiff, has been stuck on Mt Maroon, near the town of Rathdowney in southeast Queensland, after slipping down the cliff during a bushwalk with two men, aged 24 and 30.
The men set off with Diff shortly before midnight on New Year's Eve, planning to watch the year's first sunrise.
Authorities began searching for the men after they did not return on Tuesday, and they were found on Wednesday afternoon.
They had become stranded themselves while trying to retrieve Diff from the steep cliff ledge.
They were rescued first, and the dog was tethered.
But bad weather thwarted plans for a rescue helicopter to go back and save the clumsy canine.
An SPCA inspector yesterday used a television news helicopter in another effort to save Diff.
But the rescue attempt was abandoned because of heavy rain and strong winds.
SPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said another attempt was unlikely before tomorrow morning, when the weather was expected to improve.
"It's just too dangerous," he said. "We're talking about 90 km/h wind gusts up there at the moment, plus rain, and it's very slippery."
Mr Beatty said the inspector spotted Diff, but could not tell whether he had been injured.
Two mountaineers involved in the search for Diff's owners yesterday tried to drop off food for the dog, but could not find him.
Mr Beatty said a dog could survive for up to two weeks without food.
"The problem would be dehydration, but obviously there's plenty of water around."
While Diff has been blamed for landing his owners in trouble in the first place, the unlucky dog was also credited with getting them out of trouble.
It was his loud barking that drew rescuers to their location.
Mt Maroon is part of the Mt Barney National Park.
Dogs are prohibited in national parks - an issue likely to be raised with Diff's owners once he has been rescued.
- AAP
