A couple of hunters were forced to shelter in place on Mt Burke, near Wānaka, on Monday night.
Police said the incident highlighted the value that should be placed on consulting the weather forecast.
Wānaka LandSAR was called out to Mt Burke after two hunters set off an emergency locator beacon on Monday.
Senior Sergeant Fiona Roberts said the pair were experienced hunters who knew the area well, but had not given the weather forecast "the value that it should have been".
"They ended up on top of Mt Burke in complete whiteout conditions," she said.
"They were prepared for the cold, they were prepared for the weather. What they weren’t prepared for was [lack of] visibility and they got caught out badly."
She said the pair had taken a wrong turn attempting to leave and became stuck.
Rescue efforts were hampered by weather conditions, and the pair were extracted by helicopter on Tuesday morning without issue.
"Our team spent a night out trying to look for them.
"They got close to them, they could hear each other," Snr Sgt Roberts said.
"They just had to wait until the weather lifted the next day to get the heli in."
Snr Sgt Roberts said the incident would hopefully serve as a reminder that even the most experienced hunters needed to put a high value on the weather forecast.
• Police in Wānaka said a 20-year-old man was arrested in relation to a "range of serious drug-related charges" last weekend.
The charges included unlawful possession of ammunition, two charges for possession of an offensive weapon, possession of morphine for supply, supplying MDMA (ecstasy), and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis.
Snr Sgt Roberts said the man was only visiting Wānaka at the time, and had since been released on bail to a different part of the country.
• A male and female duo are facing 12 charges of shoplifting after being caught by police, targeting both Wānaka New World supermarkets.
Snr Sgt Roberts said more charges might result from their investigation into the pair’s activity.
The offending involved goods up to the value of about $1200.
