Two crew members clinging to the hull of their boat in Southland had to be winched to safety after a Christmas Day capsize.
The rescue was among more than 20 callouts across the country responded to by the coastguard over Christmas, most being non-urgent.
In a post on social media, Coastguard New Zealand said the boat capsized near Big River, Prices Point, on Christmas Day.
The Maritime NZ Rescue Co-ordination Centre responded after the pair's personal locator beacon was activated, and a rescue helicopter from Te Anau was dispatched at 3.16pm.
The helicopter found the 4m aluminium boat upside down, "with the pair clinging to the hull", the coastguard said.
"They were winched to safety, while Coastguard Riverton recovered the boat."
Coastguard Riverton master Barry Anderson said the two crew members were "in real good condition, considering what they'd been through".
Mr Anderson said he understood the pair were returning from a hunting and fishing trip, and capsized after messaging their wives they were coming home.
"It was just unlucky for what they were doing.
"The location was the big factor in the end of the day of why it was such a long rescue.
"We were just lucky we had the sea conditions to get there ourselves.
The pair were well-equipped and had dressed well for the conditions, in wetsuits underneath their clothing, and could have "been drifting out there for days probably quite happily" as they displayed no signs of hypothermia, Mr Anderson said.
"They had everything tied to the upturned boat; they were setting up for a long adventure."
Coastguard New Zealand reminded people a registered personal locator beacon and lifejackets could save lives.
