Warning as experienced hunters caught out by polar blast

Two experienced hunters have sparked an extensive search and rescue effort near Wānaka because they "didn't put enough weight on the weather".

The pair set off a personal locator beacon after finding themselves in trouble on Monday night on Mount Burke.

But attempts by Wānaka LandSAR volunteers to reach them were hampered by an incoming polar blast that delivered snow to low altitudes across swathes of the South Island.

Senior Sergeant Fiona Roberts of Wānaka police says despite having otherwise planned well for their expedition and carrying all the right gear the men underestimated the winter conditions.

"They just didn't put enough weight on the weather and got severely caught out in conditions."

The senior sergeant praises the work of everyone involved in the search.

"These are some fantastic, stellar people who went out on that wet, cold, snowy night to try and find these people."

The men were found and helicoptered out on Tuesday.

She says they had the right attitude.

"They were really humbled and couldn't have been more grateful."

The rescue has prompted her to remind others of the importance of understanding and responding to weather forecasts.

"We want people to go out there and have a really good time. We want people to plan and prepare - and I'm not saying these guys weren't well prepared, but they got themselves not a place where they were never going to get out, and that's because of the weather.

"We had a great result, but we would just prefer people not to find themselves in that situation, where they are shit scared and it's pretty uncomfortable out there."