The family of Israeli tourist Liat Okin take some comfort from the fact she probably died at an early stage of her Fiordland tramp, her brother says.
The body of Ms Okin, 35, was found last Friday in dense bush about 1km off the Routeburn track after a private search team located her backpack and shoes in the area the day before.
She was last seen at the Mackenzie Hut on the track on March 26.
Mr Tas said an autopsy had indicated she was likely to have fallen about 40 metres down a creek, and from the information he had received, that was likely to have happened on the same day she got lost.
"Which is sort of cold comfort to know she didn't suffer and she wasn't out freezing or starving or any other possibility...," he told Radio New Zealand.
Mr Tas said while it took more than a week before police began a search for her, the delay was unlikely to have made a difference.
When the police search was called off, a private search continued and Ms Okin's body was found at a stage when that search was about to also be called off.
"With that kind of search you could sometimes look for half a year and not find it," Mr Tas said in regard to the vast area Ms Okin was in.
"I do believe and feel that the police and searchers...and everybody did a very great effort.
"Because of that reason we really felt that we wanted to continue and search ourselves."
Before returning to Israel, Mr Tas said he had seen pictures on Ms Okin's camera which suggested she had been enjoying herself in New Zealand.
"I want to thank all the New Zealand people and the many people that helped us...I have a warm place for New Zealand in my heart," he said.
Acting Otago rural police area commander Inspector Andrew Burns said today it was up to the coroner to decide if and when the cause of death would be officially made public.
