Search teams are still optimistic of finding an elderly gold panner who disappeared near a West Coast mine site more than a week ago.
Hugh McAllister, 70, was last seen Thursday last week at a mine site in the Greenstone River area near Kumara.
He was reported missing to police on Tuesday and the search started on Wednesday after his ute was found on a side road.
Assistant search and rescue co-ordinator for the Tasman District Sherp Tucker said about six search teams including dog teams combed the rugged land Mr McAllister was thought to be in.
"The kind of country he's in is very, very hard to search for someone who may be immobile," he said.
However, the weather was holding well and was expected to maintain good temperatures for searching tomorrow.
"We are still very hopeful of finding Mr McAllister."
The area hoped to be covered ran 2km along a river bed and along its tributories about 6km to 7km inland.
But progress was hampered by rugged country holding up how quickly teams were able to search, Mr Tucker said.
Mr McAllister was a gold prospector who was seeking his fortune in the area.
"He was right in the middle of a gold claim area," he said.
There were numerous mines that had been mined by Chinese prospectors more than a hundred years ago.
"They've dug down 60 or 70 feet down into the hills and are only three or four feet wide - they're just wee glutches that go way in - and that's where modern day prospectors go...and that could be what Mr McAllister was doing."
More search teams would be heading back into the area tomorrow about 8.30am, Mr Tucker said.
