Search teams and dogs will continue searching the Mackenzie hut area for missing Israeli tramper Liat Okin, but Queenstown police say the lack of evidence showing she has been there is frustrating.
Ms Okin (35) had been expected to return to Queenstown to collect property from a friend's home on March 27 or 28 after walking the Routeburn Track, but she never arrived.
Search incident controller and Senior Sergeant John Fookes, of Queenstown, said search teams had looked in areas already covered for a second time using different search methods during the weekend. But there was still no sign of the missing tramper.
‘‘Normally, you'll find some indication she's been there, but given the high amount of people traffic through there, it's difficult to separate one person from all the other users in the area,'' Snr Sgt Fookes said.
‘‘The lack of clues and lack of sightings makes it more difficult to find her. It's frustrating.''
The search teams would meet today to review the areas searched so far and look at what, if any, areas could be searched in the future.
‘‘We meet with an open mind. There are no plans to halt the search yet,'' he said.
