All the trampers stranded on the Milford Track last night are expected to be safely back in Te Anau tonight.
About 120 trampers were left stuck in huts last night when two large landslides blocked Milford Highway after gales lashed the Fiordland area on Sunday.
Today, a helicopter picked up about 40 trampers from Dumpling Hut, flying them out to Knobs Flat in the Eglinton Valley of the Milford Highway, from where they were bused back to Te Anau, DOC visitor asset manager Ross Kerr told NZPA.
Another 20 were flown out from Howden Hut on the Routeburn Track.
The remaining trampers were walking down the Clinton Valley to take a boat at 5pm and would be bused back, Mr Kerr said.
The Milford Track remained closed today as workers tried to clear Milford Highway, and Mr Kerr said it was hoped it would reopen by tomorrow evening.
Meanwhile, more bad weather was expected for the area tonight, with the MetService forecasting another burst of heavy thundery rain.
Up to 120mm was expected to fall in the Fiordland mountains and 150mm in the Westland mountains.
Coming on the heels of heavy rain yesterday, flooding in the areas was likely to be significant, MetService said.
