Luisa Girao has been on the story of the pair - believed to be Invercargill man Alan Mortimore (49) and his son Danny (14) - after they failed to return from a hunt near Lake Hauroko on Saturday evening.
Ms Girao found the pair walking along a road a couple of kilometres from the search and rescue centre that had been set up at a campsite in the area.
She drove them to the centre, and said they appeared to be in good condition.
She said was in a state of near shock at being the one to come across the pair, given the number of experienced searchers who had been looking for them.
"I can't believe it."
A police spokeswoman earlier today said efforts overnight to locate the pair using light and sound systems were unsuccessful.
More than 30 people had been taking part in the search since Sunday after people in the campsite reported they failed to return from a hunt the previous day.
Sergeant Ian Martin said the pair appeared to have almost no overnight or survival gear with them and were not prepared for a night in the bush.
"Some other people who were at the campsite notified the police.
"They said they would be away for two hours for a hunt and they did not turn up.
"I don’t think they had much experience and they did not have the equipment necessary."
Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast for the region today.
On Sunday afternoon, police search and rescue personnel conducted a ground and aerial search using thermal and night vision technology from a helicopter.
Last week a tramper was found dead in the national park after searches in the Devil’s Armchair area near the northern end of the Milford Track.
