Family farewell tramper who died in Tararua Range 

The family of a man who died while tramping in the Tararua Range have gathered on Saturday to say their farewells at his funeral.

The body of Terrence Ivan Elliott​, named in a Wairarapa Times-Age death notice, was found in Tararua Range just hours after he activated a personal locator beacon near the Neil Forks Hut, about 30 kilometres west of Carterton, on Friday, January 6.

Elliott was found a few hours later by a helicopter using thermal imaging in the dense bush covered area.

His funeral was being held in Masterton on Saturday morning.

Originally from Carterton, Stuff understands Elliott was visiting from Ireland with his wife Sinéad with whom he was tramping when he died.

Sergeant Tony Matheson​ said Elliott had tramped the Tararua Range before and was well-equipped.

Elliott had elected to carry on to Maungahuka Hut while his wife stayed behind at Neil Forks Hut.

“It was on that trip that the issues arose,” Matheson said​.​

He said while it would be for the coroner to determine, it appeared the death was related to a medical event as opposed to misadventure.

The death notice read: “Ivan died unexpectedly while tramping with his wife Sinéad in his beloved Tararua Ranges.”

The family also thanked Wairarapa Search and Rescue, Masterton police, Amalgamated Helicopters and RCCN.

Elliott’s is believed to be the first fatality on the Wairarapa side of the Tararua Range since the death of 49-year-old Darren Myers in 2019.

Myers’ body was found at the bottom of a waterfall in "hazardous" terrain in June 2019, not far from his last known location. A coroner found he died after falling and hitting his head.

Matheson said the Tararuas had a “reputation” and there had been several incidences of people suffering misadventure in recent years.

It ranks the third-highest conservation area for Search and Rescue, behind Fiordland and Tongariro National Parks, according to the Mountain Safety Council. There were six fatalities in the decade ending 2019.