Okin, 35, was last seen at the Mackenzie Hut on the Routeburn Track on March 26. A police search failed to find any trace of the tourist and a private search co-ordinated by the missing woman's brother, Itamar Tas, was launched on April 24.

This morning police flew back into the area after a private search team found items belonging to Okin yesterday afternoon in dense bush near the track.

A body, believed to be Okin, was found near the belongings at 1.10 pm. Police are currently recovering the body before taking it to Dunedin for a post mortem and formal identification.

In a statement police said the belongings were found about 2.30pm Thursday. Queenstown police were alerted that evening when the searchers came out of the bush and a police search team lew into the area this morning to join the private searchers.

Liat's family have been advised of the discovery of the body.