Woman survives six-mile hike to safety

A wrong turn by a skier at one of New Zealand's most popular ski fields forced her to make a difficult 6.2-mile cross-country hike — at one stage pursued by a herd of Hereford bulls — to reach safety, the Otago Daily Times reported Monday.

The 55-year-old woman, who was not named, had to walk over "very challenging terrain" in the dark to a farmhouse after she become separated from her skiing companion at Coronet Peak about 3:10 p.m. on Saturday.

"She didn't require medical attention, but she was emotionally distressed and exhausted," Queenstown police officer Blair Duffy said. "She was very, very lucky that she was strong enough to keep going."

Her five-hour journey included negotiating fences and bluffs in the dark, as well as being chased by the bulls, before she reached safety.

The Coronet Peak ski field is about 11 miles northeast of Queenstown, a popular winter vacation spot in the center of New Zealand's South Island.

Duffy said the woman intended to return to Coronet Peak to talk to the staff "to go through where she's come unstuck, so it doesn't happen again."