An elderly couple have been found by rescuers after spending two nights in their car on a remote forest track when it got stuck on a sightseeing drive.
The alarm was raised on Tuesday night when Clementina, 81, and her partner Peter, 79, failed to meet with family for dinner in northwest Tasmania as planned.
The pair, who were visiting from South Australia, had earlier in the day set off to do some sightseeing and were last seen about 44km west of Burnie.
They were found by police around 10.30am on Thursday a short distance from their car, which had become stuck on a track in the Dial Range area.
Clementina and Peter were looking at penguins on the northwest coast before detouring inland for reasons unknown, Tasmania Police Inspector Anthea Maingay told reporters.
Insp Maingay said the couple made the wise decision to stay with their car, which had snacks and blankets inside.
The couple had set off walking about an hour before they were found, and had left a note on the car windscreen to say that's what they were doing.
Insp Maingay said the couple was wet and cold with minor injuries but otherwise unscathed.
"With the weather in Tasmania, it is quite challenging at times. We could have been looking at a very different outcome," she said.
"I would definitely recommend you give your relatives some directions about your intended destination and when you intend to come back."
The couple's family was grateful for police and SES search efforts and community support, but won't be allowing them to go on unaccompanied journeys for some time, Insp Maingay said.
