Two Australian climbers who were roped together when they fell to their deaths from a New Zealand mountain are being remembered as fun loving, outdoor enthusiasts who were living their dream. 
Experienced climbers Stuart Jason Hollaway, 42, and Dale Amanda Thistlethwaite, 35, were last heard from during a radio call on   December 28.
They were climbing New Zealand's seventh highest peak, the 3300-metre high Mount Silberhorn on the south island in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
The pair had been travelling and climbing in the country for several weeks and had climbed New Zealand's highest peak, Mount Cook, the day before their deaths, police said.
Former mountain guide Marty Beare described the Melbourne couple as "tremendous people". "They just seemed to get on so well together, because they had the love of doing the outdoor stuff," he said.
Mr Beare bonded with Mr Hollaway as one of the few other Australians to be accredited by the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association, which carries the carnet of the International Federation of Mountain Guide Association, the highest qualification available.
He said Mr Hollaway, a teacher at Wesley College's St Kilda Road campus, had died pursuing his dream to climb and guide in New Zealand, having had to pass many "arduous" exams to reach the high level he's achieved.
Mr Beare said Ms Thistlethwaite was "fully behind his dream" as they travelled the world together climbing. "She was always fun, always enthusiastic and very keen to participate in all the outdoor activities," he said.
The couple were among the most experienced mountaineers in Australia and New Zealand and were honorary life members of the Melbourne University Mountaineering Club. In a statement, the club said it had lost "two great friends and mentors".
The pair ran a business called Vertical World Mountain Guiding.
Mr Hollaway taught avalanche awareness courses in New Zealand and was a specialist in ice-climbing.
Ms Thistlethwaite worked at the Victorian Auditor-General's Office, and had worked at Parks Victoria.
The bodies of the couple were recovered four days after they first went missing from the steep upper slopes of the mountain.
Four alpine rescue works had to retrieve the bodies using a rope from a helicopter, due to the inaccessible mountain terrain.
A rescue team had to wait until   January 1 to rescue the pair due to the risk of melting ice and debris.
The couple were believed to have been less than 50 metres from their camp when they suffered the fatal fall, New Zealand Commander Inspector Dave Gaskin said.
"They were roped together, so one of them's come to grief and the other one has fallen with them," he said.
Their deaths would be referred to the New Zealand coroner, Commander Inspector Gaskin said, adding that it was a "typical accident" for high-altitude climbs, where the margin of error was very small. "The climbing community will be dismayed that this has happened," he said.
Victorian Minister of State Gavin Jennings said he understood the Department of Foreign Affairs were providing assistance to the families.
At least 240 people have died climbing Mount Cook, and the bodies of dozens of climbers have never been recovered.
with Emily Spink and Stuff.co.nz