Frozen bus crash passengers huddle for warmth near Queenstown waiting for help

A group of Chinese tourists waited an hour in freezing temperatures after their bus lost control in snow and ploughed into a bank on a remote southern highway last night.

Lake Hawea Volunteer Brigade chief fire officer Brent Arthur said he arrived at the Haast Pass crash to find the stricken tour group huddled together in the cold outside the 20-seater bus.

No one was injured but the group were shaken by the nightmare ordeal.

"The vehicle was still on its wheels but precariously wedged up a bank on a 45-degree angle," said Arthur.

"They were probably looking at an hour for help to arrive.

"I think they were cold enough by the time the first crews got there."

Arthur said the bus was travelling on SH6 from Queenstown to Fox Glacier when it skidded off the road covered in 5cm of snow.

Ten people, including a driver, were on board.

He said the stranded passengers were thankful to be rescued in such awful conditions.

"They were a bit frightened but very pleased to see us. They were also quite apologetic.

"They kept commenting on how helpful and friendly we were."

Arthur said the tour party was bundled into a Fire and Emergency van, a police car and ambulance and taken to Lake Hawea.

"We took them back to the Lake Hawea Fire Station and managed to keep them warm and gave them coffee and something to eat."

They managed to find a small bus and ferried the tour party to Wanaka where they spent the night at a local hotel.

The Haast Pass-Makarora Rd was closed to traffic soon after the crash. The bus and trailer remains on the side of the road wedged on the bank awaiting recovery.