Police working to identify Waimate bodies

Police in South Canterbury are still working to identify the bodies found near Waimate.

They were found by a group of charity motor bike riders, who were travelling through the Waitaki Valley.

Police spokeswoman Marion Neill says the bodies are those of a male and female.

She says further information will be released later on this afternoon.

Mayor John Coles says the news of the discovery has come as a shock to locals, with everyone wondering who they are.

"At this stage they haven't been identified, but being a small community where everybody knows each other the question mark is who and why I guess will be in everyone's minds at this stage."

One of those involved in the charity ride, Daryl MacDonald, says the discovery was made around 11 yesterday morning.

"A few of us stopped and checked. It was a males body, he wasn't a rider or anything, and we just checked to see if he was alright. He was still warm, but his wrists had been cut.

"Another friend of mine stopped me and said he'd been into the clearing and seen that there was a woman dead in there, she'd had her throat cut."

Mr MacDonald, says it was a shocking discovery for one of the riders.

"She's quite distressed from what I can understand. She'd been taken away to a farmers house and she was pretty emotional about it."

A guard remains at the remote property in South Canterbury where the bodies were discovered.

Photo: NZ Herald