Two young NZ hikers airlifted from remote Solomon Islands ravine

Two Kiwi hikers who spent days trapped in a remote ravine on the Solomon Islands' highest peak have been winched to safety after torrential rain, flooding and landslides cut off their escape.

Keanu Isaksson, 25, and Luca Zylstra-Law, 19, both from Matakana, north of Auckland, became trapped during an expedition on Mt Popamanaseu — the highest peak of the Solomon Islands, which stood at 2335m.

Their families said the two friends had become stranded in a remote ravine after torrential rain, flooding and landslides made their planned exit impossible.

In a post to Facebook, Isaksson's mother Deni Holl said the pair had been found.

"New pilot today... boys have felled a tree from previous gear drop and chopper was able to net them out. Hallelujah!"

MFAT confirmed the pair were rescued by helicopter this morning.

"The hikers are with staff from the New Zealand High Commission in Honiara. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade will continue to provide them, and their families, with consular assistance," a spokesperson said.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson had earlier confirmed it was helping the Solomons government.

"The Australian Government has provided assistance to support the Solomon Islands Government's efforts to rescue New Zealand hikers stranded on Guadalcanal," the spokesperson said.

"The Australian Government remains in close contact with the Governments of New Zealand and Solomon Islands regarding the situation."

Speaking on Breakfast before news of the rescue broke, Holl said the pair had been coping in tough conditions.

"Knowing our two boys, they'll be doing pretty okay. They're both in pretty good spirits," she said.

"All we can do is keep telling them to stay strong, and that's what they're doing."

Holl said the weather was not expected to clear for another week, and even then the men would need the ground to harden and rivers to drop before they could attempt to get themselves out.

"The rivers have to drop before the boys could even look at getting themselves out, if that's a possibility," she said.

"Our communication with them is very intermittent, and we can only communicate in a sentence."

Zylstra-Law's mother Tanja Zylstra said the pair still had some food but were focused on staying safe.

"We know they have some food still, and I think it's just trying to keep safe from the rising rivers and from rock fall coming down," she said.

The families said New Zealand police based in the Solomon Islands had told them rescuers lacked the equipment and the right helicopter to reach the men in the current conditions.

Holl said she felt New Zealand had the manpower and facilities to act, and pointed to Australia's regular flights into the Solomon Islands as evidence that a rescue was possible.