QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand -- New Zealand Police say two bodies have now been recovered in the area where Canadian tourists Etienne Lemieux and Louis-Vincent Lessard went missing earlier this month.

The department's website says the bodies were found in an avalanche debris field on the Kepler track in the Fiordland National Park.

Rescuers spotted an orange backpack Sunday, and then found the two bodies 350 metres away. While there is still no official confirmation, no one else in New Zealand has been reported missing.

It says the bodies have been brought back to Te Anau for formal identification, and that the families of the two men have been advised of the situation.

New Zealand Police say they will continue to liaise with the Canadian High Commission in New Zealand and authorities in Montreal.

Lemieux and Lessard, both 23 and Universite de Montreal students, were last seen July 6 in Queenstown.

Their relatives alerted authorities after the two friends failed to return home to Montreal as scheduled on Friday morning.

It’s believed the hikers were caught in an avalanche, explained Sgt. Ian Martin of Te Anau, New Zealand Police.

“It appears it has happened very, very, very quickly and unsurvivable,” he said.

The 60-kilometre Kepler Track is known for its spectacular scenery, passing through the Fiordland National Park

Popular with hikers in the summer months, in the winter, when there's a lot of snow, it can prove extremely difficult, with nine danger zones.

“On a nice day, it's a walk in the park but when you get bad conditions like these fellows have had, obviously it can be treacherous,” said Martin.

Friends say the two men are intelligent and experienced hikers. Lessard works at the outdoor gear shop, Boutique Yeti.

Why do hikers take on such dangerous trails?

Many people want the challenge and the thrill that comes with an adventure, said Francois-Xavier Bleau, a travel agent with Terra Ultima, specializing in trekking and mountaineering tours.

“The only thing I can say, that is the spirit of going there, because it's danger, because you're not doing that in the regular season,” he said.

With a report from CTV Montreal