A husband and wife along with their one-year old and three-year old children spent days lost in the Rocky Creek area, east of Tenterfield after suffering car problems.

The family went missing on Friday afternoon and authorities were alerted after relatives became concerned after they failed to arrive at their destination.

The Chinchilla family were supposed to see family in Stanthorpe on their way back from the North Coast area where they had spent the previous few days.

Nathan Scard from the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service said they were alerted to the families location on Sunday after one of the family managed to trek four kilometres up a hill to get phone reception.

“They’ve gotten lost in fairly unhospitable terrain and their vehicle was stuck at the bottom of a gully,” Mr Scard said.

According to Mr Scard technology had failed the couple after their phone gave them incorrect directions taking them away from the main road.

“They spent Friday and Saturday night in a makeshift campsite next to their vehicle.

“On Sunday morning they did manage to contact Triple 0 after they hiked four kilometres up a hill to get coverage.

“The parents had no food or water for 24 hours after they had conserved it for their kids,” Mr Scard said.

The Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter winched an Intensive Care Paramedic to the scene.

Consequently the aircraft received a report that all family members were uninjured.

Police then made their way to the area under direction from the helicopter and met with the family before transporting them back into Tenterfield.

Mr Scard said they had strayed so far from the highway along a fire trail that it was too far to trek back to find the road and there were no farm houses “within cooee”.

He suggested their vehicle had become stuck or run out of petrol.