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The family of lost children rescued in regional NSW have thanked emergency services and volunteers for their safe return.

Rescuers found the 14-year-old boy and the 12-year-old girl in bushland in the state's central west after the pair were reported missing.

They had spent almost 24 hours lost in bushland around Kains Flat, about 35 kilometres northeast of Mudgee.

Emergency services were called after they went for a walk at around 2.30pm on Monday and didn't return.

Following an extensive search involving police dogs, paramedics, Rural Fire Service volunteers and rescue helicopters, the children were spotted by the chopper at about midday on Tuesday.

A critical care paramedic was winched down from the chopper and assessed the children for minor abrasions before they were reunited with their parents.

The family extended their deepest thanks and gratitude to volunteers and the community for helping find their missing children.

"Our family would like to give our deepest thanks to emergency services and volunteers for assisting in the safe recovery of our children," a statement from the family read.

"We also extend a special thank you to the community from both Mudgee and Sydney."

Critical care paramedics and doctors as well as eight paramedic road crews took part in the search and rescue over two days.

Inspector Jed Gollan from NSW Ambulance said the children were doing well.

"When our critical care paramedic reached them, the children were tired, thirsty, and had quite a few mosquito bites but they were otherwise in good health," Inspector Gollan said.

"Reuniting them with their parents was a great moment."

© AAP 2021

The NSW government has declared the fourth Ashes Test will go ahead as scheduled at the SCG, guaranteeing players won't be forced out of matches as close contacts and promising minimal disruptions.

Cricket Australia (CA) was able to breathe a sigh of relief on Tuesday, when all players from Australia and England returned negative PCR tests to COVID-19.

At least in the short term, that has put paid to fears of a large outbreak in the England camp, after four non-playing members of their touring party tested positive to the virus.

But bigger questions still await CA.

There had been concerns that NSW's close contact rules would force players into a week of isolation if they were near an infected person in a state that is averaging more than 6000 cases a day.

That had the potential to immediately kill off the Test if several players were close contacts and asked to isolate for a week under previous rules.

However NSW Health's claims on Tuesday mean that players would be treated the same as they were in Melbourne, and able to play on if they were close contacts.

Likewise, NSW health minister Brad Hazzard promised that the Test would be able to go on with minimal issues if a player or further support staff contracted the virus.

"The SCG Test is sacred, an important date at the start of the third year of our life with COVID-19," Hazzard said.

"I want to assure the cricket loving public, under our rules any players with exposure to a known case of COVID-19 would be asked to test and isolate only until a negative result was received.

"If there are any cases within the teams, their support staff, or families, we will work with the people involved to ensure they are safe, and there is as little disruption to others as possible."

Premier Dominic Perrottet then doubled down, adamant NSW would not lose its New Years' match after it was also salvaged last summer amid the Northern Beaches outbreak.

"Any speculation the Sydney Test match is not going ahead is completely untrue," Perrottet said.

"The Sydney Test is a highlight on our state's calendar, it is happening ... no questions asked."

CA is also confident it can work with the Tasmanian government to ensure the fifth Test in Hobart goes ahead.

Tasmania has had minimal cases of the virus and the threat of players and broadcasters becoming close contacts in Sydney could be an issue.

However Tasmania's willingness to host a first Ashes Test is key, after the state government funded a $4 million bid to secure the match when it was shifted away from Perth.

© AAP 2021

Sydney to Hobart supermaxis Black Jack, LawConnect and SHK Scallywag100 are battling it out off Tasmania's east coast as a tight River Derwent finish looms.

Monaco's Black Jack held a nine nautical mile lead at 3pm (AEDT) on Tuesday ahead of LawConnect, a previous winner as Perpetual Loyal in 2016 and Investec Loyal in 2011.

Hong Kong's SHK Scallywag100, which led the fleet out of Sydney Heads on Sunday, made up ground in the early afternoon and is closely trailing in third position.

Black Jack navigator Alex Nolan said conditions were light early on Tuesday with a breeze of 10 knots.

He said the yacht had been sailing just outside the rhumb line, a line on the course representing the shortest distance to the finish.

"We are looking forward to a good day, to where we will end up this afternoon and evening," he said.

"Everyone is very well. Everyone is very happy. We are pushing it very hard."

The is some intrigue over exact positions, with LawConnect's tracker malfunctioning and its location is instead being determined by radio reports.

Current projections have the supermaxis crossing the line in the early hours of Wednesday.

Speaking on Tuesday morning, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore Noel Cornish expects the lead to change many times over the next 12 hours.

"It's now a tactical race. It was a survival race for a while. They were really just trying to get through that southerly, slowing their boats down to keep the yachts in place," he told the ABC.

"Now they're into a challenging navigator race. The tactics will be flat out."

This year's 628-nautical mile event is one of the slower races in recent years, a long way behind Comanche's 2017 record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds.

Thirty-six boats have now retired from a starting field of 88 due to rough conditions caused largely by ocean currents.

Rouge Wave, a NSW entrant in the new two-handed category, was the latest to pull the pin after reporting unspecified damage on Tuesday morning.

More than a dozen boats were forced out of the race on Monday.

NSW-based No Limit retired on Sunday after a crew member suffered a broken arm, while others have reported a range of problems, including hull damage, electrical and engine issues and damage to rudders and sails.

Love & War and LCE Old School Racing, both from NSW, and Queensland's Fruit Salid 3 are among the handicap frontrunners.

Tasmanian boat Sidewinder is leading the new two-handed category, boats sailed by two people, ahead of nine remaining competitors.

© AAP 2021