Ah, The old ours are bigger than yours and therefore so much more dangerous fallacy - the ground will kill you if you fly into it whether it is 5' amsl or 15000' amsl.
But how many Kiwis go flying round them or conduct rescues in them at night and/or in that bad weather???
Darkness, snow showers and 40 kts gusting 60 -70 is quite normal for either a Welsh or Scottish winter but we train crews to get in amongst it and rescue people - but not in a R44!