Police were yesterday stationed on the major routes out of Waihi Beach, speaking to motorists as they left the popular holiday destination.
Mr McDonald said police had not yet identified any suspects and were still piecing together an accurate description of the attacker. "It's a jigsaw at this stage of the inquiry."
The scene examination was completed yesterday but the property remained under police guard in the afternoon.
Police believed the victim had been stabbed but the weapon had not yet been found.
"We still can't confirm whether it was a knife that was used ... we've scoured the area looking for some sort of stabbing equipment," Mr McDonald said.
His appeal was not just to the public but to the offender and any associates. "By now the seriousness of the situation has more than likely become apparent to anyone involved. Our advice to that person, or those persons involved, is that the situation is not going to get any better without them making contact with us."
Meanwhile, Tauranga police are continuing their investigation into a brutal attack on a man on Marine Parade in Mount Maunganui, between Banks Ave and Grove Ave, about 11.30pm on New Year's Eve. A man was seen stomping on the head of a victim numerous times and was caught soon after the attack but the victim did not approach police and was seen staggering injured through the crowd. Senior Sergeant Rob Glencross said the police were investigating leads but had still not confirmed the identity of the victim.