Police searching for a missing man have found a body near Tikitapu (Blue Lake).
Police are still to confirm the identity of the remains.
Detective Sergeant John Wilson of the Rotorua CIB said members of the public led police to find the body.
The discovery came as police stepped up their search for Ross McKendrick, who was last seen on New Year's Eve leaving his Western Heights home on a blue bicycle.
The 65-year-old has not been seen or heard from since, said Mr Wilson. He added that Mr McKendrick suffered some serious health issues which required constant medication.
"Police believe he was in the Blue Lake area at 6.45pm on December 31.''
Mr McKendrick is described as male European, about 1.7m tall and overweight.
He has white thinning hair, wears glasses and has green eyes.
He was wearing grey "track suit-type material'' shorts when he left home, and had a blue and white cycle helmet.
Mr McKendrick's bike is a blue Raleigh road bike.
It has aluminium footpegs on the front wheel and an older style lever change gear shifter on the handle bar.
"There are grave concerns for Mr McKendrick's well-being given his health issues and the time that he has been missing,'' Mr Wilson said.
"As part of the investigation into the disappearance of Mr McKendrick, members of the Rotorua Mountain Bike Club have been searching areas of Whakarewarewa forest at the direction of police search and rescue staff.''