Finding Tabitha the best gift ever

It threatened to be the worst Christmas a parent could imagine.
But there was a happy ending yesterday, as missing 9-year-old Tabitha Mason was found on a bush track several kilometres from her Whangarei home, after disappearing on Christmas Eve.
Her great-aunt and caregiver Vicky Hooker said she was thrilled Tabitha was found safe and well: "What a Christmas present this was."
Police received a call about 8pm on Wednesday telling them Tabitha was missing from her Collingwood St, Raumanga home.
It's understood the girl has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the mental age of a 6-year-old.
The two on-duty officers at Whangarei police station began a search of the area, concentrating on Tarewa Park and Raumanga Reserve, and the nearby streams.
Whangarei police acting search-and-rescue boss Sergeant Neil Pennington had just sat down for a drink after the Waipu Christmas parade, when Search and Rescue (SAR) crews, both volunteers and police, were called about 9.30pm.
Two of the officers who were scheduled to finish their shifts at 2am yesterday carried on until 5am, and were back at 7am to keep going. Police went door-to-door in the area yesterday morning appealing for sightings of the girl.
The SAR caravan was based in the carpark of the information centre on Tarewa Rd, and Mr Pennington said at least 20 people asked what they could do to help.
A police dog was also used to search in Tarewa and Raumanga parks and around NorthTec.
But Tabitha had travelled further than searchers had expected, and was found by an off-duty Department of Conservation worker about 10.30am, on a bush track off Kauika Rd near the Western Hills.
"It's lucky she was on the track, if she'd been further into the bush we might never have found her," a SAR volunteer said.
She was cold, wet, wearing no shoes and very disoriented and confused, Mr Pennington said, and taken straight to Whangarei Hospital.
"It's great to see the community spirit at the time like this. Everyone put themselves in the Masons' shoes, I think."
Tabitha's step-brother Joseph told the Advocate yesterday he was "pretty shaken" with what had happened.