By Kathryn Powley A dog specially trained to sniff out corpses is helping search for a missing Kerikeri woman.
Police hold "grave concerns" for Cristel De Vetten, who disappeared after 10am last Friday.
"She left her young child alone and hasn't been seen since that," said Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Pannett of
Northland police.
Mr Pannett stressed that police were "keeping an open mind" while they looked for her and try to uncover what happened.
"There are a lot of different options at this stage," he said.
Mr Pannett said officers were searching 40ha of fairly thick bush on the peninsula where she went missing.
Ms De Vetten had been living on Matua Block, Redcliffs Rd, north of Kerikeri with her four-year-old son and partner since late last year.
"We have used and continue to use aerial searching as well as marine (searching) and a cadaver dog to search certain key locations."
Police officers had spoken to "an ever-increasing circle of people" who had recently seen Ms De Vetten.
Working back from the time she went missing, they had spoken to people who had seen her in the period from Waitangi Day to when she went missing.
He expected they would soon have spoken to everybody who had seen her since Christmas.
"We are progressing with the enquiry.
"It's safe to say that we have grave concerns for Cristel's well-being.
"Her disappearance remains out of character."
Mr Pannett said the cadaver dog arrived from Auckland on Tuesday afternoon and started searching thoroughly yesterday morning.
