Body was in thick, dense Kerikeri bush

A woman whose body was found in thick bush near Kerikeri on Saturday is expected to be identified today as missing mother-of-one Cristel de Vetten.

Ms de Vetten, 30, disappeared from her home in Matua Block near Kerikeri on February 10.

Police said the family had been told of the discovery of the body. No one was being sought in relation to the death.

Detective Sergeant Mike Pannett said today the body was found in dense bush not far from the home she shared with her partner John Craven.

Mr Pannett said the bush was native regrowth and was very dense and hard to penetrate.

The area had been carefully searched but a person could be within a metre or two of a searcher and not be seen because the bush was so thick.

He said it would have taken a deliberate effort to get to the area of thick native bush regrowth and gorse where the body was found.

"She has taken a bit of effort to get there," Mr Pannett said.

"It was a very difficult area to search and very dense regrowth."

Miss de Vetten left her four-year-old son, Jaxon, alone in the house when she disappeared.

Mr Pannett said that the body had been taken to Auckland for a post mortem examination.

He said that Ms de Vetten had been uncharacteristically quiet before she disappeared. She and her son's father had not resolved custody issues.

- NZPA