An 86-year-old man is recovering in hospital after being brutally bashed and left for dead at a Tauranga property.
Tauranga police Inspector Karl Wright-St Clair said the elderly man was found by a neighbour lying on a property in 1st Avenue about 6am on Saturday.
Police believe he had been there all night.
An ambulance and police were called to the central Tauranga property and the injured man was taken to Tauranga Hospital where doctors discovered he had suffered a skull fracture in the attack.
"He was initially believed to have had a fall, however, his injuries are now consistent with an assault," Mr Wright St-Clair said. Police were unsure if a weapon was used.
The elderly man, who lives in Tauranga, is believed to have driven to the property about 10.30pm on Friday after being called there by one of the occupants.
Police believed the attack occurred a short time later.
Mr Wright-St Clair said the man remained in Tauranga Hospital.
"He's now in a stable condition but due to his injuries unable to be spoken to by police. Police are waiting for him to be in a condition so we can interview him and establish what happened."
Mr Wright-St Clair said police believed the man's attacker was known to him, however, no arrests have been made.
A full scene examination has been completed at the property where the man was found.
The bashing follows another attack in a nearby area at the end of last year.
Tauranga rail worker Russell Munday, 49, was beaten and left for dead in a mysterious assault in Tauranga's central business district on December 29.
He was found by police at 4.50am seriously hurt in the entrance way to the building that housed Karla's, a former massage parlour, on Devonport Rd between First Ave and Elizabeth St. Mr Munday was taken to Waikato Hospital where he remains in a serious condition.
Police have since spoken to a taxi driver who picked up Mr Munday about 4am from the same location.
Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner said Mr Munday was already injured when the taxi driver saw him.
"Mr Munday had not been able to give the taxi driver an address so the taxi driver asked Mr Munday if he wanted to go to hospital and he has indicated that he didn't.
"Because he [Mr Munday] could not give an address to the taxi driver he had to drop him off again."
Police found Mr Munday outside Karla's about 50 minutes later.