NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Search continues for Christchurch woman Shirley Warrington missing for a month

Devon Bolger
By Devon Bolger
Digital producer, Christchurch, NZ Herald·NZ Herald·
9 Aug, 2021 09:03 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

It has been one month since 85-year-old Christchurch woman Shirley Warrington went missing. Photo / Supplied

It has been one month since 85-year-old Christchurch woman Shirley Warrington went missing. Photo / Supplied

It has been one month since 85-year-old Shirley Warrington went for a walk and never came back. Police say they are still committed to finding her.

Warrington has been missing in Christchurch since July 10. She spent two nights in sub-zero temperatures before the physical search was suspended.

A police spokesperson told the Herald there is no update or further information on the search for her.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We remain committed to locating Shirley, and are supportive of anything that will help us do that.

"We're also extremely grateful for the support shown by the community in the search for Shirley."

They said police will not hesitate to initiate further physical searches as new information comes to hand.

Granddaughter Aleisha Hofman says her family does suspect something "not nice" has happened to her.

"You go through all these different scenarios. We talk about it a lot but she had her wits about her, if she was lost she would've followed the light, she would've knocked on somebody's door.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We're lost, we don't know, it's been a month and we thought we would've found her in the first week," she said.

Hofman said it has been a very hard experience for her and the family.

"It's still quite a surreal thing to be going through. Quite odd really, you kind of need to carry on with things in your life. for me, I've got a daughter and you've got work and things but at the same time, you feel like you shouldn't be because nothing's been resolved with nana, she's still out there missing."

The Herald previously reported was nothing strange about Shirley and Wally Warrington's decision to go for a drive on July 10.

Discover more

New Zealand

Granddaughter launches own search for missing 85-year-old

21 Jul 07:47 PM
New Zealand

Missing 85-year-old's husband desperate to help find her

14 Jul 10:17 PM
New Zealand

Search for missing Christchurch woman suspended

13 Jul 10:33 PM
New Zealand|crime

Where is Shirley: Christchurch police say search for missing pensioner not over

15 Jul 11:54 PM

They left their Burwood home and at 7.30pm, the Warringtons were stopped at Rolleston by police, driving slowly on State Highway 1 towards Christchurch with their headlights on full beam, and well under the speed limit.

They were doing nothing wrong, but the police would have been remiss not to pull them over in the circumstances.

After a quick chat, the Warringtons were back on the road.

At 8.34pm their car was captured on CCTV camera on Ferry Rd - Wally driving and Shirley in the front passenger seat.

At 10.19pm another camera picked the car up near the Ferrymead Bridge.

This time, there was no Shirley.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

More than 40 people and dogs - police dogs, search dogs and some that have worked both disciplines - combed Ferrymead, the surrounding areas, bush tracks and waterways for her.

Police Search and Rescue teams are hunting the area around Ferrymead Park for missing Christchurch woman Shirley Warrington. Photo / George Heard
Police Search and Rescue teams are hunting the area around Ferrymead Park for missing Christchurch woman Shirley Warrington. Photo / George Heard

Detective Senior Sergeant Damon Wells wants to be clear - very - about one thing.

"There is absolutely no indication Wally's involved in doing something sinister," he stated.

"Quite the opposite, in fact - he was a doting husband.

"Shirley has wanted to go for a walk and while he's been waiting for her to get back he's fallen asleep.

"When he woke up she wasn't back… he's guilt-stricken."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police, quoting file number 210711/8724.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand|crime

Armed police incident unfolding in central Auckland suburb, road closed

19 Jun 01:13 AM
New Zealand

'Awful incident': Three students injured in crash outside Nelson school

19 Jun 01:12 AM
New ZealandUpdated

Blind and deaf man dies after hit-and-run, police release new images of suspect

19 Jun 01:04 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Armed police incident unfolding in central Auckland suburb, road closed

Armed police incident unfolding in central Auckland suburb, road closed

19 Jun 01:13 AM

A witness reported seeing a police officer setting up a rifle.

'Awful incident': Three students injured in crash outside Nelson school

'Awful incident': Three students injured in crash outside Nelson school

19 Jun 01:12 AM
Blind and deaf man dies after hit-and-run, police release new images of suspect

Blind and deaf man dies after hit-and-run, police release new images of suspect

19 Jun 01:04 AM
Premium
Audrey Young: Cooks crisis complicates Luxon's big China meeting

Audrey Young: Cooks crisis complicates Luxon's big China meeting

19 Jun 12:49 AM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP