Shock after rural pair found dead

Two bodies were discovered at this Pukehina address yesterday. Photo / Alan Gibson

Residents of an idyllic coastal town are reeling after the grisly discovery yesterday of two bodies at an isolated rural house.

The bodies of a woman and man were found in a house down a short private road off State Highway 2 at Pukehina, just east of Te Puke in Bay of Plenty.

Police were called to the address in the late afternoon and cordoned off the property.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper said officers had started initial inquiries but a scene examination could not be carried out last night because of fading light.

It is not known how old the dead man and woman are, their relationship, how they died or where on the property they were found.

It is understood both lived on the road, but police would not be drawn on any specifics last night. However, Mr Loper confirmed the deaths were being treated as suspicious.

A number of properties on the road are owned by members of the Meikle family, based in Pukehina and Te Puke.

Peter Meikle told the Herald last night he could not comment as the matter was under police investigation.

Mr Meikle's son Glenn owns Mt Maunganui night club Illuminati. The club opened last year and was touted as the Bay of Plenty's first "super club".

The club was at the centre of media reports earlier this year when singer Tiki Taane was arrested after singing "F*** the police" during a performance.

Glenn Meikle, who is married to Virginia and has two teenage children, refused to comment last night.

He also owns Super Liquor at Mt Maunganui.

Mt Maunganui St John operations team manager Gary Bishell said an ambulance crew from Te Puke attended but did not get involved.

"The ambulance went there, [the two people] were deceased and there was a doctor on the scene, so weren't needed and didn't give any treatment."

Residents and neighbours were shocked to hear about the deaths last night.

Craig Gibbs said the road, which is only about 200m long and stretches from State Highway 2 to the beach front at Pukehina, was usually "very quiet".

He described the incident as "strange and very worrying".

Mr Gibbs described the Meikles as "a normal family".

"The kids go to school here at Te Puke and catch the bus here at my gate."

Sally Dunham, who lives up the road, said she knew something "very significant" had happened when she returned home to find police blocking the road's entrance.

She was "quite shocked" to learn that two people were dead.

"It's not something one expects anywhere - this is a quiet, rural district ... it's not good."

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: "This is quite a safe area. Well, I thought it was."

Western Bay of Plenty District Council ward representative Paul Thomas described the deaths as tragic.

Pukehina is about three hours from Auckland. Boasting a 6km white sandy beach, it is a popular swimming and surfing spot.

Meanwhile, police in Wellington have charged a man with the murder of Eman Hermiz, who was stabbed to death in her home last week.

The 50-year-old man remains in Wellington Hospital being treated for injuries sustained during the family violence incident at Raukawa St in Strathmore last Friday.

Acting Wellington Area Commander Detective Inspector Stephen Vaughan says Mrs Hermiz, 42, died at the scene. A post-mortem examination was carried out on her body yesterday.