June Sowerby's family believe she could have been the victim of a hit-and-run driver.
Police have called off the search for Miss Sowerby, 58, who disappeared on Christmas Eve after she left a cousin's house to walk to the Turangi Leisure Lodge, where she was on holiday from her home in
Palmerston North.
A search of the nearby Tongariro River and surrounding area failed to find any sign of her.
Miss Sowerby's sister, Colleen Gray, said she was grateful for the work and support of police and friends, but the family still wanted any information from the public.
"The main scenario is that she's accidentally drowned. But someone could have hit her in a hit-and-run and taken the body out of fear and hidden it somewhere."
Mrs Gray said if that was the case, the family hoped the person would anonymously reveal where her body was "so we can put June to rest with dignity".
"My five-year-old granddaughter put a balloon in the river for her and said it would find her aunty," Mrs Gray said. "It didn't move, it was caught in a backwash and my little granddaughter just said, 'She's dead'."
Mrs Gray said the familyned plan to have a memorial service around Waitangi weekend.
