Newly released images of one of the campsites Tom Phillips and his children lived in provide a glimpse into how they survived in the rugged bush for almost four years.
Survival experts told the Herald the biggest asset he had at his disposal was quad bikes, allowing for greater access to food and keeping them mobile.
Phillips is believed to have had at least two quad bikes.
One was used as a getaway vehicle before his death.
A Herald photographer on the scene spotted the quad bike being removed from the area by police. It had been loaded up with multiple crucial items for surviving in the bush, including livestock feed and gumboots.
Michael Atkinson, a former Australian Defence Force pilot who has appeared on Alone Australia, said a quad bike wouldn’t be that hard to keep going, especially with the parts Phillips appeared to have available.
Atkinson said the vehicle would help him to “service different areas”, and it’s possible the father of three had animals somewhere.
“It makes sense not to have them next to your living area because it would be easier for you to be located.
“Animals have a larger footprint, you can smell them, they tend to eat out grass, so they would be more visible via an aerial search.”
Atkinson also suggested the quad would be useful for hunting, allowing Phillips to conserve energy and access a wide area to hunt and fish. The grain found on the vehicle could be used as an effective bait for game.
A second quadbike was found in the dense Waikato bush at the makeshift campsite.
Photos of the camp where police found the two youngest Phillips children painted a grim picture of their daily reality within rubbish and tarps. A gun was found with them.
The makeshift camp was found by specialist police, about 2km from where Phillips died.
Police also found a second campsite with a makeshift kitchen with a propane camping stove and gas canister, a roll of chicken wire and empty bottles of iced coffee.
Atkinson told the Herald the camp was designed to be hard to find from the air because much of the camouflage was on top of the shelter.
“[The camp] is on a steep hillside, that’s not a very comfortable place to camp, but if you want to avoid being found, it’s the best place to camp because people naturally walk along creek lines and ridge lines.
“No one likes to walk on the side of a ridge line, so that’s the best place to be. So he’s taken a hit, I would say, on the comfort of his camp by picking a place that gets frequented a lot less, and that’s why it’s on a steep hillside.
“If you’re doing an aerial search, you tend to focus on things like ridge lines and creeks. You don’t tend to just look on a random, run-of-the-mill, slopey piece of ground. You can see ... he’s been smart and left a lot of green vegetation.”
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said Phillips had not been at this site for any considerable time; instead, police believe he was moving around during the years he spent on the run.
Former SAS commando Barrie “Baz” Rice said the photos seemed to show “satellite” camps, used like huts on the trail for resting while carrying the hauls of stolen goods.
Sitting closer to the road, the temporary rest stops have also allowed the quad bikes to be stashed somewhere, so large trails would not lead to a permanent location.
“That would have left huge signs ... but that main camp would not be too far away from there.”
The photos supplied by police revealed details of the harsh conditions the young children were forced to live in.
Multiple wheels, a jerry can, multiple Sprite cans and large glass bottles are scattered within the makeshift site.
Mechanical parts are also visible.
Another image shows what looks to be a path carved near the site within the dense bushland.
Chambers said the campsite was “probably one of many” that Phillips would have used in the bush, and they would be continuing to hunt for further camps today.