Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

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 / Rotorua Daily Post

Woman, four children lost in Te Urewera bush for third day

NZ Herald
21 Jul, 2016 03:21 AM5 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

Today searchers were focusing on a number of tracks around Lions Hut. Photo / Katee Shanks

Today searchers were focusing on a number of tracks around Lions Hut. Photo / Katee Shanks

The woman and children missing in rugged North Island bush for three days were in warm clothes but it is unclear how much food - if any - they had with them.

Concerns are mounting for the welfare of the youngsters in the party that went into the Te Urewera National Park with a local woman on Tuesday afternoon for a short walk.

The children aged between four and nine years were believed to be visiting the area.

Police said today every effort was being made to find them.

"At this stage we have 10 search teams combing the area, supported by helicopters, with a focus on finding them as soon as possible," said Eastern Bay of Plenty Area Commander Inspector Kevin Taylor.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We've also got excellent support from local iwi and LandSAR volunteers with the search operation."

Inspector Taylor said it was understood the group were equipped with warm clothing, but it was unclear how much food they had given they were on a short walk.

The weather in the area was fine, still and reasonably warm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Our hope is that they have been able to shelter somewhere and keep warm until we can get to them.

"With young children in the group, there are obvious concerns about their welfare, but we have experienced search teams working their way methodically through the search area and our hope is that they will be found safe and well."

Taylor said the search would continue throughout the day and re-assessed as any new information came in.

Police launched an extensive search and rescue operation after the group were reported overdue yesterday from a walk in the Otamatuna Ridge area, North East of Murapara.

They had been dropped off at the Otamatuna Track on Tuesday afternoon for a two hour walk.

The group spent a night in the wilderness before the alarm was raised at 4pm the next day.

The woman who took the children into the bush is from the area.

Helicopters and searchers have been scouring a number of tracks on the dense and difficult terrain since yesterday evening.

Today searchers were focusing on a number of tracks around Lions Hut.

Most of these tracks involve steep climbs up challenging terrain.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

According to the Department of Conservation website only the Te Waiiti Stream via Te Pona a Pita track is suitable for less fit walkers and suitable for all ages.

It is a two-hour walk and starts with a graded climb around the side of a ridge.

Conditions last night were dry for the youngsters who had spent their second night out in the open.

MetService forecaster said last night temperatures dropped to single digits but it was fine and there should not have been too much wind.

"Temperatures may have dropped to 3C, but it was not an exceptionally cold night. It certainly wouldn't have been pleasant, though passing cloud would have kept temperatures warmer. No rain was recorded in the area last night," he said.

Mountain Safety Council chief executive Mike Daisley said it was unfortunate this was the third incident in recent weeks where people had needed rescuing after unintentionally spending nights out in the bush.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said if adults were taking children into the bush they needed to realise any outing would be slow-going.

"If you are taking children recognise that they are going to take a lot longer. A two hour walk could end up a day long tramp."

He said it was vital people take a windbreaker and nourishment on any outing into the bush, even if the weather forecast was good.

A spokesman for local iwi Tuhoe said concerns were mounting for the group, especially as the woman may not have taken a large amount of food on a short bush walk.

Local Tuhoe with expert knowledge of the area had now joined the search effort for the missing group.

"We're assisting by providing local information when the headquarters team requires that," said Ngai Tuhoe operations development manager Glenn Mitchell.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Mitchell said it was unlikely the woman, aged in her 40s, had managed to reach any of the ridge-top huts however everyone was in suitable clothing for the outdoors.

"I understand they had warm clothes on," he said.

Mr Mitchell said the youngest children were just 4 and 5 years old.

He hoped given their age would mean they would not be able to travel far into the rugged Waimana Valley.

The missing woman has been described on social media as a very experienced bushman who knew the forest well.

Te Urewera contains the largest forested wilderness remaining in the North Island.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It is famous for its lakes and forests, its remote and rugged terrain and popular walk around Lake Waikaremoana.

The area is a favourite with hikers, kayakers, hunters and fly-fishing enthusiasts.

Anyone who has seen the group is asked to contact Bay of Plenty Police on (07) 348-0099.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

12 Jul 12:43 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Merry hell' in Mamaku: Village held 'to ransom' by hoons

11 Jul 06:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Bay home crowd rallies behind netball's Magic

11 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

12 Jul 12:43 AM

The North Island is expected to get off to a wet start this morning, with lingering rain.

'Merry hell' in Mamaku: Village held 'to ransom' by hoons

'Merry hell' in Mamaku: Village held 'to ransom' by hoons

11 Jul 06:00 PM
Bay home crowd rallies behind netball's Magic

Bay home crowd rallies behind netball's Magic

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Tearful hunter admits shooting and killing friend

Tearful hunter admits shooting and killing friend

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

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
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • 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