Items discovered by surf lifesavers during the hunt for a missing family near Marokopa have been found to not be relevant to the search.
It's nearly been a week since 34-year-old Thomas Phillips and his three young children, Jayda, Maverick, and Ember, were last seen on Saturday in the rural Waikato settlement. A missing persons operation was launched on Monday after police were notified of the group's disappearance and on Sunday, Phillip's ute was found abandoned on Kiritehere Beach.
The search has been conducted on both land and sea, with the Raglan and Taranaki Surf Life Saving squads checking inlets and caves for any sign of the family. The sea search was put on hold on Friday afternoon.
Earlier it emerged that surf lifesavers had found some items during their search, but police have since confirmed these have not been deemed relevant and nothing of interest to the investigation has been discovered in the water.
Police broadened their appeal for information on Thursday, asking anyone who was in the Marokopa or Kiritehere Beach areas on Saturday or Sunday to get in touch.
"While you might not think you have seen something, we want to hear from you. This includes bach owners or visitors who may have left the area after the weekend," said Waikato West Area Commander Inspector Will Loughrin.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the investigation team via 105 and quote the file number 210913/1952.
Images of the foursome were released publicly by police on Thursday.
Phillips' family say he is familiar with the rugged terrain and well-equipped to survive in the bush, with Waitomo District Mayor John Robertson telling The AM Show on Wednesday that Phillips "knows the area very well".
"As time goes on, anxieties increase," he said. "There is a feeling that Thomas, he knows how to live in conditions like this, he knows the bush, he knows the area very well, so we're keeping our fingers crossed."
