Missing Waikato family were camping in 'dense' bush

The family missing in Marokopa spent almost three weeks camping in dense bush before being found on Thursday, police say.

Police confirmed Tom Phillips - and his three children Jayda Jin, 8, Maverick, 6, and Ember, 5 had all been located in the South Waikato settlement of Marokopa. They were reported missing on September 13 after last being seen on September 11. 

Commander Inspector Will Loughrin   said a possible sighting of the family on a motorbike was reported on Wednesday at about 5.30am but after an aerial search they weren’t found.

On Thursday morning the missing family returned back to their home property unannounced.

"Police kept an open mind throughout this investigation,” Loughrin said, adding he would not discuss if Phillips was having psychological problems.

"We're speaking to Tom and the kids and establishing all the facts about what has occurred."

"What we do know is they were using a tent. They were in dense bush area,” Loughrin said of the family’s living situation over the past two weeks. He said he didn’t know if the family stayed in one location or moved around the area.

Phillips was an experienced bushman, Loughrin said.

He stressed it was too early to establish the events that led to the family’s time in the bush but said the family was safe and well and supported by whānau.

It comes as an extensive search by land and air services to find the missing family who were found 15 kilometres south of where Phillips’ ute was found.

Loughrin said he could not say if the Phillips would be charged until all the information had been gathered. He would not say at this stage what the cost of the search was. 

He said it was too soon to know how Phillips and the three children even survived so long in the bush.

"We wanted the family to be alive, to happen this way is fantastic for the family," Loughrin said, adding the family and community had "experienced 17 days of hell". 

He said the children's mother was "relieved" they were alive.