By Tom Taylor of RNZ

Police in southwest Waikato are stepping up their search for runaway dad Tom Phillips.

Phillips and his three kids, Jayda, Maverick and Ember, have been missing since December 2021. Multiple sightings last week sparked a renewed search for the family.

Since then, Phillips had gone to ground, and aside from a stolen ute he ditched on the side of the road, there has been little trace of him or his children.

West of the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House and the glowworms of Waitomo Caves, dense bush and farmland stretches all the way down to the Tasman Sea, providing a vast area of potential hiding places.

Inspector Will Loughrin said police were now going door-to-door in coastal Marokopa and Kiritehere, as well as further inland in Te Anga and Pomarangai.

“Any areas they may have been where it looks like there’s been a camp set up, food left behind, as well as things like bike trails or areas that people might have been that appear really unusual or off the beaten track - we want to hear about all of that.”

“We want to hear about any animals that could be missing such as sheep from their farm. We’re looking for any key bits of information that may be that little piece in the puzzle we need.”

Tom Phillips and his three children Jayda, Maverick and Ember.

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Police are still on the hunt for four bikes connected to the case: a Honda 50cc motocross bike, black Suzuki 200cc Trojan, Honda XR 200cc and a Honda 2008 FourTrax Quad. But Loughrin stopped short of saying these vehicles were stolen.

“That’s part of the investigation. We’re working through how Tom may have come into possession of those bikes.”

Phillips was wanted for breaching a family court order and wasting police resources. And while police had been speaking with his associates, friends and family, Loughrin suggested some people knew more than they were letting on.

“We will urge those people to do the right thing. It’s been going on for 19 months, but it’s still not too late to come in and see us.

“Do the right thing and bring the children home safe.”

In Marokopa, locals told Checkpoint they were not sure what was going on with Phillips.

However, they were relatively unconcerned about the safety of his children, saying the last time they went missing - almost two years ago - they came out of the bush happy and healthy.

Barbara Davey said she was unaware of the renewed search for Phillips until a few days ago when she saw a long line of police cars heading into town.

“It was just the other day when I went into town and ran into all these cops - and if there are cops out here, well, there’s something going on. But it never dawned on me that it would be Phillips.”

Missing father Tom Phillips has disguised himself while shopping at Bunnings. Photo / NZ Police

Davey knew the family and felt for Phillips’ parents. But she firmly believed the kids were safe.

“If they catch him, they catch him. If they don’t, well, as long as he’s looking after those kids, that’s the main thing.”

Stan Vicary, a relative of Phillips, agreed with police that he had been getting help to stay hidden. Vicary had lived in Marokopa since 1973 and found it hard to believe that anyone could stay out in the bush for so long unaided.

“You can’t live in the bloody bush all through the bloody winter,” he said. “They’re in a bloody house somewhere; it’s been bloody cold.”

Over the hill in Kiritehere, locals said the police presence had ramped up since last week, although not nearly as much as the first time Phillips went missing in September 2021.

When his Toyota Hilux was found down on the beach not far from her home two years ago, Nora Haupokia found herself in the middle of a major search operation.

“The first day when the Kawhia police came to me, there were about 25 across the bridge,” she said. “By the time the rest caught up with them, there would have been about 50, and two fire brigades. Oh, it was hectic.”

Only after the search was called off, and about 20 days after going missing, did Phillips finally emerge from the bush with his kids.

Haupokia said he came around to apologise for causing a fuss.

But his eldest, Jayda, was excited to share what they had been doing in the bush - and what they had been eating.

“She mentioned the watercress and smoked eels... and bread... Just something that you’d normally do at home. That’s what they were used to, and that’s what they were having in the bush.”

Haupokia said Phillips told her he had not realised there was a search out for him as he had not stayed within the search area. However, after he wore a makeshift disguise to Bunnings last week and evaded a roadblock, there was little doubt that he was aware of the manhunt in his name this time round.

With this in mind, Haupokia had a message for him.

“I wish you’d come back, Tom. Come back and be with the family again and make the people’s minds at ease, because there are a lot of people that are looking for you.”

Police asked people to report any sightings via 111. They had also set up a dedicated email address for people to report information: [email protected].