A 47-year-old Waipawa woman was left shaken and bruised after she was attacked at home by a man who knocked on the door of her house on the town's main road.
Police are calling for sightings of the man who was wearing a distinctive yellow flouro vest at the time of the attack, which happened between 12.45pm and 1pm on Monday.
The man is described as Maori, aged in his late-40s, of solid build with a pot belly.
The attack occurred on Great North Rd, the main SH2 route on the northern outskirts of Waipawa.
Detective Sergeant Mark Moorhouse said police wanted to hear from anyone who had seen anything suspicious around the time of the attack, or any reports of someone fitting the description knocking on doors in the area.