KEY POINTS:
The victim of a "cowardly" claw hammer attack, had been planning to move to Australia this month.
The 31-year-old, from the Bay of Plenty beachside settlement Papamoa, was struck on the head, fracturing his skull, outside an apartment building in Mount Maunganui as he visited friends on Sunday night.
He was taken to Tauranga Hospital and later airlifted to Waikato Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.
His condition was initially reported as critical but yesterday he regained consciousness from an induced coma and was moved to a ward.
Senior Sergeant Rob Glencross of Tauranga CIB said the surgery was to relieve pressure on his brain.
"We are...talking about a pretty cowardly and largely unprovoked assault," he said.
A friend of the victim, Glen Potter, said the man had planned to move to Australia this month.
"He'd had his farewell party for work. He was going to Perth,' Mr Potter told the Bay of Plenty Times.
The victim had lived with Mr Potter until recently, when he moved in with his sister to save money to go overseas. Mr Potter said the man was well-liked.
He was an avid body-boarder and had a young daughter who lived with her mother.
Police were today still looking for a 1991 Nissan Maxima sedan, registration number UE1805, seen near the scene.
The car was described as being either blue or dark coloured with lowered suspension and chromed mag wheels.
Mr Glencross said a "sizeable police team" was continuing to investigate the attack.
- NZPA
