Gaelene Bright was a keen part of Hokianga's vibrant art scene and well known and liked within the community. Photo / NZ Police
Gaelene Bright was a keen part of Hokianga's vibrant art scene and well known and liked within the community. Photo / NZ Police
A man has been remanded in custody after a court appearance in Hastings today, charged with murder (firearm) and unlawful possession of a firearm, in relation to the death of Gaelene Bright.
The 65-year-old, whose name is suppressed, was charged after a body was found in Waipoua Forest, believed to be that of the missing woman.
He was remanded in custody by consent, and is due to appear in the High Court in Whangārei on June 9.
Bright has been missing since she was last spoken to at her home address early on May 1. Her vehicle was discovered in Te Kuiti - around 500km south of where she was last seen in Waimamaku.
Police announced last night they found a body in the Waipoua Forest, near State Highway 12 in Waimamaku, believed to be Bright.
Te Roroa, with support from DoC, has placed a rāhui on the Tāne Mahuta boardwalk track in Waipoua Forest until Saturday at the earliest.
This decision is in response to the discovery of a tūpāpaku (deceased person) in the Waipoua Forest in the vicinity of Tāne Mahuta on Tuesday, and the rāhui has been formally initiated after appropriate karakia by Te Roroa kaumatua at the site.
This is a ritual prohibition to restrict the entry of the public into the Tāne Mahuta site to allow time for the ngahere to cleanse after the discovery of the deceased.
A post-mortem examination is expected to take place tomorrow.
Kaikohe-Hokianga community board member Alan Hessell described how the loss had rippled through the area.
"The community is feeling saddened by what has happened and also relieved that there has been an arrest."
Bright was well-liked, he said, evident in the huge amount of concern shared by locals over her disappearance.
"The community were really pleased with the New Zealand Police and how quickly they resolved the case," Hessell said.
John Wigglesworth, who volunteered at Kohukohu's Village Arts Gallery with Bright, said she was a lovely, cheerful person.
"She was really loved in the community and everyone's really concerned and shocked by what's happened," he said.
Bright was well-known in Kohukohu, where she was active in the town's vibrant arts scene, before moving to Waimamaku on the other side of Hokianga Harbour.
There she also played an active part in the town's cultural life and lent a hand at theatre productions as far away as Kerikeri on the opposite coast.
Bright was a key participant in Waimamaku's hugely popular annual Wild West Fest. She would dress up in cowboy gear and stop traffic entering the town in a mock highway robbery.
Donations collected from passing motorists were used to help fund health services in Hokianga.
The Advocate has reached out to Bright's family for comment and is yet to hear back. However, Bright's sister described the family as "devastated" after news a body had been located was announced by police.
It is understood a major search operation was involved in locating Bright's body.
Police, backed up by as many as 10 trained volunteers from Far North Search and Rescue, combed the bush around properties in Waimamaku as well as forest along State Highway 12.
A drone was also deployed in the search.
The volunteers were called in to assist police at 9am on Sunday and continued their search all day Monday.
Police are so far not saying exactly where she was found because it's part of an ongoing homicide investigation.
"A scene guard is in place in the area and police will not be in a position to release any further details of the victim until formal identification takes place," Detective Senior Sergeant Kevan Verry said.
Police are appealing for sightings of Gaelene Bright's white 2000 Holden Rodeo 4x4 with the registration number YW7634. Photo / NZ Police
"Our thoughts and condolences are with Ms Bright's family during this extremely difficult time," Verry said.
Police are also examining the victim's home.
The last trace of Bright, 69, was early on May 1 when she left a friend's house in Waimamaku, a small rural village in south Hokianga.
Inquiries are still being made into the movements of Bright's white 2000 Holden Rodeo 4x4, registration YW7634, between Northland and Te Kuiti on May 3 and 4.
Police are asking anyone who has seen the vehicle or has any information about it to call them on 105 quoting file number 220511/2799 or Operation Bright. Information can also be passed on anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Stop/Go traffic management is currently in place on SH12 through Waipoua Kauri Forest, between Dargaville and Waimamaku, where police are conducting a scene examination.
SH12 DARGAVILLE TO ŌMĀPERE - 11:55AM Due to a police incident on #SH12 in Waipua Kauri Forest, north of Dargaville, stop/go traffic management is currently in place. Expect delays through the area and pass the scene with care. ^LB pic.twitter.com/gvLK9HhGhO
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) May 18, 2022
