Mataraua bush search prompts reminder to be prepared

Family members, police and volunteers at the search base on the edge of Mataraua Forest, southwest of Kaikohe. Photo/Peter de Graaf

Northland's search and rescue boss is urging people heading into the bush this summer to go prepared with food, water and spare clothing - whether they're planning to go in for four hours or four days.

The reminder comes after experienced hunter Peter Hobson and his three sons, aged 13, 11 and 10, spent a night in the bush at Mataraua, southwest of Kaikohe, after what was supposed to be a morning's pig hunt.

All four were found safe and well by a local hunter about 10.30am yesterday. About 20 people took part in the search, including Whangarei police, Far North Search and Rescue volunteers, hunters and whanau.

Senior Sergeant Cliff Metcalfe, the head of Northland police Search and Rescue, said the 47-year-old, three boys and four dogs went into the bush about 9am on Saturday.

They were due out at noon but his wife wasn't worried when they didn't return on time because hunting trips often went on longer than planned.

At 4pm, however, she went looking for them and found her husband's car parked on Tawaka Lane.

When they still hadn't returned by 7pm family members started a search. They alerted police about 11pm.

Given the ages of the children and family concerns they might be stuck in one of the forest's challenging swamps, four teams started an official search at 2.30am yesterday.

It wasn't hard to find the group's footprints but because they had been chasing pigs the trail went in all directions.

The number of search teams was increased to eight at daybreak, bolstered by family members and local hunters.

"They happily joined in the search and provided the local knowledge we didn't have," Mr Metcalfe said.

Catching up on breakfast after the search are, from left, the hunter's brother-in-law David Williams, of Waitangi, sister Rebecca Hobson, of Waitangi, and brother George Hobson, of Kaikohe.

One of the local hunters found the family about 1.6km from Tawaka Lane as they were wading through a swamp and heading towards home. They were unharmed and not even in need of a medical check-up.

They had no food, water or extra clothing, Mr Metcalfe said.

"The moral of the story is, if you're going to take kids out into the bush, take some food and water, even if it's just for them, and take some spare clothes. The weather is changeable at this time of year - if it was like Saturday night it could've been a very different outcome."

Older brother George Hobson, of Kaikohe, has hunted in the area for years and was among those taking part in the search. He thanked the searchers on behalf of the whanau.

"We're grateful to the police, the volunteers, everyone who was here. It's much appreciated."

A helicopter was not used in the search because the dense bush meant its crew would have had little chance of spotting the hunters.

After a run of cold nights, Sunday night was particularly mild across the Mid North.