KEY POINTS:
The child found dead near Whangarei yesterday drowned, police say.
Detective Senior Sergeant Marty Ruth told NZPA this afternoon preliminary results of today's post mortem showed that the cause of death was consistent with drowning.
A 30-year-old woman, charged in relation the toddler's death, sat sobbing on the dock when she appeared in Whangarei District Court today.
The woman, who has interim name suppression, was charged with unlawfully abandoning a child under the age of six.
The woman's parents were in the public gallery for her brief court appearance.
Lawyer David Sayes requested interim name suppression so other significant members of the family could be told about the arrest.
She was remanded in custody to reappear in court again on Monday.
Detective Senior Sergeant Marty Ruth last night said between 25 and 30 police were still on the case and refused to comment on the relationship between the woman and the dead child.
Police are not looking for anyone else at present but Mr Ruth said that could change because police "have so few pieces of the jigsaw in place". He added: "There's a lot still to do".
Police located the toddler's body about 600m off the side of a rural road in Parua Bay after being tipped off. They are still interested in sightings of a dark blue station wagon between 12 noon on Wednesday and 10am yesterday.
Inspector Paul Dimery said police had been called to "another incident" about an hour before they found the body, but he would not say what that incident was.
He also would not comment on who contacted police about the girl or if her parents were suspects in the homicide inquiry.
Details about how the girl died, whether her body showed any obvious signs of injury, or if she was clothed, have not been released.
A post mortem is expected to be held today. Police say they already know the girl's identity and are in the process of contacting her family in Whangarei.
The rural area where the body was dumped in Te Rongo Rd is mainly in bush, with stands of manuka and kanuka mixed with some rough farmland and lifestyle-block type houses.
Yesterday a police checkpoint about 1km from the end of the road stopped anyone other than residents from going any further.
Residents in Te Rongo Rd described the area as quiet and secluded. Some had been delayed in getting home by the police presence but few had been interviewed or told what had happened by yesterday afternoon.
Inspector Dimery would not comment on whether police were speaking to anyone of interest or still hunting for the killer.
Police were however seeking sightings of a blue Subaru station wagon, which is believed to have been somehow involved in the disposing of the girl's body, sometime between Wednesday afternoon and the early hours of Thursday morning.
Police would not release the registration number.
* Anyone with any information can contact Inspector Dimery at Whangarei police on (09) 430-4500.
- with NZPA
