Hitchhiker died from head injuries and stab wound

Murdered German hitchhiker Birgit Brauer died from multiple injuries including significant head injuries and a stab wound to the chest, police said today.

Ms Brauer's body was found by a jogger near Lucy's Gully in Egmont National Park, near New Plymouth on Tuesday evening.

Ms Brauer, a 28-year-old from Dresden in Germany, had been in New Zealand since February on a working holiday.

She had worked mainly in Queenstown and in the last few weeks travelled to Wellington then on to Wanganui.

Police believe Ms Brauer stayed in Wanganui on Monday night then left to hitchhike to New Plymouth on Tuesday morning. She was given a lift to Waitotara, 34km north-west of Wanganui, and this is where she was last seen alive, getting into a dark-coloured station wagon.

Police spokeswoman Sarah Martin said a post mortem on Ms Brauer confirmed she died from multiple injuries, including "significant head trauma" and one stab wound to the chest.

The police investigation would today include a re-enactment of events in Waitotara where Ms Brauer was last seen. At 1pm there was due to be a blessing at the site where Ms Brauer's body was found.

Police are appealing for sightings and are also seeking Ms Brauer's missing property -- two backpacks which contained a silver digital camera, German passport, wallet, diary, clothing, a stone collection, a cellphone, prescription glasses and brown sneakers with red and yellow detailing.

- NZPA