Carrying a bunch of flowers, she walked up the pathway to a viewing deck above the sand dunes, just metres from where her daughter was buried 19 years ago.
Police have not established whether Ms Furlong, who was a part-time sex worker, was alive at Sunset Beach or how she got there. They are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Mrs Furlong stood on the viewing deck in the howling wind and took her first look at the sandy and isolated grave. A woman out walking her dog had called police after finding a skull in the sand.
As her sons walked out over the top of the dune where their sister had been buried for so long, Mrs Furlong broke down for a moment and was comforted by an officer. She later walked along the beach to lay flowers closer to where detectives and forensic experts removed Ms Furlong's bones.
"It wasn't any fun," Mrs Furlong said. She said the day was tough and she was lost for words when she got to the site.
"I couldn't think straight ... after 19 years there wasn't much to say. It's such a long time ago."
She was pleased she had been to the beach.
"We needed to see it, we just had to go. I wanted to analyse the whole thing. It's not a very intelligent place to bury a body, is it?"
The spot where the remains were found is less than 100m from a row of seafront houses, which have been there since the young mother went missing.
Police said a Facebook page set up to help publicise the investigation into Ms Furlong's death was being well used.
"Week four of the inquiry has kicked off, and the team are following good leads generated from this page," a police spokesman said. "Thank you for the support and information you are feeding us, it's invaluable. Keep it up, because somebody knows what happened to Jane.
"We are getting a lot of information that has helped police firm up on what we knew back in 1993 and 1996. We are following up every piece of information but we still appeal to people to come forward and tell us what they know, even if they think it is of no significance.
"We'd particularly like to hear from anyone who knows if Jane had any association with Port Waikato."
CAN YOU HELP?
If you have information on Jane Furlong's death contact police on 0800 675 263, email furlong@police.govt.nz or visit the special 'What happened to Jane' Facebook page. Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
