Second body discovered in remote area

Police in eastern Bay of Plenty have found the body of an elderly man whose wife was found dead in a house near remote Raukokore on Monday.

Senior Sergeant Warwick Morehu said the couple had been identified as Richard Robinson, 72, and Katarina Robinson, 74, from Putaruru.

Mr Morehu said Mr Robinson's body was found near the Raukokore river mouth yesterday afternoon.

Police are still trying to piece together what happened but Mr Morehu said both had been suffering from severe health problems and their deaths didn't appear to be suspicious.

It was still unclear why Mrs Robinson was in the house she was found in, which belonged to a local man.

The couple were believed to have been spending Queen's Birthday weekend with family in the area, about 80km northeast of Opotiki.

The bodies have been taken to a marae in nearby Te Kaha where they are being given a traditional Maori farewell.

Police and volunteers had been searching the area around Raukokore for Mr Robinson since Mrs Robinson's body was found.

Mr Morehu said a post mortem examination on the bodies would be carried out in Auckland.

- NZPA