Shay-Shay's late-night search for mum

Ngari Ngavavia is relieved daughter Leshay Teleiai-Samuel is home safe after the toddler went missing on Saturday night. Photo / Greg Bowker

A 2-year-old girl who went missing from her home while her family slept said she went looking for her mum.

Little Leshay Teleiai-Samuel, known as Shay-Shay, woke up in the middle of the night and managed to sneak out of bed while her father and younger brother slept.

She and her family were at her grandparents' home in Massey, in West Auckland, for the weekend.

Her mother had earlier left to visit a girlfriend's place and her grandparents and young uncles were asleep in the other rooms.

Managing to unlock the front door, the toddler stepped outside and walked up the family's driveway.

She walked about 100m up a steep hill, past a large construction site, and another 300m down a main road, stopping just past a church on Waimumu Rd.

About 12.30am, a police officer who happened to drive past spotted her, wearing only light pants, a pink nightie T-shirt and in bare feet.

She was cold, crying and in a distressed state, police said.

Her family, who estimate she must have left the house about 11pm, did not realise Shay-Shay was missing until about 8am, when her father woke up to find that she was not there.

Her mother, Ngari Ngavavia, who assumed her daughter was sleeping with her parents, said it was as if her insides had been ripped out when her partner woke her and said: "Babe, I can't find Shay."

"I was just going crazy. All the things that you think might happen to a little child went through my mind," Ms Ngavavia said.

"I just broke down, thinking: 'I'm not going to get her back. She's gone, she's not coming back'."

Shay-Shay's father, Grayson Nigel Samuel, who immediately started searching the neighbourhood for his little girl, said: "I just felt mad - mad at myself for not knowing she'd gone and mad at whoever had her."

But there was relief for the family when, after calling police to report Shay-Shay missing, they were told she had been picked up overnight.

Reunited with her family, Ms Ngavavia said she held on to her daughter for an extra long time and asked why she had gone.

Shay-Shay's reply was: "You, mummy. I go get mummy," her mother said.

"This has really opened our eyes, to be alert and aware of what children can do."