A second batch of photos of Tom Phillips' campsite have been released.
Share and Follow

A 24-pack of Jack Daniels premixed whiskey and cola sits on top of a pelican case, inside a trench.

On the dirt floor lies part of another, crushed pack of alcohol – a 12-pack of Gordon’s premixed gin and tonic.

Six bottles of Mammoth iced coffee and chocolate lie scattered, next to a gas bottle and camping stove, all sheltered by a tent and tarp.

A second batch of photos of Tom Phillips' campsite have been released.
A second batch of photos of Tom Phillips’ campsite have been released. (NZ Police)

These are among the items seen in the second batch of photos of fugitive dad Tom Phillips’ campsite released by New Zealand police on Wednesday.

The images show a campsite approximately 200 metres away from where Tuesday’s pictures were taken, across some difficult terrain.

It was in this area where two of Phillips’ children – Maverick and Ember – were found on Monday afternoon after the fugitive father was killed in a shootout with police on a remote country road south of Auckland.

Phillips went into hiding with his three children in December 2021 and had been hunted by police ever since.

Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders said police staff were working in steep and uneven terrain to document evidence from the camp scene.

“It’s a very grim, dimly-lit area, surrounded by dense bush,” he said.

The images, released on Wednesday, show a campsite approximately 200 metres away from where Tuesdays pictures were taken, across some difficult terrain.
The images, released on Wednesday, show a campsite approximately 200 metres away from where Tuesdays pictures were taken, across some difficult terrain. (NZ Police)

The Phillips tent was well covered and dry.

“We are currently looking at a number of items at the site. Aside from the burglaries we are now able to link to Tom, it is apparent that he had outside help,” Saunders said.

Police removed the vehicles from the scene of the shootout on Tuesday night and were due to continue their examination of the area on Wednesday and Thursday.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Saunders said sleeping bags were found at the scene.

“Sleeping bags there, a tent, appear to be in the same sleeping area,” he said.

He added he didn’t believe the site was their main hideout.

On seeing the latest photos, experienced bushman Ngahiraka Te Riini described the campsite as “pretty average”.

“It looks pretty temporary. It doesn’t look like somewhere you would spend a long period of time,” he told Stuff.

Riini said that although the site looked better than the one seen in pictures on Tuesday, it was “nothing special”.

“I mean, it’s dug into the bank, they’ve got shelter from one side, and then the roof looks alright. But honestly, it looks pretty average.”

Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders said police staff were working in steep and uneven terrain to document evidence from the scene.
Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders said police staff were working in steep and uneven terrain to document evidence from the scene. (NZ Police)

“That was probably one of the first things I thought when I saw that campsite is that it probably wasn’t one of his better ones; he must have had other areas where they were better established than that,” he said.

Despite this, Riini said Phillips could have survived there for a while.

“I’ve seen people living in less than that. I’ve met a few guys that live in the forest and they get by with less.”

At the time, Riini said, it looked more like a makeshift garage of sorts, where the vehicles were stored.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told reporters on Tuesday that officers were able to locate the campsite, but were prewarned about firearms on the scene when they were getting the two remaining children out safely.

Before going to the site, Chambers said police teams were told they would find at least one firearm and ammunition at the campsite.

This has since been recovered.

This article was originally published on Stuff.co.nz and has been reproduced here with permission.
Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Situated just metres apart, the State Library and Melbourne Central stations share an underground concourse on La Trobe Street.

Urgent Efforts Underway to Address Oversight Threatening to Turn Walkways into ‘Pedestrian Tollways

The Victorian government has scrambled to fix an oversight that would make…

Exclusive: Labor’s Strategic Environmental Trade-offs Unveiled to Secure Crucial Political Alliances

Labor has unveiled its final pitch to both the Greens and Coalition,…
Lauren Darul had been seeking bail after she was charged with recklessly and intentionally causing injury.

Melbourne CBD Stabbing Suspect Denied Bail Again: Legal Battle Intensifies

An individual accused of a random stabbing incident, targeting a woman on…

Inquest Reveals Psychiatrist’s Oversight in Bondi Stabbings: Mental Illness of Perpetrator Underestimated

A long-time psychiatrist for a man who killed six people in a…
A crime scene has been declared as police search for the alleged attackers.

Shocking Update: 15-Year-Old Faces Murder Charge in Teen Stabbing Case

A chilling development has emerged in the tragic case of a fatal…
All 33 England players this autumn rated out of 10: Who's the 'glue' for Steve Borthwick, which bolters are making a World Cup case and who has 'significant room for improvement'?

Rating England’s Autumn Rugby Stars: Discover the Standouts, World Cup Contenders, and Those Needing Improvement

As the curtain fell on 2025, England’s rugby team, under the astute…

Second Teenager Charged in Connection with Alleged Murder Near Sydney School

A second teenage boy has been charged with murder over the alleged…
Missing four-year-old Gus

Former Detective Reveals Shocking New Clues in Gus Lamont Disappearance Case

As a new search for missing boy Gus Lamont enters its second…