New details reveal how fugitive dad has managed to survive in NZ bush

A fugitive on the run with his three children in the New Zealand wilderness could be getting help from a gang of locals.

Tom Phillips disappeared with Jayda, 11, Maverick, nine, and Ember, eight, near his parents' home in Marokopa, south of Auckland, in December 2021 following ongoing disputes with their mother, Cat.

Phillips and the children were feared dead until October 3, when three teenage pig hunters filmed them traversing private property close to where they went missing, dressed in camouflage and wearing large backpacks.

Locals in the Waikato region told Daily Mail Australia that they lock their sheds at night over fears Phillips - who used to homeschool his kids and never had a proper job - might loot their properties.

Police alleged the rogue dad has robbed a bank, stolen two quad bikes and is 'armed and dangerous'.

Those living in the area said finding food in the wild wouldn't be too difficult because there's an abundance of wild boars, livestock, and possums. 

But they added staying warm in the freezing conditions and keeping out of sight would be nearly impossible without help.

'It rained a lot over the last few weeks and they've survived two winters - it doesn't matter how good at bushcraft you are, you can't get away from the cold and the wet like that with three small kids,' one man said.

'People must be helping him.' 

The town of Marokopa has just 20 permanent residents - among them are Phillips' mother and father, Neville and Julia.

A number of neighbouring towns are scattered with posters of Phillips' and the children's faces, calling for information about their whereabouts.

When approached by Daily Mail Australia, Mr Phillips Snr did not make a public appeal to his son to bring his grandchildren back home.

Instead, he said: 'You are banned from my property.'

Others in the area were convinced the police had acted too slowly when the family was sighted on October 3, asking why the military wasn't called in to search.

'By the time the police arrived it was too late,' one man said.

'He would have been down the hill and away on foot in about 30 minutes - they needed to be there quickly and they weren't.'

The police search was reignited after the latest sighting, but it was called off after a few days.

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This week, there was no sign of a police officer or vehicle in Marokopa or in the surrounding towns. The closest police station is more than an hour away.

'You can call them out here but, you know, they've got to finish their tea and have a break and then come over here, so it can take a while,' one woman said, half-joking.

Military lawyers told the NZ Herald that police aren't able to execute long distance patrols looking for Phillips and his children, but it is within the capability of the New Zealand Special Air Service.

Matthew Hague told the outlet that could only happen if the Commissioner of Police was satisfied that a situation was beyond the capability of police.

The Commissioner could then make a formal request to the Prime Minister to order the armed forces in.

If the military was used, they would have the power to make arrests and use deadly force if necessary, but they would also have to use every effort to avoid confrontation.

Locals have grave fears that if Phillips is tracked down and cornered, the situation could turned deadly.

'I hope there's not a final confrontation, you know, like a shoot-out or something,' one said.

'Those poor kids. They're going to be traumatised.'

Along with kidnapping his own children, Phillips is wanted for questioning over an alleged armed robbery of a bank in Te Kuiti near Marokopa in September 2023.

Security footage from the alleged armed robbery showed a man on a motorcycle with a smaller accomplice sitting on the back. Both were dressed head-to-toe in black clothing. Police said the second robbery suspect was a woman.

The teen pig hunter who spotted the family initially thought they were poachers, so they filmed the group as they walked over the hills. 

They told a girl, whose face was covered with a mask, that the property was private.

She said: 'Yeah...duh.

The teen then asked: 'Does anyone know you're on here?'

She said: No, just you guys.'

An $80,000 reward was offered for information that could locate the three children, but it expired after eight weeks with no result.