Until a few months ago the large 'Welcome To Marokopa' sign on the edge of this remote village on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island had a smaller hand-painted homemade sign attached below adding "The Home of Hide and Seek". Until the sign was smashed into pieces one night by persons unknown. 

Marokopa is an idyllic coastal town 250 km south of Auckland. Reached by winding roads, some just made of gravel, through rolling hills and wild bush so typical of Waikato. It is a scenery that is instantly recognisable to fans of the films of 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings' as this whole area played a large part in Peter Jackson's adaptation of the films.

The black sand beaches and pounding Tasman seas are a massive drawcard for Fishermen.  The small campsite is full at the weekend with 4WD vehicles loaded with fishing gear and crates of beer, while the wood-burning smokers behind the showers prepare the daily catch for dinner.

A Quadbike on the black sand beach

Yet it is not the scenery or the large and plentiful tasty Snapper and Kingfish that have brought the tiny village, with a population of only 69 at the last 2018 census, to the world's attention but the strange and remarkable story of local resident Tom Phillips and his three children.

It is a story that is destined to make a great Netflix documentary or classic New Zealand movie when it eventually concludes. 

Tom Phillips is a respected member of the local community with his family owning a farm in Marokopa over several generations. His marriage to his wife, Catherine, was troubled and he was fighting for custody of his three children Jayda, Maverick and Ember when he disappeared from the small village on the 9th of December 2021.

Phillips had great experience in bushcraft and outdoor survival, and despite a major search using dogs and helicopters with heat-seeking equipment, no sign of Phillips and his children was found by the New Zealand Police and the story slowly disappeared from the news. The occasional sighting, such as Tom by himself shopping for outdoor gear at a Bunnings in nearby Hamilton re-ignited interest but it soon faded away again as the news dried up.

What brought it right back to the front pages was an armed bank robbery in nearby Te Kuiti in May 2023. The CCTV videos showed a man resembling Phillips and his eldest child holding up the local ANZ branch. So much cash was stolen that the street outside was layered with banknotes, an old lady helped pick up the notes and handed them to the girl who she thought had dropped them before she realised a robbery was taking place. 

Marokopa was sealed off with Police descending on it from across the North Island including Auckland, roadblocks being set up and house-to-house searches carried out. 

This did not result in the family being found but did cause unintended headaches for the Marokopa residents. Being a remote town many residents did not bother with an annual rego (car registration or MOT as it is known in the UK) and while the roadblocks remained they were unable to drive anywhere in case they were fined!

A successful catch on the beach

They are a hardy lot as I discovered, self-sufficient in many items such as milk from the dairy farms nearby and with a loose system of bartering fresh bread and other vital foods. But not beer, which was only available from bottle shops a thirty minutes drive away. A desperate situation indeed.

After a week, with no sign of the Phillips family, the roadblocks ended and the Police drifted away again and life (and beer supplies) returned to normal.

Yet the sightings continued, each time resulting in more Police activity, searches and roadblocks. A Quad bike was stolen from a smashed shop window in PioPio in November 2023, a family matching the Phillips description were seen soaking in hot pools at Okoroire in June 2024, and wild pig Hunters spotting a family similar to them in the hills behind Marokopa on October 3rd 2024.

Not all sightings have been confirmed by the Police, as they are all generally distant encounters rather than close up. "I recognised them because the kids had home haircuts" one witness said, although with the lack of barbers for miles around here most children, and also the adults, are sporting 'Home Haircuts' around Marokopa.

The locals are very supportive of Phillips and the children. "If they came to my door I would give them a feed and a bed for a night" one resident told me. Many feel the same way. An $80,000 NZ Police Reward for information on their whereabouts not surprisingly drew little interest from the residents of Marokopa, and it was later withdrawn. When they are seen, and not reported to the media or the Police, they are "Very polite, well dressed and are enjoying life".

The mother is seen to be the one at fault by the locals, not Tom, but for legal reasons, I cannot go into details as to why.  

I was told that Tom is an experienced home school teacher and that the children are "Well ahead of their year" in their results and homework assignments, which still make their way on a convoluted path to and from the children to the education authorities. 

Undoubtedly the small community is helping the Phillips family evade the Police. And the Police themselves do not seem to be putting that much effort into finding the family, particularly as the game of 'Hide and Seek' continues now into its fourth year. The children are getting schooled, and learning a lot of bushcraft. The situation is still far from perfect for them and as they grow older they may well not wish to continue their current lifestyle which may bring this story to an end, or not.

The village is incredibly hospitable, although perhaps less so to the Police and tabloid Journalists. With no shop around, and not enough provisions for my stay in town I was overwhelmed with their generosity. Their self-sufficiency was shown in the gift of some of the best homemade sausages I have ever had, made of freshly caught Wild Pig and Venison. The offered payment by me was firmly and politely refused.

While I was there I kept seeing local children around, most with, not surprisingly 'Home Haircuts', but none that resembled the Phillips Kids. They were off somewhere else, maybe in a cave, or an unused holiday home, or staying with friends.

Marokopa is a beautiful laid-back Kiwi village. The black sand beaches amidst the rolling green hills make it a picture-perfect destination and its inhabitants will be very happy when it is back to being known for this rather than for the escapades of the Phillips family.