Photo: SUPPLIED
The police search for a 5-year-old autistic boy missing in the rural Hangaroa district of Gisborne is expected to resume at first light.
The alarm was raised at 4pm on Sunday.
RNZ has been told up to 300 people from the area joined in the search for Kaizer, supporting police and rescue teams from Wairoa and Gisborne.
It was called off around midnight.
Family and friends of Khyzah - or Kaizer, according to police - who lives on a remote sheep and cattle station, have continued to look throughout the night.
Photo: SUPPLIED
On social media, police said he was reported missing from a residential address in Tiniroto.
"He is believed to have gone missing around 2.15pm.
"He was wearing a green hunting and fishing long-sleeve top, a nappy, no shoes, and may be wearing black pants with skeleton bones at the front. "
Local farmer Alex Campbell told Morning Report a missing child was every family's and every community's "worst nightmare".
He was notified of the boy's disappearance late Sunday afternoon and there was a scramble from the local community to mobilise and search where they could into the night.
The terrain had "everything imaginable" - including waterways, steep hills and forestry.
It was also like "a needle in a haystack", Campbell said.
Search and rescue was back this morning and ground teams had started searching again - with every farmer in the area also out helping.
Campbell said he believed there was hope in finding the boy if he was on land.
Anyone with information is asked to call 111 and reference event number P059617641.
