The campsite where Phillips and children were hiding. Photo: Supplied / Police
A quad bike, some tyres and cans of Sprite are among the belongings seen in the first photos released of inside the campsite where fugitive Tom Phillips and his children had recently been staying in.
Phillips died after a shootout with police after they were called to reports of a burglary in the early hours of Monday. A police officer was shot multiple times in the head during the shootout and remains in hospital with significant injuries which police have described as "survivable".
One of Phillips' children, who was with him at the time, then began assisting police and said there were firearms at the campsite.
More than 12 hours later the remaining children were located in a remote campsite, deep in dense bush about 2km away from where Phillips was fatally shot.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said Phillips and his children had been at the campsite for a little while and there had been some "structures" created.
On Tuesday, police released photos of the campsite.
The campsite where Phillips and children were hiding. Photo: Supplied / Police
The photos show a motorbike and a quad bike covered by what appears to be netting in dense bush, some tyres and cans of Sprite.
There also appears to be a gas canister.
Speaking to media on Tuesday afternoon, Chambers told media police were able to get support from one of the children on Monday to better understand where the other children may be located.
Chambers said the photos provided to the media demonstrated the "challenging environment" they were operating in.
"Whilst what you see in dense bush might suggest they've been there for some time, what we know is over the last four years Mr Phillips and his children have been very mobile… that's been a real challenge for us to deal with."
Police had been told there was likely to be at least one firearm and ammunition at the campsite. So far, police had located one firearm.
The campsite where Phillips and children were hiding. Photo: Supplied / Police
He said the children were "skilled" in the environment they were in and police had to ensure no-one was harmed.
Chambers earlier told Morning Report he was very relieved the children had been recovered safely.
He said the children have a "long road to recovery", but he had comfort in knowing they're now being supported.
The children had been checked by health professionals and were doing well, Chambers confirmed.
Police had about 50 staff searching the bush including Special Tactics Group (STG) and the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) on Monday for the children.
The campsite where Phillips and children were hiding. Photo: Supplied / Police
Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers told media on Monday evening the children were by themselves at a "very remote" campsite.
"It's taken our staff some time to walk into it this morning, following information that we were provided earlier in the day."
Rogers said information provided by one of Phillips' children earlier in the morning was "crucial in narrowing our search boundaries".
"We've come across them in the area that we were identified as being a probable location in which we could find them, and we've had communication with them, and we've safely engaged with them, and they're now with our police officers."
The shootout
About 2.30 on Monday morning police received a call from a Piopio resident to say they believed they were witnessing a burglary in action at PGG Wrightson.
The burglary involved two people on a quad bike dressed in farm clothing and wearing headlamps.
"Knowing the information that we had previously had that had seen Tom Phillips also in this area, additional staff were called out and responded to that location," Deputy Police Commissioner Jill Rogers earlier told media.
A quad bike was seen leaving the area along the Waipuna Road, a gravel road that intersects with Te Anga Road, the main road leading back to Marokopa.
A constable then decided to lay road spikes at the intersection about 3.20am.
The quad bike then ran over the spikes, with the bike coming to a rest a short time later.
The constable, who was first on the scene, came across the bike and was confronted by gunfire at close range and was shot in the head multiple times.
"He was getting out of the vehicle and has fallen to the ground. He's taken cover back in the vehicle," Rogers said.
A second patrol car then arrived and "engaged" Phillips who was shot and died at the scene.
One of Phillips' children was then taken into custody uninjured.
The officer was then flown to Waikato Hospital by the Westpac Rescue in a critical condition.
Once he arrived in hospital he was conscious and was able to speak to some of his colleagues.
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