Police say they are still active in making inquiries about missing Gisborne boy Lucas Ward, even though their search for him has been cut back.
Gisborne police Senior Sergeant Mick Lander said today that police had not given up, though the search had been scaled back.
"There are still a number of inquiries and bits and pieces going on," he said.
Searches were still being carried out on the Waimata River at different tide times, he said.
The family of the four-year-old isn't giving up hope six days after he disappeared, and will continue looking for him.
"We'll always be hopeful," grandfather Mark Hunt told NZPA.
"There will always be hope for him and his spirit will always be there. We really haven't lost him yet. We're a long, long away from that point yet.
"There's still a lot of people out there looking for him, there's a lot of hope."
Earlier Mr Hunt said it had been "pretty tough" since Lucas went missing on Tuesday as his grandmother unloaded groceries and answered a phone call in her suburban Kaiti home.
Police, family members and volunteers have been scouring the nearby Waimata River and land areas, but have found no sign of the boy.
"We're going to just be very hopeful that we can come up with some sort of miracle and we just need time to get some closure on it. We're going to back off for a few days and just have a wee rethink," Mr Hunt said.
He said the family was not upset the official search was being downgraded, saying police had been "fantastic".
Lucas' bike was found on a path leading to a river jetty and a chip packet recovered from the river, believed to be similar to one given to him by his grandmother shortly before he disappeared on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Hunt said he was keeping all options open as to Lucas' whereabouts, but thought the river was a likely possibility.
Announcing plans yesterday to downgrade the search, Gisborne area commander Inspector Sam Aberahama said Lucas may never be found.
"This is not the news that any family of a missing person wants to hear, but in reality, there has to come a time when we have to bring the search to a close. I believe this is the right time."
"We may never know where Lucas is - that is the reality of the situation."
