A body believed to be missing British tourist Grace Millane has been found by police in the Waitakere Ranges today.
Detective Inspector Scott Beard said the body was in bush about 10m off the side of the road.
Speaking from the scene, he said it was an unbearable time for her family and his heart goes out to them. He's pleased however to be able to give Grace back to her family.
Beard said the 22-year-old's body was believed to have been taken to the bush in a rental car that was later found in Taupo.
A section of Scenic Drive, where the body is believed to have been found, has been under police guard since this morning.
Earlier today Millane's brother Declan thanked New Zealanders for their thoughts and prayers.
A car seized in relation to Millane's disappearance, meanwhile, appears to be the key piece of evidence in her death, a former police inspector says.
Retired Bay of Plenty District crime manager and Detective Inspector Graham Bell said the car was likely used to transport Millane's body.
The police priority would be tracking the vehicle's movements with GPS or using cellphone towers - which was possible even if the mobile phones of those in it were switched off, he revealed.
Police said they were determined to return Millane's body to her family, who had earlier spread word across the world of the talented artist and university graduate's disappearance when her daily social media contact stopped the night before her 22nd birthday last Sunday.
Millane's father David, a millionaire property developer, then flew to New Zealand early on Friday.
The much-loved daughter and sister arrived in New Zealand on November 20, as part of a year-long, worldwide overseas experience that began earlier this year in
South America, he told journalists.
Fighting back tears, he spoke to media about the "lovely, outgoing, fun-loving, family-orientated daughter" who had been so looking forward to going to New Zealand and had "bombarded us with numerous photographs and messages of her adventures" since arriving.
Detective Inspector Scott Beard said during the conference officers had found the 26-year-old man at a central Auckland address at 3pm on Friday, and interviews were still taking place.
Police have also released photos of a necklace and pink Casio Baby-G watch Millane was thought to be wearing when she disappeared, and said her passport was also missing.
Her other belongings had remained this week at Base Backpackers, where she had been booked in to stay until today.
CCTV footage captured Millane leaving Andy's Burgers & Bar, on the first level of Sky City, at 7.15pm last Saturday, December 1.
At 9.41pm Millane and the 26-year-old man taken in by police today were seen on CCTV entering CityLife Hotel, which has entrances on both Queen and Durham Sts.
Asked why police were now treating Millane's disappearance as a murder, Beard said it was a combination of factors.
"The evidence we have located so far, our scene examination, from the CCTV footage we have and our investigation has determined that Grace is no longer alive and this is a murder investigation."
Police had "no reason or understanding what the motive was", he said.
