The teenager presumed drowned in rough Queensland surf was on holiday with his father and brothers to escape the pain of the recent deaths of his mother and aunt.
The trip was delayed after one brother fell off a roof and broke his legs.
Richard Doyle (19), a son of Wakatipu High School board of trustees chairman Peter Doyle, has not been seen since he went for a swim at Northcliffe beach near Surfers Paradise at 7am on Monday.
His mother, Marilyn Doyle, died of cancer in July and his aunt of an aneurism in November.
"It's just absolutely numbing," said long-time family friend Mary Garvie, who is house-sitting at the Doyle home in Queenstown.
"How much can one family take?"
Richard, his father, Peter Doyle, and brothers Matt (21) and Timmy (16) were in Queensland following four days in Sydney.
After a big day at Seaworld on Sunday, they decided to take the day off from tourist activities, Mrs Garvie said.
"Richard just happened to wake up early and left a note saying `I'm going for a swim'," she said.
"When he had not returned by 10am, they went looking.
"His clothes and wallet were found lying on the sand.
"They have been searching for him ever since," she said.
"He [Peter] rang me on the night Richard had gone missing and said, 'You are not going to believe this; you are never going to believe this; you are not going to believe what I'm going to tell you'."
Mrs Garvie said Richard was not the type to wander off.
"There is absolutely no chance - he was an absolute talker," she said.
Richard suffered from epilepsy but was on medication.
Since the news broke, friends and family had been pouring into the Doyle home with offers of support.
"We're all networking and binding together. We're all here for the family, really," she said.
An avid musician, Richard had just joined a band in Dunedin where he was living.
He was partway through a sign-writing apprenticeship.
She said Mr Doyle had been forced to accept Richard was gone, but the brothers were still struggling with the death of their mother.
Queensland police Surfers Paradise media liaison officer Kelly Murray said last night the search had been postponed at 2pm local time due to surf conditions.
It would resume early today.
"It has been over 72 hours since he went missing and we hold grave concerns," Ms Murray said.
"The waters around where he went are very treacherous and deceptive and he wasn't a strong swimmer.
"We've made inquiries to establish he couldn't have gone anywhere else or returned to New Zealand."
Ms Murray said Peter Doyle and his two other sons were assisting Queensland police.
"They are understandably distraught.
The father has been very strong throughout the process and we're keeping him involved, telling him every change and development."
About 20 search and rescuers from the water police, Gold Coast City Council Lifeguards and Surf Lifesavers were using two water police boats, two police jet skis and the Police Dive Unit to search the immediate area in front of Northcliffe.
The family was expected to return to New Zealand this weekend.
Additional reporting by The New Zealand Herald.
