By Rachel Eddie
The Victorian man shot dead in a random carjacking while holidaying in New Zealand with his Canadian fiancee has been identified as 33-year-old Sean McKinnon, as police launch a major manhunt for his killer.
A gunman fired a "number of shots" into the campervan where Mr McKinnon was sleeping with his fiancee Bianca Buckley near the popular beach town of Raglan, south of Auckland on the North Island early on Friday morning, local time.
Sean McKinnon and his fiancee Bianca.Credit: Facebook
Mr McKinnon, 33, who grew up around Warrnambool in Victoria's south-west, and Ms Buckley got engaged around Christmas time in 2017, according to their social media.
Ms Buckley, 32, managed to escape the campervan and run for help. She called police from a nearby home.
The gunman took the vehicle with Mr McKinnon still inside. Police later found the stolen campervan and Mr McKinnon's body in Gordonton, near Hamilton, 80 kilometres away, sparking a major manhunt and a homicide investigation in the Waikato region.
Friend, Julian Smith, said Mr McKinnon was a "lovable, knockabout Aussie guy" who loved his surfing.
"He loved to surf big waves down the coast. He charged five-metre waves," Mr Smith said.
Raglan is a well-known surfing spot for big-wave surfers. The couple's campervan was parked in the Te Toto Gorge track carpark, not far from the water.
Sean McKinnon, 33.Credit: Facebook
The attack happened almost a month to the day of the murder of New South Wales man Lucas Fowler, who was shot dead alongside his American girlfriend while they were travelling in a van in Canada. Their suspected killers Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18 - who are also believed to have shot dead a third person - were found dead after a country-wide manhunt.
The New Zealand gunman remains at large and Waikato police announced in a press conference that they assume he is still armed as a weapon is yet to be found.
The New Zealand Herald reported the gunman shot Mr McKinnon "more than once" after banging on the campervan and demanding the keys.
Police said they still did not know the identity of the gunman, but were "working through a number of leads". They appealed to the public for more information.
"This is a tragic incident. Inquiries indicate this is a random attack," Detective Inspector Graham Pitkethley said.
"We are supporting the female victim who is understandably very shocked and distressed, providing her with the support and welfare that she needs.
"We are still working through injuries she may or may not have obtained during the odreal. The terrain where the vehicle was stolen is quite rough with a lot of bush around."
Sean McKinnon was holidaying in New Zealand when he was killed.Credit: Facebook
Police are asking for anyone who saw the couple's 2017 white Toyota Hiace ZL van between the hours of 2am and 8am local time to contact police.
Local woman Baillie Buchanan said she was driving from Hamilton to Waihi Beach when she came across police surrounding the abandoned camper van on Gordonton Road on Friday, about 8.50am local time (6.50am AEST).
"[I] saw heaps of police holding guns blocking off a rural road and in between was a tourist campervan that was to the side of the road.
An officer and paramedic work through the open door of the campervan where the body of a man was found on Friday morning.Credit: Mark Taylor/Stuff
"There was around five or six cars at the front and a few at the back. Maybe six or seven police standing, but I only saw one [officer] holding a gun."
Ms Buchanan said there was still a large police presence in the area but the van had been removed.
Colin Chung from Colin's Cafe at nearby Whale Bay told AAP the area is a rocky coastline and provided some of the best surf in New Zealand, but it is off the beaten track for tourists.
He heard helicopters in the air about 6.30am but thought it might have been about a boat in trouble.
"It stayed in the air for a long time, maybe 45 minutes," he said.
NZ Armed Offenders Squad members near the scene.Credit: Mark Taylor/Stuff
Armed police responded to what they called a "serious incident" about 3.20am local time (1.20am AEST) on Friday, on Whaanga Road, Raglan.
The site is south of the popular beach town, near the Karioi Summit Track entrance, at Te Toto Gorge.
About an hour later, another couple sleeping in an Apollo campervan in Raglan woke to armed police who were on the hunt for the gunman.
Police are appealing to members of the public for any information.
NZ police around the campervan.Credit: Mark Taylor/Stuff
Last year three tourists were shot at while surfing at nearby Te Maika point, while a fisherman was also allegedly fired upon in the area.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to the family of the Australian man.
Anyone with information within New Zealand is asked to contact Waikato Police on (07) 858 6200 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
with AAP, Stuff, The Age