A 24-pack of Jack Daniels premixed whiskey and cola sits on top of a pelican case, inside a trench.

On the dirt floor lies part of another, crushed pack of alcohol – a 12-pack of Gordon’s premixed gin and tonic.

Six bottles of Mammoth iced coffee and chocolate lie scattered, next to a gas bottle and camping stove, all sheltered by a tent and tarp.

“When I saw the campsite, my immediate thought was that it was likely not one of his best; he must have had other, more well-established sites,” he said.

Despite this, Riini said Phillips could have survived there for a while.

“I’ve seen people living in less than that. I’ve met a few guys that live in the forest and they get by with less.”

At the time, Riini said, it looked more like a makeshift garage of sorts, where the vehicles were stored.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers informed reporters on Tuesday that officers managed to find the campsite, but were cautioned about the presence of firearms as they worked to safely extract the two remaining children.

Before going to the site, Chambers said police teams were told they would find at least one firearm and ammunition at the campsite.

This has since been recovered.