An investigation is underway after a body was found in a burned-out car in Havelock North on Monday.
Detective Inspector David de Lange said the body and car were found in the River Road car park and it appeared the vehicle had been at the reserve for several days.
River Road is currently closed while police work in the area and a scene guard will be in place overnight. A scene investigation has begun and a post-mortem is expected to be carried out on Tuesday.
"While we are treating the death as unexplained, we are in the very early stages of understanding what has happened to our victim," Det Insp de Lange said.
The reserve is a popular area for cyclists and people walking dogs, providing access to the Tukituki River and adjacent cycleways.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact police on 105 and quote event number P051805886.
Police said no further details are available at this time.
