A missing man at the centre of a major police search has been described as a "nice bloke" who kept to himself.
Grant Ridley, 46, went missing four days ago and police say that is out of character for the man who had left his car parked outside his house.
A police spokeswoman said six search and rescue teams yesterday searched farmland around Orokawa Scenic Reserve but had not yet found anything to assist in finding Mr Ridley.
Police were continuing to make other inquiries to help locate the man but were looking to scale back the physical search after looking at "all areas of interest" and would reassess if any new information comes to light.
Mr Ridley is described as 170cm tall and has brown hair styled into a mullet.
A local butcher known to the community as 'Porky' said Mr Ridley used to come into the butchery a few times a week to buy enough meat for one person.
"He was very shy," Porky said. "It was quite hard to strike up a conversation with him, but he seemed like a nice enough guy."
He said the community had been talking about the disappearance.
"There is always somebody who knows somebody around here," he said. "But I do not think a lot of people knew him, but I do hope they find him. I feel for his family."
A staff member at Super Liquor in Waihi, Richard Tottle, said he had recognised Mr Ridley after seeing an article in the newspaper about his disappearance.
"I did not know him, but he would come in twice a week," he said. "He did not seem like a 'put himself out there' kind of guy."
Mr Tottle described him as a "nice guy" and a "quiet bloke".
An employee at the local TAB said he knew Mr Ridley personally, but did not wish to talk further. He said he had not seen Mr Ridley " for a while and when asked about Mr Ridley's disappearance he said, "that was his business".
A worker at the liquor store next door to the TAB said Mr Ridely used to come into the shop a couple of times a week to cash in possum fur for alcohol.
"We thought he might have gone out hunting or something when we heard he was missing," she said.
"He was very quiet and kept to himself."
An employee of the Waihi Mobile station said he knew Mr Ridley as a regular customer. "He used to come here occasionally but have not seen him recently. I know he was working in the wood, chopping firewood."