‘Not Allowed to Talk About It’: Sister Recalls Last Conversation Before Dad Vanished With Siblings

When Jubilee Dawson last spoke to her younger half-siblings, their words left an ache that has never left her. They told her they were “not allowed to talk about it” — a cryptic message she only later came to understand as the beginning of a disappearance that would baffle authorities, devastate family, and capture national attention.

Her three half-siblings — Jayda, 11, Maverick, 9, and Ember, 8 — vanished alongside their father, Tom Phillips, in September 2021. What followed was a story of evasion, secrecy, and survival in New Zealand’s remote wilderness, a saga that has stretched over three years with fleeting sightings but no resolution.

A Family Torn Apart

Dawson recalls that final exchange with a mixture of heartbreak and frustration. At the time, she thought little of it, but it now feels like a chilling farewell. “They couldn’t say much. It was like something was holding them back. I didn’t realise it would be the last time I would see them,” she said.

Her siblings disappeared from their family home in Marokopa, a rural community on New Zealand’s west coast. Their father, Phillips, had been living a troubled and complicated life. Once described as quiet and hardworking, he later became known for erratic behaviour, including brushes with police and mounting suspicion that he was deliberately avoiding authorities.

In September 2021, he vanished with the children, sparking an extensive search that included helicopters, drones, and ground crews. For weeks, police combed the rugged bushland and coastal areas, but there was no trace.

Then, in late September, just as suddenly as they had disappeared, Phillips and the children re-emerged at the family property. Their return brought relief but also confusion. Yet within weeks — by December 2021 — they were gone again.

Living Off the Grid

Since then, police and locals believe Phillips has been keeping his children alive deep in the dense bushland and coastal terrain that surrounds Marokopa. Reports suggest he has relied on bushcraft skills, community sympathisers, and perhaps even stolen supplies to sustain his fugitive existence.

For Dawson and other family members, this life off the grid has been both remarkable and agonising. “The fact they’ve survived this long shows how resourceful he is,” she admitted, “but every day without them is another day of worry. They’re growing up without their family, without school, without the chance at a normal life.”

The case has prompted debate across New Zealand about parental rights, survivalism, and the line between protection and abduction. Some sympathise with Phillips’ choice to raise his children away from modern society; others see it as a reckless and selfish act that denies the children stability and safety.

A Rare Sighting

The most recent development came on October 3 this year, when a group of teenage pig hunters spotted Phillips and the children walking across a remote coastal farm near Marokopa. The sighting offered proof of life and raised hopes that the saga might finally be coming to an end.

But, as with so many turns in this story, hope was short-lived. By the time police arrived, Phillips and the children had vanished once more into the rugged terrain, leaving only footprints and speculation behind.

For Dawson, the fleeting glimpse was bittersweet. “Knowing they’re alive means the world,” she said. “But to think they were so close, and still out of reach — it breaks me all over again.”

Police Appeal and Community Response

Authorities have repeatedly appealed for information, urging the public not to assist Phillips but to report sightings immediately. Police say the children are considered safe with their father but remain “unlawfully taken,” and their welfare cannot be guaranteed.

Some locals have admitted they believe Phillips has received quiet support from sympathisers who respect his anti-establishment stance. Others insist the children deserve a return to normalcy, regardless of their father’s motives.

The community is divided, but for the Dawson family, the issue is clear. “They deserve better than hiding away in the bush,” Jubilee said firmly.

Heartbreak and Hope

As the third anniversary of their disappearance passes, Dawson continues to replay that last conversation. Her siblings’ words — that they could not talk about what was happening — haunt her. She wonders whether they understood the gravity of what was unfolding or whether they were simply following their father’s instructions.

Her message to them, if they could hear it, is simple: “We love you. We haven’t stopped looking. And one day, I hope you can come home.”

Until then, the case of Tom Phillips and his three children remains one of New Zealand’s most enduring mysteries: a tale of wilderness survival, family loyalty, and a community caught between compassion and condemnation.