COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Donations are flooding in for the 5-year-old girl who was attacked in Turangi, and is now recovering in Waikato Hospital, including this bear from Phoebe, 12, and Lawrence, 8, I'An.

New Zealanders have donated more than $8000 to the 5-year-old girl who was brutally violated in Turangi.

The girl was asleep with her three-year-old brother in a caravan at Club Habitat holiday park when she was attacked between 10.10pm and 10.40pm on Wednesday.

She needed four hours of surgery after receiving "heart-wrenching" injuries to her face and body in the sexually-motivated attack, Detective Inspector Mark Loper said.

Hundreds of people dropped off presents at Waikato Hospital yesterday and thousands more emailed or phoned with messages of support.

Police said the girl's parents, believed to from Belgium, were incredibly appreciative of the generosity, but there was no capacity to take any more presents.

The family would only be able to take so much back to Europe and the surplus would help put smiles on the faces of a lot of sick children at the hospital.

Police said the family were reading all of the cards and messages being sent through the Waikato DHB email and they have been a huge support.

"We are very touched by the reactions of New Zealanders," the parents said in a statement.

"Physically she is doing better and better. She started playing and drawing in her bed.

"This will still be a long journey for us and it will be made that much easier by the loving care and messages we've received from throughout New Zealand."

Police said Kiwis still wanting to help could donate to the Trust fund, which has been set up with two independent trustees.

After the first half day of donations, the fund had already received $8395.44. The money would be used to provide ongoing support to the girl.

Turangi resident Vicki Ham has organised a collection in the town with the buckets placed at about 20 businesses.

"I heard on the news what had happened and wondered what I could do to help. I thought this would be a nice way for our community to give something back to the family," Ham said.

"We're absolutely devastated that something like this could happen in Turangi. We can't make it right so this is our way of showing that the community of Turangi do care."

The collection was expected to raise at least $2500.

The police investigation was continuing and it anticipated that the scene examination would be complete by lunchtime today. The ute and caravan will be removed from the scene.

"The investigation remains a priority for us with everything possible being done; the family can be assured that no stone will be left unturned," Loper said.

"We are receiving good support and cooperation from the community and have a number of persons of interest but we are still very keen to hear from anyone else who hasn't yet made contact and has information that might assist us."

Specialist criminal profilers joined the investigation yesterday as neighbours speculated about Mongrel Mob gang involvement, as gang members were partying at a nearby house when the attack happened.

With prisons nearby, criminals and their families gravitate to the central North Island township, an anonymous local said.

Loper said there was no-one at the campground on bail or parole. "They may have been in the past but it would appear that most of the occupants are foreigners, tourists just travelling through."

Police were speaking to people in the township, including those at Wednesday night parties.

"I don't know whether it's gang-related but we're told there were parties which gang members may have attended but it's not really a focus for us."

Police are speaking to known violent and sex criminals in the area and indicated more than one person may have been involved in the attack.

Danish tourists at the campsite said they heard screams, which they believed were from the mother after she looked through the caravan windows and saw a man lying on top of her daughter.

The attacker had locked himself inside the caravan.

She ran to get help, but when she returned with her husband the attacker had fled.

Police district commander, Superintendent Glenn Dunbier, was with the family within hours of the attack.

"They're well travelled people, they know that crime happens all round the world and that this sort of thing is not usual."

Police had turned down Turangi locals' offers of cash rewards for information leading to an arrest.

A trust fund has been set up at Westpac Bank, account number 03-1555-0150947-00, under the name "Operation Turangi" for the family.