A New Zealand man was taken aback after receiving a phone call from his brother who had been missing for 10 years.

John Daniel Tohill, 37, was last heard from by family in 2005 after he left Nelson on the Tasman bay to travel north.

But on Tuesday evening his brother Tobias received a call from John saying he had would be visiting in the coming weeks, reports Stuff NZ.

John Daniel Tohill, 37, made contact with his family this week for the first time since 2005

Over the years his family has hired investigators and police, but because he was an adult and had disappeared without notice before there was little incentive for police to appeal to the public for information.

The family learned that John had never left the country, had no savings and did not possess a driver's licence.

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But after a call out for public sightings of him, John called his brother on Tuesday.

'It's pretty amazing,' Tobias said. 'He wanted to keep to himself all this time.'

He was reportedly alerted to the search by a colleague who showed him the story on Stuff NZ. Tobias said his brother offered little explanation to his disappearance.

John's brother Tobias (pictured) received a call from John saying he had would be visiting them in coming weeks

'He is happy. He sounds well. He sounds like his is in a good way. We were very happy to hear from him.'

John will visit his family in the coming weeks, including his father, who is in the final stage of dementia.

'It's a bit strange,' Tobias said. 'It's really good to hear he is well. I don't have to think about it any more.'

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