AUSTRALIAN police say they hope three young Dublin people who have not been heard from for over three days will turn up for a prearranged meeting with other Irish people on Friday in northeast Queensland.
A police spokesman said last night that concern about the two men and a woman had "eased slightly" following the sighting late last night (Australia time) of a van similar to that being driven by the three.
The search was still continuing, however, and, despite no response from the three to radio, television and newspaper appeals, a police spokesman said: "We have nothing to support any major suspicion."
The white camper van, with what police describe as an Irish logo attached, was reportedly seen on a highway south of Cairns late last night (Australia time). A police spokesman said that the sighting would be followed up at daybreak (late last night Irish time).
Ms Sandra Mahon, from Templeogue, Mr Stuart Gamble, from Walkinstown, and Mr Neil Hewson, from Dundrum, have not been heard from since Ms Mahon telephoned her parents in Dublin on Saturday evening in a distressed state.
Police are not revealing exactly what she said, but the phone went dead in the middle of the call. After receiving the call, Ms Mahon's father, Dick, contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and the police search began.
According to Sgt Gary Burkin, of Cairns police, reports that Ms Mahon had said she was being attacked are incorrect. "She did not say she was being attacked. She said she had had a problem. It was in the past tense." He declined to say what the problem was.
Several hours before her distressed call home Ms Mahon had made a routine call to her parents to say she was in Cairns. According to Mr Joe Sheehan, of the Irish Embassy in Canberra, there was no indication then that anything was wrong and the voices of her two companions were heard in the background.
Sgt Burkin said that the Australian police had not established where the second call was made from. "It was from within an eight hour radius of Cairns" he said.
Police believe the three may have moved out of the Cairns area after the distressing experience reported by Ms Mahon. They may therefore be out of range of local media, which could explain why they had not responded to media appeals.
Police will be watching to see if Ms Mahon makes a withdrawal from her bank account today, thus revealing her location. She normally withdraws money every four days or so, and the last withdrawal was made on Saturday.
The spokesman said it was also possible that the three might contact the fruit farm at Inkerman, 400 kilometres south of Cairns, where they had been working and where they were expected to seek work again for next week. They are due to meet other Irish people at Townsville, south of Cairns, on Friday.
Police are hoping that this planned meeting on Friday will resolve the matter. The three are due to meet other Irish people to celebrate Mr Hewson's birthday the following day. We're fairly confident that on Friday, we'll know whether something serious has happened. We believe that they wouldn't miss this meeting", said Sgt Burkin.
Appeals for information on the three have been broadcast on local television and radio and published in local newspapers, along with photographs of each of them.
Ms Mahon, Mr Gamble and Mr Hewson - school friends now in their mid 20s - have been in Australia since last year, travelling and doing casual work. They went there in a group of 12 which split up into smaller groups. Last weekend they were travelling in a camper van in north east Queensland, having worked in the area for some time.
Meanwhile, Australian police say they are treating as suspicious the disappearance last May of an Irishman, Mr Gerard Mooney, in Sydney. Mr Mooney (35) was last seen on May 14th when he paid his rent at an estate agent's office and returned a rented video. His bicycle was found two days after he was last seen, his car was parked in its usual place and his flat was stocked with groceries.