UPDATED 1PM: The woman whose body was found on an Eastern Bay of Plenty beach on Friday night has now been identified.

Police say the body of 54-year-old Otaki woman Marama Lloyd (nee Greeks) was discovered by a member of the public on a beach in Morice's Bay near Torere shortly before 7pm.

'While police's investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death is ongoing, it is not thought to be suspicious.”

The woman's death will now be referred to the Coroner.

Marama had been reported missing by her daughter on January 4 after she'd not been seen or heard from since New Year's Eve.

Speaking to Fairfax her daughter Waitiria Greeks says Marama had been staying in Opape, 13km east of Opotiki, with a cousin. The last phone contact she'd had with her mum was on the day Marama was meant to be travelling to Opotiki, December 29.

She says it was out of character for her mum to disappear.

A helicopter was called in to recover Marama's body on Saturday morning as the beach where she was found was inaccessible by boat or on foot.

- Additional reporting from stuff.co.nz

EARLIER:

Police are in the process of recovering a woman's body found on a beach near Opotiki overnight.

A police spokesperson says the woman's body was discovered by a member of the public on a beach in Morice's Bay near Torere in the Eastern Bay of Plenty shortly before 7pm.

'Police were called at 6.55pm a member of the public who reported the woman's body had washed up on the beach at Morrice Bay.

'When police arrived last night they were not able to recover the body so that is being done this morning along with a post mortem.

The woman's death will be referred to the coroner.

At this stage police are following lines of enquiry to establish the identity of the woman.