Cindy Waldron, 46, was dragged under the water during a late-night swim in croc-infested waters on Sunday with Leeann Mitchell, who attended the same university with her in New Zealand.

Ms Waldron had reportedly moved to Lithgow from Leura and had come to Australia from New Zealand around 19 years ago.

Ms Mitchell, 47, frantically tried to pull her friend from the creature's jaws as it ripped her from waist-deep water just off a secluded beach in the picturesque Daintree Rainforest.

Department of Environment and Heritage Protection officers were flown in from Townsville on Monday to help police track and identify crocodiles in the area as the search continued for the missing Kiwi, who'd lived in Australia for 18 years, most recently in Lithgow in rural New South Wales.

The monster reptile was spotted swimming off Thornton Beach on May 10 but a DEHP spokeswoman said the animal was not aggressive and there was no evidence linking it to the attack.

The department didn't have any recent estimates of crocodile numbers in the area but former journalist and Daintree River farmer Jane King said the population had risen dramatically.

Ms King aired concerns visitors weren't taking the danger posed by the reptiles seriously despite warnings from tour operators and countless signs.

"You don't swim in north Queensland waters, fresh or salt water, at night time," she said.

"The only thing you can hope for with something like this is that it becomes an awareness thing."

Ms Mitchell remained hospitalised in a stable condition on Monday afternoon, suffering from shock and badly traumatised.

The search for the younger woman continued, with 16 SES volunteers patrolling on the ground assisted by the Queensland government air rescue helicopter and water police and SES boats.

For safety reasons, authorities halted the search at nightfall to resume at first light on Tuesday.

Acting Inspector Ed Lukin said the search was focused on one particularly estuary near to where the attack took place.

He told the Newsport Daily the environment officers were helping police identify crocodiles.

"Croc behaviour after such an incident is central to the search operation in terms of where they are placed, whether they are sunning themselves or swimming in certain areas, so we have people assisting us in that regard," he said.

Lithgow Mayor Maree Statham said the community was concerned.

"We feel very, very sad for her and her family. It's such a tragic accident," Statham said.

Police have notified Waldron's family in Tauranga and Wellington, who declined to comment as the search continued. Crocodiles are common in the Thornton Beach area and throughout the rest of the Daintree, with a smattering of half a dozen or so nearby tourist operators offering croc tours.

Signs throughout the area warn people not to go near the water, with swimming at night considered particularly dangerous.

Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch said the incident was an avoidable tragedy.

"You can't legislate against human stupidity," he said.

Ms King said national parks must remain the realm of the crocodile, but as the population boomed again she wondered what might need to be done in the future to manage risks to people.

She admitted to feeling nervous crossing the Daintree River in daylight hours to reach Daintree Village whenever her boat stuck in the mud, forcing her to step over the side into ankle-deep mud to push her boat to what she says are antiquated ramp and jetty facilities.

Ms King said she was also worried about the tourists who, in daylight hours, still regularly swam at Cow Bay, just to the south of Thornton Beach where the tourist vanished on Sunday night.

- With Audrey Malone and AAP