Two young fishermen reported overdue at nightfall on Monday turned up just as rescue services were embarking on a search for them.

Their mother reported an 18 year old and an 11 year old two hours overdue from a fishing trip in a 4m dinghy at 5.20pm.

They left Matapihi earlier with plans to do some fishing outside the harbour and off Matakana Island.

The mother rang the Coastguard to advise they were two hours overdue as it was getting dark, and police had called out the Coastguard's TECT rescue boat to search for them when they turned up.

'They found their own way home,” says Tauranga Coastguard administration officer Barry Elshaw.

'As we were leaving, the boys turned up.”