EXCLUSIVE

Detectives have admitted the 16-day hunt for missing mum Tayla Spies stretches over a vast area as they try to focus in on her last-known movements.

The country Queensland mother-of-three vanished on February 2 after leaving a motel in the Western Downs rural city of Dalby after 8am.

She was last seen driving her distinctive white ute in the tiny outback town of Surat, 450km west of Brisbane, around 11.10am on the day she disappeared.

Ms Spies, who operates her wedding and events planning business, was captured on CCTV heaving a very large white and yellow patterned red bag into her vehicle.

She was wearing light coloured shorts and a bright pink shirt, but her sister Rebecca has said that she later changed into ‘a white shirt with purple writing on it and a Mimco (brand) shoulder bag in the afternoon’. 

She was behind the wheel of her white 2017 dual cab Toyota Hilux ute with a distinctive black bumper bar and blacked out wheels, with the Queensland registration 559 GJ7. 

But she has never seen since, and missed her upcoming 29th birthday celebrations.

Tayla Spies – pronounced ‘Speez’ – who ran her own events business has not been seen for 16 days, sparking grave concerns among family and police

Police said the search area for her was a vast 5000 square kilometres, including 'the area west of Yuleba (Wallumbilla South) and south of the Surat Development Road down to Teelba'

Police said the search area for her was a vast 5000 square kilometres, including ‘the area west of Yuleba (Wallumbilla South) and south of the Surat Development Road down to Teelba’

The riddle of missing Queensland mum and events manager Tayla Spies (above at work) last moments as police released details of the vast area they were searching for her

The riddle of missing Queensland mum and events manager Tayla Spies (above at work) last moments as police released details of the vast area they were searching for her

Her family broke their silence late last week, saying they were ‘out of their minds’ with frustration and felt like they were ‘hitting their heads against a brick wall’.

Malcolm Spies said his large family, based in the Dalby area of the Western Downs, were baffled by the fact there was ‘no trace of her, nor of her car, what’s more.’

On her wedding planner site, Ms Spies encourages clients to ‘let us take the stress out’ of their special event, promising to handle all stages of planning calling herself ‘the head problem solver’. 

‘Whether that means perfecting the styling, (or) ensuring that the day runs smoothly … I am there, I am invested & I’m ready to do whatever it takes to make my client’s wedding day, THE BEST,’ she wrote on Instagram. 

Chief Inspector Garry Watts of Queensland’s South West police region admitted on Monday that police had no new clues as to the whereabouts of Ms Spies or her car.

He said the search area for her was a vast 5000sq km, which Queensland Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia included ‘the area west of Yuleba (Wallumbilla South) and also go south of the Surat Development Road down to Teelba’.  

Ms Spies – pronounced ‘Speez’ – was last seen driving on the Carnarvon Highway, just south of the Condamine turnoff heading towards Roma between 10am and 1pm on Sunday, February 2.

‘Please, if anybody has seen Tayla or her car, report it ASAP. We just want to know she’s okay and safe,’ Rebecca Spies posted online.

Tayla Spies is described as as Caucasian with brown shoulder length hair, blue eyes, a slim build, approximately 170cm tall and has the word KARMA tattooed on her chest

Tayla Spies is described as as Caucasian with brown shoulder length hair, blue eyes, a slim build, approximately 170cm tall and has the word KARMA tattooed on her chest

Eerie CCTV footage shows Tayla Spies leaving a Dalby motel on Sunday February 2 and driving off. No trace of her or her vehicle have been found

Eerie CCTV footage shows Tayla Spies leaving a Dalby motel on Sunday February 2 and driving off. No trace of her or her vehicle have been found

CCTV of Tayla that morning shows her leaving a motel in Dalby dressed in the pink shirt, light shorts and black thongs Family described Tayla, who operated her own business, as both a capable and responsible person.

CCTV of Tayla that morning shows her leaving a motel in Dalby dressed in the pink shirt, light shorts and black thongs and carrying a very large red and white patterned bag to her car

Tayla’s family stressed she was both capable and responsible. 

Ms Spies is from Roma, 270km northwest of Dalby where she had stayed at the motel over the weekend. She had planned to return home prior to her disappearance.

Police have now launched Operation X-Ray Spa to investigate Ms Spies’ disappearance and believe she travelled west towards Surat after leaving Dalby.

‘There have been times when Tayla has gone off the network, so to speak, for a couple of days,’ said Chief Inspector Watts.

The family of missing Queensland mum Tayla Spies has broken their silence and admitted they are ‘out of their minds’ with frustration as the hunt enters its 16th day 

Tayla was last seen behind the wheel of her white 2017 dual cab Toyota Hilux ute (above) with a distinctive black bumper bar and blacked out wheels, with the Queensland registration 559 GJ7

Tayla was last seen behind the wheel of her white 2017 dual cab Toyota Hilux ute (above) with a distinctive black bumper bar and blacked out wheels, with the Queensland registration 559 GJ7

‘(But) we have grave concerns for the welfare of Tayla.

‘Our public appeal to see if we can narrow it down to number one, where that vehicle is and number two, where Tayla is.’ 

Ms Spies’ ute was last seen at the intersection of Burrowes Street and Cordelia Street in Surat at 11.10am on February 2. 

Investigators appealed for anyone travelling between Dalby, Surat and surrounding areas between the hours of 10.30am and 12.30pm on February 2, to check dashcam footage.

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk