Chilling twist in case of married man who vanished in the wilderness with his 'glamour queen' friend as it's revealed they may have been ROBBED before they disappeared - as shattered wife's hopes they'll be found alive fade

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A missing drone could hold a vital clue in solving the mysterious disappearance of two elderly friends who vanished without a trace.

Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, went camping in the rugged and remote Wonnangatta Valley in Victoria's Gippsland region on March 19.

An experienced bushman, Mr Hill contacted his wife Robyn via radio the next day but neither he or his female friend have not been seen or heard from since.

Mr Hill's car and the charred remains of a campsite were found near Dry River Creek track at Billabong a week later on March 27.  

Investigators suspect a number of items may have been taken from the campsite, including a drone that belonged to Mr Hill.

Friends of devoted grandmother Carol Clay (pictured right) were surprised to learn she had gone camping with one close friend describing her as a glamour queen

Another possibly police are considering that Mr Hill crashed the drone, worth about $2,000, and left his camp to look for it.   

Despite the new leads of inquiry, Mr Hill's shattered wife of 50 years has lost hope that he will return home and has started packing up his belongings.

'I don't think that he will still be alive,' Robyn Hill told Daily Mail Australia from the couple's Drouin home on Monday.

She had no idea her husband had gone camping with another woman.

Ms Clay's closest friends were also surprised to learn out she had gone camping.

'She was a glamour queen really,' friend of 15 years Dorothy Coombe told A Current Affair on Tuesday night.

'She always looks gorgeous and well-dressed.

'For many people, they couldn't imagine her out in the bush, let alone anything befalling her.'

Police suspect a number of items may have been taken from the campsite (pictured, including a drone which is now missing

Mr Hill (above) had recently retired and was an experienced outdoorsman who reportedly knew the remote Alpine region of the Gippsland well

Ms Coombe is baffled by the disappearance of the devoted grandmother and former Victorian President of the Country Women's Association.

'She was a tremendous friend,' Ms Coombe said.

'She was one of those people who would cook you dinner and drop it around.'  

Police are examining the possibility the pair disappeared of their own free will, while the scenario they met with foul play has not been ruled out. 

'Something clearly has gone awry. We know that something has gone awry,' Ms Coombe said.  

A burnt out campsite was found in remote bushland in Victoria's Wonnangatta Valley

The pair went missing in the Wonnangatta Valley, more than 200km north east of Melbourne

There is also a possibility the pair's disappearance may never be solved.

'It's now the role of the police to try and give the families in particular, answers. But at the end of the day, there might not be any,' former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina said.

Local cattleman Bruce McCormack, who has been involved in countless searches said the abandoned campsite was near dense bushland where you would 'never find them'.

'It's sort of a great open area in the middle of the Alpine National Park,' he said.

The pair's burnt out campsite with Mr Hill's car parked beside it (pictured) was found in a remote area of bushland in Victoria's Wonnangatta Valley on March 27

Ms Clay (above) was Victorian President of the Country Women's Association and known for beautiful, elegant clothing

As detectives prepare to take another look at the Toyota 4WD Mr Hill left abandoned at the scene, Mrs Hill insists her husband had never gone missing before this trip. 

'He's always been on the radio. He didn't call for quite a few days and then I started to get worried and thought 'I've got to do something now', 'she told Daily Mail Australia.

Mrs Hill said her husband would routinely broadcast at the same time every night when his other radio chums were on the air. 

'They all get on at the same time and once I heard Russell I knew, on the Friday, that he was fine. But then I didn't hear him again.' 

Mr Hill's car (pictured) has been returned to his home in Drouin where specialist detectives hope to examine it again for further clues