The family of a murdered Sydney taxi driver is pleading for their father's body to be found so they can say goodbye.

Robert Woodger, 67, of Coogee in Sydney's east, has not been seen since his bloodstained taxi was found abandoned on a street in Eastwood in Sydney's north-west on Wednesday about 6.15am (AEST).

Bloodstained clothing, a knife, a tomahawk and gaffer tape were found inside the vehicle, along with clumps of hair on the knife-slashed driver's head rest.

Chinese student Xinfei Gu, 22, of Eastwood, has been charged with Mr Woodger's murder, but police have been unable to find a body.

As police divers searched a river near Macquarie University on Friday, Mr Woodger's three adult children appealed for the public to look in gardens, bins and under trees for anything that could assist police.

"All we want now is to find our father so we can lay him to rest," his son, Stewart Woodger, told reporters.

"That's just a standard right of any human being that passes away, for the family to be able to say goodbye in a respectful manner."

Documents tendered to Ryde Local Court said Mr Woodger dropped off a passenger in Marsfield shortly after 3am on Wednesday. His GPS tracking system went dead a short time later.

Police are attempting to work out what happened in the hours before his taxi failed to stop when it hit a garbage truck in Eastwood about 5.45am.

Two photographs from the cab's security camera show a man wearing a baseball cap sitting in the back seat at 3.17am and 3.59am.

Gu, who had injuries to his fingers, allegedly admitted to police that he owned the knife found in the cab, but denied that the other items belonged to him.

Police said Gu was arrested trying to hide bloodstained clothing and knives at Macquarie University on Thursday at about 12.30am.

Mr Woodger's family have revealed the grandfather-of-ten had been involved with surf life saving for more than 30 years, and established the Camden Haven surf life saving club on the NSW mid north coast.

Stewart Woodger said he had been concerned about his father driving taxis late at night and had urged him to retire, but he aspired to the better life the extra dollars could provide.

He was still saving for a holiday in Bali with his wife, Pam, when it appears his life was brutally cut short.

Mr Woodger's only daughter, Lynne Bourke, said it was her seven-year-old twin girls' birthday on Friday and they didn't know why "poppy" couldn't come to their party.

Gu has been remanded in custody to face Central Local Court on June 25.

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